Edwards, Henry Passmore, only son of John Passmore Edwards, M. P., of Bloomsbury; by Eleanor, daughter of Henry Vickers Humphreys, artist; b. June 25, 1871; adm. Sept. 28, 1883 (H); left (with a Triplett gratuity) July 1890; Ch. Ch. Oxon., matric. Michaelmas 1890; B.A. 1893; Capt. 28th Batt. London Regt. (Artists' Rifles) May 31, 1909; Major June 1, 1916; T. D.; served in Great War I; m. June 20, 1895, Grace, daughter of F. C. Hill, of Henley-on-Thames, co. Oxon.; d. March 6, 1935
EDWARDS, HARRY DALLAS, brother of William Bruce Dallas Edwards (qv); b. 28 Mar 1871; adm. (H) 31 May 1883; left Dec 1886.
Edwards, Giles Bruce Dallas, son of William Bruce Dallas Edwards (qv); b. 20 Apr. 1912; adm. Sept. 1925 (A); left July 1928; RASC 1940-6; FHCIMA FCFA; a catering executive; m. 28 June 1947 Gladys Rosa, d. of William Charles Gardiner of Sidcup, Kent; d. 7 June 1995.
EDWARDS, GILBERT LAXTON, only son of Davy Edwards, Colville Villas, Canterbury Road, Brixton, Surrey, commercial traveller for manufacturing chemist, and Elizabeth ----; b. 9 Nov 1870; adm. (A) 31 May 1883; left Jul 1889; Trinity Coll. Cambridge, adm. sub-sizar 5 Oct 1889, matr. Mich. 1889; BA 1892; a medical student at St. Thomas’s Hospital; d. 26 Dec 1894.
EDWARDS, GERALD MACLEAN, eldest son of Rev. Lambe[or a ?]rt Campbell Edwards, Vicar of Dorney, Bucks., and Frances --- (IGI); b. 14 Dec 1857; adm. as exhibitioner (G) 27 May 1869; left Aug 1869; at Harrow School Sep 1869 - Aug 1876; Trinity Coll. Cambridge, adm. pens. 25 May 1875, scholar 1876, matr. Mich. 1876; Senior Bell Scholar 1877, Davies Scholar 1879; Third Classic 1880; Chancellor’s Classical Medal 1880; BA 1880; MA 1883; Fellow, Sidney Sussex Coll., from 1881, Assistant Tutor 1882-9, Tutor 1889-1905, Classical Lecturer 1881-1912, hon. Classical Lecturer from 1912; author, The History of Sidney Sussex College, 1899; d. 10 Jan 1924.
EDWARDS, GEORGE OCTAVIUS, third son of William Edwards, Framlingham, Suffolk, and his cousin Emma, dau. of James Edwards, Wantisden, Suffolk; b. 17 Dec 1826; adm. 13 Jan 1841 (Benthall's); QS 1841; elected head to Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1845, adm. pens. 30 Apr 1845, scholar 1846, matr. Mich. 1845; BA 1849; MA 1853; adm. Inner Temple 28 Oct 1847, called to bar 22 Nov 1850; equity draughtsman and conveyancer; d. 12 Mar 1901. [unm. at time 1881 Census]
Edwards, Edward Cecil Theodore, son of Rev. Robert Stephen Edwards, Vicar of Northmoor, Oxon., and Anne Rosalie Tannatt, d. of Thomas Pryce of Llanymynech, Montgom.; b. 5 Aug. 1905; adm. Sept. 1919 (A); left July 1924; Ch. Ch. Oxf., matric. 1924; rowed against Cambridge 1925-7; PO RAF Apr. 1926, FO Oct. 1928, Flt Lieut. Dec. 1932, Sqdn Ldr June 1937; temp. Wing Cdr June 1940; winner King's Cup air race 1931; killed in action over Holland 30 Aug. 1940.
