Gerald Talbot Sweeting
15 May 1884 - 14 March 1915

Gerald Talbot Sweeting was born on 15 May 1884 to the Rev. Walter Debenham Sweeting and his wife Maria Georgina. He was the youngest of seven children, five sons and two daughters. His father had been Second Master (the equivalent of today's Deputy Head) and later Headmaster of The King's School, a position he held for 20 years. On leaving King's Mr Sweeting had become vicar of Maxey.

Gerald joined The King's School at the age of 13.

He was at King's for 3 years. The School Archive has a photo of this athletic young man with a shock of blond hair - he became a King's Scholar, and left in January 1900. What he did and where he went next, we don't know for certain, but we believe that he was articled to a firm of London stockbrokers.

His mother died on 1 November 1900 and Reverend Sweeting moved to London, possibly to be near his family or his son. By 1906 Gerald was working in a Stockbroker's Office in the City of London, with a home address of ‘Maxey’, Queens Road, Wallington, Surrey.

In about 1912 Gerald joined the Queen Victoria’s Rifles as a territorial soldier. Not only did this teach him soldiering but it would also have been treated as something of a social Gentlemen’s Club. On 4 November 1914 Gerald was called to the Colours to join ‘A’ Coy 9th Battalion London Regiment and sailed for France the same day.

Gerald was killed on 14 March 1915 - he was on lookout when a German grenade exploded behind his back. In a letter to his sister Mary, his Commanding Officer wrote that he was held in high esteem by his comrades; he was an immaculate soldier, who never missed a parade, never went sick or fell out on the march. Always doing his share, never grumbling and ever ready to help others.