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Auction: 19001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 470

'He was a very great friend of mine in this battalion, and by his life and example was a real strength to the Church. I really got to know him well when his company was at Headquarters at Bir-el-Abd at Christmas. We had built a little church there of palm branches, and when I was away he used to take evening prayers for me. He was also one of my regular servers at Eucharist. Later he was in charge of a small post, and it was of the greatest help to have an officer in command who always made it easy for the men to come over for their communions and who was also always present himself. He received his last Communion on Passion Sunday, the day before the action, in an almond grove about seven miles from where he fell. In the action, he led his platoon to the top of a ridge, which was the furthest point we reached, and died in the firing line. His men tell me that "Mr. Tyrrell-Green was splendid." '

His Battalion Chaplain, quoted in Ruvigny's The Roll of Honour.

Three: Lieutenant D. N. Tyrrell-Green, 1/4th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, who was killed in action at the First Battle of Gaza in March 1917, having 'magnificently' led his platoon into action 'at a fine pace and endured a terrible shelling without any signs of flinching'

1914-15 Star (2 Lieut. D. N. Tyrell-Green, R. Suss. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. D. N. Tyrell-Green), in original glazed wooden frame, extremely fine (3)

Denis Noel Tyrrell-Green was born at Lampeter, Ceredigion on 10 October 1894, the elder son of the Rev. E. Tyrell-Green, afterwards of Burpham Croft, Sussex. Educated at Lampeter College and at Jesus College, Cambridge, he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Sussex Regiment in September 1914, direct from the university's O.T.C.

He subsequently served with distinction in the 1/4th Battalion in Gallipoli, being complimented by his Divisional G.O.C 'for valuable reconnoitring work and making maps of Turkish positions' (Ruvigny's Roll of Honour, refers). He was afterwards invalided from the peninsula but returned to active duty in Egypt in 1916.

He was killed in action at the First Battle of Gaza on 26 March 1917, but not before making a lasting impression on those who saw him in action, his Colonel describing his conduct that day as 'magnificent'. A final glimpse of the gallant Tyrell-Green is to be found in the words of a fellow officer, Lieutenant Lovering:

'The ground is very rough, we rush some Turks out of a forward position at which we are machine-gunned heavily when we reach. We rush by sections over this and under heavy fire, to a gully on the other side. Sergeant Tribe is hit in this rush and I fall over, but get up and under cover safely. Here I saw the last of Tyrell-Green. Captain Weekes goes on and I follow with more men later.'

Tyrell-Green's mother published and dedicated a book of poetry to her son's memory:

'To my son Denis I dedicate this book, in gratitude for a loving and lovely life, laid down in the service of God and his country.'

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Jerusalem Memorial. For further details, see Ruvigny's Roll of Honour and:

https://www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/denis-noel-tyrrell-green


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