Edward Cecil Theodore “Sphinx” Edwards was born at Prestatyn, Wales on the 5th of August 1905 the second son of the Reverend Robert Stephen Edwards, Vicar of Westcote Barton, and Anne Rosalie Tannatt (nee Pryce) Edwards of Westcote Barton, Rectory, later of 25, St Margaret’s Road, Oxford and of 56, Elsham Road, Kensington in London. He was christened at Westcote Barton on the 13th of September 1905. He was educated at the Dragon School, Oxford from January 1913 to July 1919 and at Westminster School where he was up Ashburnham from September 1919 to July 1924. He was a member of 1st Rowing VIII where he rowed at bow in 1922 and was awarded his Colours in the same year. He rowed at stroke in 1923 and at No. 4 in 1924 and was The Head of Water in the same year. The Elizabethan wrote the following on his 1923 season:- “As a stroke he gave his crew a certain amount of length and rhythm, but he was unable to keep them going at a fast stroke. He is a hard worker, and will improve if he can get out of the habit of pushing away his slide at the beginning of the stroke, and tearing out the finish with his arms.” They wrote the following on his 1924 season: - “A good waterman with a nice easy swing: he has rowed consistently well throughout the term. As Head of Water his keenness and good sense have been invaluable: and the success of the crew has largely been due to his example.”
He matriculated for Christ Church, Oxford in 1924 where stroked the College crew which won the Coxwainless IVs in 1925 and in 1926. He rowed against Cambridge in the University boat races of 1925, 1926 and 1927 and was awarded a “Blue” in 1925. He was appointed as Secretary to the Oxford University Boat Club in 1927. He joined the Oxford University Air Squadron and was their first member to qualify as a pilot when he was awarded Royal Aero Club Certificate (No. 8187) at the London Aeroplane Club on the 30th of November 1927 while flying a DH Moth. He graduated with a BA and was later awarded a MA.
He was granted a permanent commission as a Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force on the 30th of April 1928 and was promoted to Flying Officer on the 30th of October 1928.
In 1930 he and Miss Winifred Spooner set out to prove that it was possible to fly to Cape Town in five days by flying day and night. The pair took off in Desoutter G-ABCU on the 5th of December 1930 but after sixteen hours of flying the aircraft was forced to ditch into the sea in total darkness off the coast of Belmonte Calabro in Italy. Being unable to swim, he sat on the wooden fuselage while Miss Spooner swam the mile to shore to fetch help. She returned with some local fishermen who rescued both him and the aircraft.
At around this time he was appointed as Assistant Adjutant to his Squadron.
In July 1931 he took off in Blackburn Bluebird G-AACC as one of forty starters who set out on the 1,000 mile King’s Cup Air Race. He won the race when he was the first to arrive at Heston on the 25th of July 1931. He also took part in the races of 1932, 1933, 1935, 1937 and 1938, with his closest finish being in 1933 when he was three seconds behind the winner. Later that year he was posted to the School of Naval Co-operation at Lee-on-Solent.
He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on the 1st of December 1932 and entered the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell in 1935, passing out the following year. He was promoted to Squadron Leader on the 1st of June 1937.
On the outbreak of war he was serving with 53 Squadron and was posted to France. The Squadron returned to England in May 1940 after the retreat to Dunkirk where they were based at RAF Detling. He was promoted to temporary Wing Commander on the 1st of June 1940.
On the 31st of August 1940, five crews from 53 Squadron were briefed at RAF Detling for an attack on fuel storage tanks at Vlaardingen, Rotterdam. Having made their attack they were due to return to base at 9.45pm.
Edward Edwards and his crew took off from RAF Detling at 7.30pm on the 31st of August 1940 in Blenheim Mk IV T1940 for the operation. He was leading the formation and was last seen when the formation broke up shortly before making their bombing runs. The aircraft crashed and burned out at Waalhaven near Vlaardingen killing all on board and was identified by the Red Cross in October 1940 by one of its engine numbers.
