William Reginald Hill, a former pupil of Oakham School, won the Military Cross and Bar before and died of wounds as a prisoner of war. He was the son of William and Katherine Hill from Tamworth in Staffordshire and was educated at Oakham and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He served in the Durham Light Infantry, variously with the 4th, 8th and 12th Battalions. The award of his MC was gazetted on 16 August 1917. The Bar came later and was awarded: “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during a raid. While the raiding party, who had secured a prisoner, were withdrawing under heavy machine-gun fire and bombing, this officer rushed forward and picked up one of his wounded from the enemy wire, so that the enemy might not secure an identification. He had previously carried out several daring patrols and shown fine leadership.” (Supplement to the London Gazette, 20 September 1918). The book 'List of British Officers taken prisoner in the various theatres of War between August 1914 and November 1918' states that WR Hill was captured on 27 May 1918 on the Chemin des Dames whilst in the 8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. This is supported by the Oakham School Magazine which records him as being "Captured on the Craonne Plateau, 28 May 1918."  He died on 6 November 1918, five days before the Armistace, while he was still a prisoner and is buried in Berlin South Western Cemetery, grave XIX A 8. He is also remembered in Oakham School Chapel.

We're grateful to Brian Needham for this information.

Pictures below of Oakham School Cricket First XI courtesy Andrew Renshaw, author of Wisden on the Great War.