Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    Z1269
  • Title
    Paul Norman Jones Christie, died 9 October 1917 aged 19
  • Production date
    From: 1912 To: 1926
  • Admin/biog history
    Compiled by S Fuller. Second Lieutenant Paul Norman Jones CHRISTIE. Killed in action during the Third Battle of Ypres Paul Christie was born on 18th April 1898 at 85 St. Dunstan’s Road in Fulham, the son of Octavius and Christabel Christie who lived in Much Hadham, Hertfordshire at the outbreak of the war. His father was a barrister as well as being an Officer in the 19th Territorial London Regiment. He had been in the O.T.C. at Eton College, attaining the rank of Lance Corporal during his stay between January 1912 and December 1915. In 1913 Paul cut his left knee on glass and got septic arthritis, which not only took a long time to heal completely but also caused concern that he may not have passed the army medical. As it turned out, he need not have worried as he does in his letters! The Army medical Officer did, however, remark that he needed glasses as he was slightly shortsighted! He applied to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst whilst underage and had to wait until they took him on the 17th May 1916; he had just reached 19 years old when he graduated as an Officer. Paul was posted to his first choice, the Bedfordshire regiment, late in April 1917 and went to the 3rd Battalion based in Landguard in May for a short time before sailing to France in June. He arrived at the 17th Infantry Base Depot in France on the 25th June and, after some more training to prepare him for the ordeal to come, arrived with the 1st battalion in the line on the 16th July, who were resting and refitting after their heavy involvements at the Battles of Arras in April and the storming of Oppy Wood in late June. 2/Lt Christie spent a week on a sniping course and returned to his unit just in time for a major move north. When the battalion moved to the Ypres sector in September, Paul experienced holding the line in the remains of Sanctuary Wood and the water logged conditions during the Third Battle of Ypres that autumn. Weeks later he was to taste his first, and sadly last, experience of battle. The 4th October saw the Battle of Broodseinde, during which the Bedfords were in close support but were not called upon to conduct any frontal assaults. He spent his time helping to consolidate and dig new trenches astride the Ypres to Menin road, 100 yards north of the famous Stirling Castle position. There they remained until the Battle of Poelcapelle opened on the 9th, during which thirteen British, Canadian and ANZAC Divisions assaulted German positions on a five mile wide frontage in the pouring rain. As the Bedfords held the line north of the Ypres-Menin road, the attacking battalions (the Norfolks and Royal Warwicks in the 15th Brigade) suffered dreadfully as they assaulted the heavily fortified Polderhoek Chateau which stood 600 yards north of Gheluvelt - the position that would not fall for several more weeks despite the growing casualty list. Second Lieutenant Paul Christie was killed instantly during a heavy bombardment of his positions as he stood directing the fire of his platoon against German positions in Gheluvelt late in the afternoon of the 9th October 1917. Ten further officers and the RSM were also casualties in addition to around 100 Other Ranks as they held heir posts that day. He was buried on the eastern outskirts of Veldhoek, on the famous Ypres-Menin road itself but his grave was lost during the battle. As a result he is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing from that dreadful battle. The CWGC have the following entry: Name: CHRISTIE, PAUL NORMAN JONES Initials: P N J Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Second Lieutenant Regiment/Service: Bedfordshire Regiment Unit Text: "C" Coy. 1st/2nd Bn. Age: 19 Date of Death: 09/10/1917 Additional information: Son of Major Octavius Francis and Christabel Frances Christie, of Culver, Much Hadham, Herts. Educated at Eton and Sandhurst. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Ref: Panel 48 to 50 and 162A. Memorial: Tyne Cot Memorial His service record records his personal effects amongst other information, as they all do. Sad to note that two of the three items returned to his parents on the 26th October 1917 were broken. These were his glasses (still in their case) and the watch his father sent to him that is discussed in his letters home.
  • Mr S Fuller
  • Archival history
    Papers kept by last surviving member of the family and then passed to Mr Fuller for deposit at Bedfordshire Record Office.
  • Level of description
    fonds
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