Our People - Francis Augustus Jacques |
4 June 1915 |
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Lieutenant Colonel Francis Augustus Jacques
14th King George's Own Ferozepore Sikhs Killed in Action 4 June 1915 Helles Memorial, Turkey, Panel 256 to 262. Mentioned in Despatches Son of the Rev. Canon Kinton Jacques and Caroline Jacques; husband of Olivia Katharine Jacques, of San Diego, California, U.S.A. The following text is from the volume 'The Bond of Sacrifice', Volume 2. These volumes contained the biographies of the officers who died in World War 1. However only two volumes were ever produced up to the middle of 1915, the series being discontinued due to the appallingly high mortality rate among officers.
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL FRANCIS AUGUSTUS JACQUES, second in command of the 14th KING GEORGE’S OWN FEROZEPORE SIKHS, born at Leyland, Lancashire, on the 9th April, 1867 was the third son of the late Rev. Canon Jacques, Rector of Brindle, Lancashire, and a brother of the Rev. J. K. Jacques and of Captain G. P. R. Jacques. Lieutenant-Colonel Jacques was educated at Rossall School, where as a boy he was very good at games, especially football. As a man he was keen and hard-working, a good rider, played polo a little, and hockey with his regimental team. His chief recreation, however, was gardening, to which he devoted all his spare time and money. In November, 1887, he was appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment from the Militia, becoming Lieutenant in March, 1890. In September of the same year he was transferred to the Indian Army, and for a few months served with the 4th Rajputs, then joined the 14th Sikhs. In 1891 he took part in the Hazara Expedition, receiving for his services the medal and clasp, and in 1894-95 he accompanied the Waziristan Expedition, for which he received an additional clasp to his medal. Two years later he was again on active service, taking part in operations on the North West Frontier of India, at Tochi, and received for his services another medal with clasp. After that campaign, in November 1898, he was promoted Captain, and in 1900 he was again on active service, being present at operations in China during the Boxer rising, for which he received the medal. After that date he remained with the 14th Sikhs until his death, with the exception of temporary appointments as Assistant Cantonment Magistrate, Second-in-Command of the 45th Sikhs for one week, and of the 29th Punjabis for six months. He was promoted Major in November, 1905, and Lieutenant-Colonel in the 14th Sikhs in November, 1913, when he became Second-in-Command. For active service in the Great War he proceeded with his regiment to Egypt, where he was engaged in operations against the Turks on the Suez Canal. Afterwards his battalion was ordered to the Darndanelles, and on the 4th June, 1915, during an advance of his regiment on Gallipoli Peninsula, Lieutenant-Colonel Jacques was killed instantaneously, and was buried on the field of battle. His Commanding Officer wrote: “Your husband’s death is a terrible blow to me. I miss his help and advice, which he was always willing to give. We have lost in him a splendid and capable officer who will be difficult to replace. A General Officer, in writing to me on the 7th June, asked me to say, when writing to you, how struck he was, during the three weeks previous to the 4th June, by his pluck and energy. ‘He was the life and soul of the organisation of the defence of the part of the line in his charge, always busy and cheerful, and I regret his loss intensely.’ These are the General’s words.” And a brother officer wrote: “Your husband was wonderfully calm and cool in action, much the same as when on parade, and it did one good to see him and be near him. He did not seem to know what fear was.” Lieutenant-Colonel Jacques married his cousin, Olivia Katherine, daughter of Burkhill Jacques, Esq., of San Diego, California, and left two daughters: Barbara Caroline, born in January, 1912; and Ruth Olivia, born in February, 1914. His death was reported in the following local papers:
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Francis Augustus Jacques
Image from the book 'The Bond of Sacrifice', Volume 2. 
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