Bromley War Memorial

Parents: Frederick & Lily Schooling (nee Symondson)
Parents' occupation: Actuary
Siblings: Margaret Lily, Lionel Frederick, Cecil Herbert
Relatives on War Memorial: SCHOOLING, C.H., SYMONDSON, V.F.
Wife: Edith McTaggart Gordon Paton
Marriage date: 1910
Children: Heather Mary

Census information

1891
Address: 257 Lavender Hill Battersea
1901
Address: Sandhurst
1911
Address: Whittington Cross Roads, Near Litchfield
Occupation: Lieutenant Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Extra details

Eric was the 3rd of Frederick and Lily Alphonsine Maria Schooling's four children. He was baptised on 5th August 1883 in Battersea. After attending Quernmore School he went to Tonbridge School in 1895, leaving from the Army Class of 1900. He was a Lance Corporal in the School Cadet Corps, attached to 1st Middlesex R E.

After Tonbridge he went to Sandhurst, and owing to the Boer War, was gazetted in May, 1901, to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, before he was 18 years of age, being, it is said, at the time the youngest officer in the Army. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1905, and Captain, January 8th, 1913. He was with his Regiment at Malta when war broke out, having returned to England it formed part of the 7th Division which landed at Zeebrugge, and after forced marches across Belgium, lost many of its officers in the fierce fighting round Ypres.

Eric was officially reported wounded in November, 1914, and "missing" in the following March. No evidence as to his fate could be obtained except from prisoners of war in Germany, and definite news was not received till after many anxious inquiries. Prisioners stated that Captain Schooling was shot in the head and killed instantaneously whilst in command of a trench in the fighting at Gheluvelt, Belgium, on October 31st, 1914, and that no other officer was present. A Private, wrote:- " He was a splendid officer, and encouraged us all to hold the trench up to the last, in spite of the terrific shell and rifle fire and our very heavy losses. The few of us who are left regret him very much." Another of them, a Corporal, wrote:- "Truly, could you have seen him, you would not grieve. You could not. He was grand. I shall never forget his last stand as long as I live. No man could have set a more noble or finer example. It is impossible to exaggerate it, and I am proud to be able to say that I fought at his side." Sergeant Scrivener, who was with him, wrote from Altdamm, where he was a prisoner, that his Captain's last words to him, just before he was shot, were: "Mind, no surrender."

Eric married Edith McTaggart Gordon Paton 7th April 1910. They had one daughter, Heather Mary.

Eric's brother Cecil, and cousin Vernon Francis Symondson also died.

Thank you to Tonbridge School for their assistance.

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