William Haldane Round (1893-1916)

First World War Roll of Honour

William Haldane Round, known as Hal, was born in 1893, the only son of the Rev. W and Mrs Round of New Radford Vicarage, Nottingham. He was educated at St. John’s School, Leatherhead, from 1903. He was captain of the school, captain of cricket and a sergeant in the Officer Training Corps. In 1913, he gained an exhibition at Downing, taking up the study of economics. In his first year he rowed in the College’s ‘Getting On’ Boat in the Lent Bumps, 1914.

On the outbreak of war, Round secured a commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the 7th (Robin Hoods) Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters and proceeded to France in February 1915. He was promoted to Lieutenant in July 1915 and again, to Captain, the following month.

Capt. Round’s battalion took part in the attack on Gommecourt which formed the northernmost part of the offensive now known as the Battle of the Somme, which began on 1 July 1916 and resulted in catastrophic losses for the British Army. Capt. Round was one of 19,240 British men who lost their lives on the now infamous first day of the Battle of the Somme. According to his obituary in The Griffin, Round ‘saw much service, gained rapid promotion, and was very highly esteemed by his fellow officers and men. His death has evoked the warmest tributes on all hands’.

Capt. Round is buried in the Foncquevilliers Military Cemetery.

Image: Getting On Boat, Lent 1914 (with thanks to Nigel Llloyd)