Edgar Hubert Maleham of Sheffield was killed in action in France on March 23rd 1918, aged 33.
He was born in Sheffield in 1885 and attended Bootham School from 1899-1901. After school he became an accountant.
The July 1916 issue of the school magazine “Bootham” reports that:
“E. H. MALEHAM is with the Artists’ Rifles at Romford. He has met J. H. Gray and D. W. Rowntree and has lately discovered that “the man in the next bed but one to me had been at Bootham.—G. L. Newman.” ”
The July 1918 issue of “Bootham” reported that Edgar had been killed in action in France.
This was followed in the December 1918 issue of “Bootham” by his “In Memoriam”:
“EDGAR HUBERT MALEHAM (1899-1901) was the son of George Edgar and Edith (Yeomans) Maleham. He was born at Sheffield in 1885 and educated at Bootham. On leaving Bootham he was articled to Mr. J. W. Best, chartered accountant, Sheffield. He passed his Final Examination in 1907, and was admitted an Associate in Practice on May 1st in that year. Later he was taken into partnership by Mr. Best.
During 1915 he felt strongly that it was his duty to take part in the defence of his country, and when his term of partnership ended he enlisted in the Artists’ Rifles as a private in January, 1916. When he gained his commission he was drafted into the 3rd York and Lanes at Sunderland, and was soon sent out to the front to join the 2nd Line Regt. 2nd York and Lancs. Within a short period he was placed in charge of a brigade pioneer company with the rank of captain, and was ultimately attached to the London Field Company of the Royal Engineers.
In the autumn of 1917 he was in Marcoing when the Germans nearly surrounded it, but was instrumental in getting his men away with few casualties under cover of darkness.
At the time of the great Cambrai attack he was very severely wounded by machine-gun fire while rallying his men close to the enemy on March 22nd. Five of his men refused to leave him, .and carried him to the rear. He was conveyed to Doullens, which he reached on the 23rd, but was dead when admitted into the 3rd Canadian Stationary Hospital. He lies in the cemetery of Doullens. Over the archway is an inscription in French: “All who rest here have given their lives for their country.”
A private writes :— ” It was with much regret that all the boys of the Pioneers heard of the death of Captain Maleham, for none of us could speak too highly of him, his great consideration being for the comfort of us all before himself. His encouragement and leadership on March 22nd, the date he was badly wounded by machine-gun bullets, will never be forgotten by us who were with him, and had he lived I am sure he would have been recommended. When badly wounded and the Germans advancing he begged us to leave him rather than we be taken prisoners, but he was a man who made one feel that we could not do enough for him, and with the aid of a comrade we were able to carry him alternately on our backs until we were able to procure a stretcher, and after the doctor had seen him we placed him in one of our Red Cross cars which was picking up wounded on the roadside. ” “
Captain Edgar Hubert Maleham is buried at Doullens Cemetery, Somme, France.