The crew was: -
Wing Commander Edward Cecil Theodore Edwards (Pilot)
Sergeant Lionel Lewis Benjamin (Observer)
Sergeant John Thomas Beesley (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
His father received the following telegram dated the 1st of September 1940: -“Regret to inform you that your son Wing Commander Edward Cecil Theodore Edwards is reported as missing as the result of air operations on 31 August 1940. Letter follows. Any further information received will be immediately communicated to you. Should news of him reach you from any source please inform this department.”
The crew was buried in one coffin at Reljshedijk, Rotterdam but their bodies were exhumed by the Germans on the 12th of June 1941 and were reburied at their present location on the following day.
His commanding officer later wrote to his mother: - “You will be pleased to hear that your son was leading a Flight of his Squadron against the enemy and that the Squadron which your son commanded has done magnificent work due to his excellent leadership and example.”
A tribute to him was written by A.C.C. and appeared in the Times of the 7th of October 1940: - “Cecil Edwards had found his way out of so many tight places that when he was reported “missing” on August 31st his friends could hardly imagine that he would not reappear; but the news now received seems conclusive. He was not only one of the “few” in Mr Churchill’s imperishable phrase, be he bore a special relation to them, for he gave them a lead by joining the R.A.F. immediately on going down, having been the first member of the Oxford Air Squadron to qualify as a pilot. He then trained many of them and took an active part in the Air Ministry in organizing the expansion of the R.A.F; and he fell leading them in action. It seemed so entirely natural that he should be in the forefront of action in all these ways that his friends now realize how substantive a contribution he has made to our cause. He was an artist in action, and so absorbed in it that his very modesty was unconscious, and he was a perfect friend.”
His brother, Captain John Oswald Valentine Edwards OW, East Surrey Regiment attached to the Burma Frontier Force, was killed in action on the 10th of April 1942.
He and his brother are commemorated on a stone in the churchyard at Westcote Barton and on the war memorials at the Dragon School and at Christ Church, Oxford.
He is buried at Crooswijk General Cemetery, Rotterdam Plot LL, Row I, Grave 5.
Edwards, David William Wood, son of Herbert Cecil Ralph Edwards CBE FSA, Keeper Dept of Woodwork V&A, and Grace Marjorie, d. of Rev. William Ingham Brooke, Rector of Barford, Warks; b. 6 Mar. 1927; adm. Sept. 1940 (B); left July 1944; UCL, BSc 1947; MICE 1955, MIStructE 1969, FICE 1974; BR engineer 1949-60; dep. chief engineer Farmer & Dark, architects, 1960-77; a commercial civil and structural engineer 1977-87; own firm of consulting engineers 1987-; m. 1st, 27 Dec. 1967 Doris Leonie, d. of Paul Werner Heller; 2nd, 17 Apr. 1982 Faye Janice, d. of Thomas George Biggs, printer; d. 11 Jan. 2006.
Edwards, Colin Hyde, youngest son of Frederick William Hyde Edwards, of Westminster, by Julia Annie, daughter of James Arthur Humphrey, of Addlestone, Surrey; b. Jan. 25, 1897; adm. April 29, 1909 (A); left Easter 1911, and went to Bradfield Coll.; R. M.C. Sandhurst Dec. 1914; 2nd Lieut. 1st Batt. East Surrey Regt. May 12, 1915; went out to the western front in Dec. 1915; reported missing May 8, 1917; d. May 22, 1917, a prisoner of war in the War Hospital of Shelotille, Douai, of wounds received near Fresnoy; unm.
Edwards, Cecil Ralph Timothy, brother of David William Wood Edwards (qv); b. 25 July 1928; adm. Sept. 1942 (B); left July 1946; Trin. Coll. Camb., matric. 1949, BA 1952, MA 1970; Lond. Stock Exchange 1955-88, member Council 1980-8; partner Grieveson Grant & Co, and chmn. Kleinwort Benson Unit Trusts; dir. Securities Assn. Ltd. 1987-9; vice-pres. National Museum of Wales 1987-92, President 1992-8; m. 12 Jan. 1957 Brenda Mary, d. of Joseph Francis Vaughan Gibbs; d. 30 Aug. 1996.