Gerard Frederick Freeman-Thomas

Gerard Frederick Freeman-Thomas was the elder son and heir of Freeman Freeman-Thomas, Lord Willingdon who became the 1st Marquis. He was born 3 May 1893 at the family’s London residence but lived much of his early life in Willingdon, East Sussex.

Gerard was killed 5 weeks after Britain declared war on Germany and he was the first of the twenty four young men from Willingdon to be killed in action. His name is inscribed on the Ferte Sous Jouarre Memorial France. He is also commemorated on the Willingdon parish memorials in the church and memorial hall; on the Eton Roll of Honour and In Lord’s Cricket Pavilion on the Roll of MCC members. As a direct result of his death, the Ratton Estate was divided into Lots and auctioned at the Saffron Rooms Meads Road Eastbourne at 11.45am on Tuesday 12 November 1918, the day after the Armistice and the Freeman-Thomas family left Ratton Manor having lived there since 1769.

FREEMAN-THOMAS, The Hon. GERARD FREDERICK

• Rank: Second Lieutenant
• Date of Death: 14/09/1914
• Age: 21
• Regiment/Service: Coldstream Guards 1st Bn.
• Panel Reference:
• Memorial: LA FERTE-SOUS-JOUARRE MEMORIAL
• Additional Information: Son of 1st Viscount Willingdon and Viscountess Willingdon, of 5, Lygon Place, London and of Ratton, Willingdon, Sussex.
• CWGC

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References and Further Reading

• The Hon Gerard Freeman-Thomas East Sussex WW1