Basra Memorial, Iraq
Notice of Death appears in Jersey Evening
Post of Monday 19 March 1917
Wounded in March 1916 at Neuve Chapelle.
Commemorated on OV Memorial
Commemorated on St Helier Parish Church Memorial
NEWS ITEM in Jersey Evening Post
of Monday 19 March 1917
Roll of Honour. It is with the greatest
possible regret that we have to announce the death of
Lieutenant Donald F Hubert, who has been killed during
the fighting in Mesopotamia. The deceased was the eldest
son of Mr J Hubert, organist of St Helier Parish Church,
and was in his 22nd year. The sad news was conveyed
to the parents on Saturday in a communication from the
Indian Office, and nothing but the fact that their son
had laid down his life for his Country was told the
bereaved parents. Lieutenant Hubert was at Victoria
College from 1905-13 and during the whole of that period
he proved himself a very painstaking student, while
he also endeared himself both to the members of the
teaching staff and his school fellows. He played in
both the College football and cricket teams and was
one of the best hockey players in the College team.
He was a capital all-round athlete and was always included
in the Shooting VIII, representing the College Contingent
and the OTC at the rifle butts, he for long having been
the Senior Sergeant in the Corps, in which he took a
very keen interest. When war broke out he immediately
joined the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant and was almost immediately
sent for service in France, where he was wounded. He
subsequently spent a period of convalescent leave in
Jersey and was then given an appointment in the Indian
Army. The deceased, who possessed the soldier instinct
to a very marked extent, subsequently transferred into
a Battalion that was on active service in Mesopotamia
as he wished to see more of the fighting, and after
serving on that Front for several months he has, during
the great advance of our Army towards Baghdad, given
his life for the cause he was fighting for. To the bereaved
parents and the other members of the family we would
tender our respectful sympathy in this terrible time
of affliction and we feel sure that in this expression
we will be joined by the whole of our readers.
NEWS ITEM in Jersey
Evening Post of Monday 26 March 1917
Roll of Honour. The Times of Saturday
contains the following obituary notice:
"Second Lieutenant Donald Franklyn Hubert, Indian
Infantry, oldest son of Mr & Mrs H J Hubert of Victoria
Crescent, Jersey, was born in 1895, he was educated
at Victoria College, Jersey and Sandhurst, which he
entered in September 1913 as a Prize Cadet. At the outbreak
of war he joined the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in
Ireland, being transferred later to the Royal Irish
Rifles, with whom he went to France. He was wounded
at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, subsequently returning
to Jersey on convalescent leave. He returned to Ireland
in July 1915 and having originally passed out of Sandhurst
for the Indian Army, in September he was ordered to
India and attached to 83rd Infantry, while there he
was for a time Acting Adjutant to the Regiment and was
afterwards appointed Quartermaster. In the Autumn of
1916 he went with the Regiment to Burma and volunteering
for active service was ordered to the Front, where he
fell on 14 March".
Shortly before his much regretted death in action the
gallant officer had been given his second star for full
Lieutenant.
