Killed in action aged 36
Grave unknown
Julian Gordon Knowles, known as Gordon, was born in Teddington, the son of Frances William Lewis Farrar, Solicitor, and his wife Francis Amelia Farrar. He was baptised on 7 March 1880 at St Peter & St Paul, Teddington.
Educated at Harrow (94-98), and Christ Church, Gordon was then called to the Bar. In 1909 he married Gwendoline Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Fegan, M.D. and in 1911 census they were living at 31 Lower Belgrave Street. SW, and he was a barrister.
When the South African War broke out he was in Australia, enlisted in the Tasmanian Light Horse, in which he became Lance-Corporal, and served in the latter part of that War.
In August 1914, he enlisted in the 18th Hussars, served in the ranks, and was subsequently given a Commission in the Lancashire Fusiliers. After preliminary training he first saw service in France, and then his Battalion was sent to another Front. He was killed in action at Salonika on 14 September 1916.
His Commanding Officer wrote : —
"To me he was not just Captain Farrar, an Officer under my command, but the intimate, whimsical, thoughtful comrade who would have given any help, service, or advice I liked to ask, and he gave me all in full measure. Over and over again he and I enjoyed a happy day together, and his unfailing and humorous good spirits were a perpetual joy to me.
Full of resource as he was, full of gaiety, he was invaluable. He and Wormald, always together, were an inseparable and splendid combination. And as they were inseparable in service, so they became inseparable in sacrifice and have passed into that sacred combination of brotherhood that has left the Battalion infinitely the poorer."
His Estate amounted to £171 4s 6d, he is shown as having “died at Greece or Serbia”, probate granted to his widow.
His name is on the Doiran Memorial and he is commemorated on the Harrow School Memorial Roll.
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