Biography:
Rupert Edward Everitt was born 2 October 1875, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Everitt of the Royal Marine Artillery and Alice, daughter of John Peto.
He came to Winchester College in September 1889 and was a Scholar. He became a School Prefect and won the Silver Medal for Latin Speech and the Duncan Prize for Reading. He also played a leading part in Shakespeare Society.
Rupert left Winchester in the summer of 1894 and went up to Worcester College, Oxford with a Scholarship. He took his degree with Second Class Honours in 1898, entered the teaching profession and held appointments at Clifton and King's School, Canterbury where he was an officer in the OTC.
In 1915 he enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery, subsequently being posted to 162nd Heavy Battery RGA on 20 April 1916. Rupert was promoted to Bombadier in July 1916 and he went out to France in July but was immediately posted to 141st Heavy Battery RGA.
He came back to England to obtain a commission, joining the Officer Cadet School at St John's Wood and was commissioned on 10 December 1916. He returned to France in May 1917 to join the 299th Siege Battery and was killed by a shell splinter at Poperinghe on 24 June 1917, while dressing in his billet.
His Commanding Officer wrote to his father: 'It is with the deepest regret that I have to write about your son’s death. It happened this morning about 1030 when he was shaving. He had been up most of the night. A splinter of a shell came through the window of the room he was in, and killed him instantaneously. We all deplore his loss. We have always been a happy and merry family, and he was one of the merriest. Always cheerful, willing to do anything and everything at a moment’s notice, and never down-hearted no matter what work had to be done. In him I lose a very capable officer and a great friend. May I sympathize with you in your great loss'.
Rupert is commemorated by a brass memorial plaque in the Big School Room at King's School, Canterbury.
More information can be found here: http://hoganfam.weebly.com/other-info.html