William Lummis - Military Career

Military Career

Born in Coddenham, Suffolk, Lummis was the oldest of seven children born to George Murrell Lummis (1860 – 1912) and Louisa Sparrow (1854 – 1933). After leaving school at the age of 14, Lummis worked as a clerk in a Magistrates' Clerk's Office in his hometown of Coddenham before enlisting, aged 18, in the 11th Hussars as a trooper in 1904. In 1911 he was a Lance Sergeant and became responsible, among many other things, for editing the 11th Hussars regimental journal. At that time he met the survivors of the Charge of the Light Brigade who had gathered for a reunion. In 1912 he endeavoured to create a complete and accurate roll of the men who had served in the 11th Hussars in the Crimean War. By the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, he was Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant, the youngest in the British Army. He served on the Western Front throughout the War, taking part in the Retreat from Mons and seeing action in Flanders. He was commissioned in 1916 and transferred to his county regiment, the Suffolk Regiment, serving with the regiment's second battalion for the remainder of the war. He was awarded the Military Cross for bravery on 21–23 August 1918 during the Second Battle of the Somme. He commanded the battalion on 23 October 1918 at its last First World War action, the Battle of the Selle, when it took all its objectives.

After the War ended, he remained in the Army, serving in India, Britain and Ireland. He was appointed Adjutant and Quarter-Master in the Army School of Education in India, returning to England in 1925, rejoining his regiment on 14 October. He was promoted to captain on 21 January 1928, and on 9 December 1930 he reached the retirement age for service, remaining in the reserve of officers for a further five years. On leaving the Army he researched the other four Light Brigade regiments which had also taken part in the Charge of the Light Brigade.