Osmund Frederick Stapleton-Bretherton 1898 - 1918
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The memorial book from Downside School is called Downside at War, published in 1923. It is a collection of short biographies of former pupils of Downside who were killed in the War. The biographies were compiled by different writers who had known the pupils concerned

Osmund was the oldest child and only son of Frederick Bartholomew Joseph and Bertha Stapleton-Bretherton, and grandson of Frederick Annesley and Isabella Stapleton-Bretherton

1898 - He was born in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire 

1908-1915 - He attended St Gregory’s RC College, Downside School near Bath as a boarder

Extract from 1911 Census for Downside School

1915 - He went to Sandhurst for military training

July 1916 - He was gazetted to the 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers

In 1917 - He was promoted to Lieutenant in the Lancers

In April 1917 Osmund returned home on leave. The wedding of his sister, Ruth, to Major R.V.C. Bodley took place at Brompton Oratory on 30th April. At this time, their father, Major Frederick Bartholomew was away fighting at the Front and Osmund gave his sister away in marriage.

21st Oct 1917- He was posted to France

Lt. Col. Rowland Feilding, who fought in France during WW1, was married to Edith Stapleton-Bretherton who was Osmund’s aunt. In March 1918 he met Osmund by chance. Rowland wrote to his wife:

6th March 1918 Tincourt

…. I met a string of cavalry horses returning from water. I was admiring the boots of the subaltern who was walking in front and thinking what a glorious contrast they were to the ill-fitting slipshod things one sees in the trenches, when I glanced up at the officer’s yellow woollen waistcoat, and then at his face . Who do you think it was? – Osmund smiling all over, whom I had not seen since that day at Windsor when he came over from Sandhurst and who has now grown into a man I was taken off to have tea at his camp at Doingt ….. Afterwards I walked back here – about 4 miles and Osmund came part of the way with me. He is just the same delightful enthusiastic boy he always was. He had been doing an infantry spell in the trenches and had been on patrol, and was bubbling over with his experiences. He is one of the sort who sees only good in people, and all his geese are swans. He ended up by saying “The family is doing quite well. You’ve got the DSO, and Uncle Vincent has the MC and I’ve got my second pip”

22 March 1918 - Killed in Action on the Western Front aged 19 years.

​Below is the telegram received by Osmund's mother Bertha, informing her of his death.

Husbands Bosworth War Memorial

His name is on the Pozieres Memorial in France.

He is commemorated on the memorial in St Bartholomew’s graveyard

He is also commemorated on the Husbands Bosworth War Memorial

The St Helens Rolls of Honour website also has information about Osmund.

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Osmond's grandfather, Frederick Annesley Stapleton-Bretherton, was the owner of Rainhill Hall. Had Osmund lived, he would have inherited the Hall and probably there would still be members of the Stapleton-Bretherton family living in Rainhill today.
After the Great War ended, the family decided to sell The Hall and the Rainhill Estate. The Hall was sold to the Jesuits in 1924 and renamed Loyola Hall. The Jesuits sold the property in 2017 and it is currently the subject of a planning application for a hotel.