Biography:
David Radcliffe was born 6 December 1894, the only son of Sir Frederick and Margaret Morton, nee Horsfall. The family lived at Mossley Hill, Liverpool.
He came to Winchester College from Mr Dobie's school at Heswall in January 1908 and was in K House, Kingsgate House. He left the following summer and then later went up to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and rowed in his College VIII in 1914.
In spite of ill-health, David volunteered at the outbreak of war and was gazetted in December 1914 to the 11th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment. After undergoing a serious operation, he was transferred to the 24th Battalion Royal Fusiliers and went to France in November 1915. At the time of his death he had been notified of his promotion to the rank of Captain, but had not yet been gazetted. He was killed near Loos on 18 March 1916.
The battalion war diary gives the details: 'March 19th 1916: Enemy fired a considerable number of whizz-bangs on our left front; they were probably trying to hit a trench mortar battery located there. Captain Radcliffe went out to front trenches to observe the fire of our guns in retaliation and was killed, probably by a German sniper, being hit in the head by a bullet. This is a serious loss to the Battalion; he was a good officer and very popular with all ranks. He was buried at Bully-Grenay this evening'.