News & Diary - 15.09.2025
George Macpherson and the Battle of Flers-Courcellette
The Battle of the Somme took place between 1 July and 18 November 1916. More than three million men fought in the battle, of whom more than one million were either wounded or killed, including 16 Wykehamists killed on the first day of the offensive, 1 July 1916, followed by another 11 Wykehamists on 15 September, the first day of the third and final offensive launched by the British Army.
One of the Wykehamists killed on 15 September was 20-year-old George Macpherson, who died during the Battle of Flers-Courcellette, when tanks were used for the very first time in warfare. Macpherson was the skipper of Tank C20. You can read more about his story below.
George Macpherson came to Winchester in 1909 and was in Turner’s House. He played cricket and soccer for his house and was Senior Commoner Prefect from 1914 to 1915 and Head of his House. He left in 1915 and quickly obtained a commission in the East Kent Regiment, transferring to the Machine Gun Corps in April 1916 and eventually joining the world’s first tank unit.
During the Battle of Flers-Courcellette, George’s tank was supporting an attack on a German stronghold called The Quadrilateral. None of the tank commanders had been able to reconnoitre the route so were dependent on special guides to lead them in the dark through a multitude of obstacles. George’s tank developed engine trouble which was fixed but shortly broke down again. Only one tank succeeded in getting through the German wire and was unable to prevail. George died during this first tank action, aged 20.
One of the other Wykehamists killed that day was George’s good friend from Winchester College, Geoffrey Wyatt. They had met up only 5 days earlier, chatting in George’s tank.
George, Geoffrey and the other 109 Wykehamists who died on 15 September 1916 are remembered in Winchester College’s War Cloister, along with all Wykehamists who have lost their lives in conflicts since the Crimean War.
Our online resource, Winchester College at War, enables you to search the Winchester College Rolls of Honour and War Service Rolls. The site provides a brief biography for every member of the School community who perished in conflicts from the Crimean War onwards.
You can also visit our War Cloister by joining a War Cloister tour.
