Edward James Forrester VAUGHAN (1875-1957)

Major Edward James Forrester Vaughan (1875-1957) was Cyril Sladden’s Commanding Officer in the 9th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, for a week in October 1915, when he was sent to cover for Lieutenant-Colonel Foster who had temporarily returned to his unit. 

Edward Vaughan was born at Wraxall, Somerset, on 7th August 1875, the eldest of four children of Lieutenant Edward Hensman Vaughan and his wife, Katherine Creilman (née Forrester).  He was baptised on 28th August 1875 at Wraxall.  They lived at 4 Victoria Terrace, Heavitree, Exeter.

Edward was educated at Winchester College.  Like his father, he became a professional soldier.  He was commissioned into the Devonshire Regiment in 1896 and served in the Boer War.  From August 1902 to August 1912 he was employed with the Egyptian Army.

At the start of the Great War Edward Vaughan was Adjutant of the Special Reserve Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment, before an appointment to the base in Egypt.  In October 1915 he sailed from Alexandria to Lemnos which was the base for the Gallipoli peninsula.  The battalion diary of 12th October 1915 records that “Major E J F Vaughan Devonshire Regiment took over command of the battalion today from Lt Col C E Foster, King’s Own Regt.  Col Foster returned to his own unit.”  The following week Lieutenant-Colonel Foster returned and Major Vaughan proceeded to the 53rd Division.  He took temporary command of the 2/4th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment for two months, for which he received the temporary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.  He was awarded the DSO in June 1916.

In September 1924, Vaughan, by now a Brigadier-General, married Ethel Winifred Robin, the widow of Lt-Col J A C Forsyth, at St Saviour, Jersey.

Edward Vaughan died at Platte Rocque, Grouville, Jersey, on 9th June 1957.