Sunday 1 February 2015

Famous people who had sons killed in WW1 - Oscar Wilde


For anyone interested in Oscar Wilde, there is an exhibition, lectures and more currently on until 26th April 2015 at the Rosenbach of the Free Libfrary in Delancey Place, Philadelphia, PA in America. For details please see  http://rosenbach.org/learn/events/conversations-curators

Oscar Wilde's son, Cyril Holland, was killed in action on 9th May 1915.  After Wilde's imprisonment, his wife changed their name to Holland and took the children to Switzerland.  Cyril was educated at an English-language school in Germany before going to Radley College, an independent boarding school for boys near Oxford.  He went on to the Military Academy at Woolwich and was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery in 1905.  After service in India, when WW1 broke out Lt. Holland was posted to the Western Front where he took part in the Battle of Neuve-Chapelle.  He was killed by a sniper on 9th May 1915 at the Battle of Festubert.  Lt. Holland was buried in Richebourg-l'AvouĂ© in France.

Photo:  Cyril with his mother.