Celebrity Genealogy      Research - My Family

Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Henry Trotter, D.S.O. (1872–1916): A Distinguished Military Legacy

Above photo: courtesy of mortonhallgc.co.uk

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Edward Henry Trotter, my paternal 5th cousin four times removed, was born on December 1, 1872. He was the son of Major-General Sir Henry Trotter and Dame Eva Gifford, and would go on to build a distinguished career as a British Army officer.

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Early Military Career

Edward began his military service with the Grenadier Guards, commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on June 28, 1893, and promoted to Lieutenant just four years later, on August 25, 1897.

He first saw active service during the Nile Expedition of 1898, participating in the Battle of Khartoum, for which he received the Egyptian Medal with clasp. Promoted to Captain on June 28, 1900, Edward went on to fight in the Second Boer War (1900–1902) with the City of London Imperial Volunteers.

During the South African campaign, he served in the Orange Free State, taking part in the actions at Zaand River, Transvaal, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Diamond Hill. He also served with the Mounted Infantry in the Cape Colony (modern-day Cape Town), earning the Queen’s Medal with four clasps. For his gallantry, he was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.), with the insignia presented by King Edward VII on October 29, 1901.

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Service During World War I

Promoted to Major on September 26, 1908, Edward continued his military career into World War I. On September 1, 1914, he was given the rank of Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel and took command of the 18th Battalion, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment).

Despite suffering from a knee injury caused by a hunting accident, Edward often joined his men in daily drills and exercises. His leadership and camaraderie earned him deep respect — his soldiers affectionately nicknamed their unit “Trotter’s Greyhounds” due to their skill and speed in battalion competitions.

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The Battle of the Somme

The 18th Battalion landed at Boulogne, France, in November 1915, eventually moving toward the Somme. On July 1, 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, Edward led his men in an advance toward Montauban, fighting alongside the French on the left flank.

It was one of the bloodiest days in British military history. Edward later estimated the 18th Battalion’s casualties at around 500 men. Despite the devastating losses, the battalion achieved its objectives — one of the few successful advances on that fateful day.

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Final Days and Death

By early July 1916, the 18th Battalion had been reduced to minimal strength and was reorganized as a carrier battalion. On July 8, 1916, they were ordered to move forward. Edward, leading from the front, advanced ahead of his men. During this movement, German forces began shelling the area.

A shell struck near the brigade headquarters, killing Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Henry Trotter, a lieutenant, and two other soldiers, while also fatally wounding Lieutenant-Colonel William Smith of the 18th Manchester Battalion.

Edward was laid to rest at Péronne Road Cemetery, Maricourt, France.

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A Legacy of Service and Sportsmanship

Following his death, a newspaper published this touching excerpt from Edward’s will:

“A tribute to the benefits of sport was paid in his will by Lieut.-Colonel E. H. Trotter, D.S.O., Grenadier Guards, who was killed in France in July. He left £25,170, and bequeathed:
‘To the Grenadier Guards the regimental cup which I won the first year I joined, in the hope that sport of all sorts will long flourish in the regiment, it having been my experience in all the wars I have been in that the best sportsman makes the best soldier, and I should like this fact to be inscribed on the cup.’”

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Edward Henry Trotter was one of several relatives I’ve traced who lost their lives during World War I, including others who perished in the Battle of the Somme. Unlike many, however — including my maternal great-grandfather — Edward’s grave is known, offering me the opportunity to pay my respects during my next visit to France.