Souchon does not appear in any British birth records. He came from Mauritius, where his father Louis Souchon was a sugar planter. CWGC records show that his brother, Leon Joseph Gustave Souchon, was killed in WW2, son of Sir (Hippolyte) Louis (Wiehe du Coudray) Souchon, C.B.E., and Lady Souchon (nee Rouillard). The same man that appears on Souchon's probate record
1893 Aug 29. Born Mauritius
Educated Weenen College, Natal, South Africa
1913 Matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford. Souchon, G. H. The Oxford University Roll of Service contains the names, fourteen thousand five hundred and sixty-one in number, of those members of the University who served in the Military and Naval forces of the Crown during the War.
1913 Oct 20. Enlisted in King Edwards Horse. Trooper no. 301
1914 Aug 5. Embodied, that is called up for full time service
1914 Nov 25. Commissioned 2nd Lt in 8th Reserve Regt of Cavalry. Station at Curragh, Ireland
1915 May 5. Posted to 17th Lancers
1915 Oct. Posted to France
1917 Jul 1. Promoted Lt
1918 Mar 15. CBE for his father - Hippolyte Louis Wiehe du Coudray Souchon, Esq., .Representative in London of the Mauritius' Chamber of Agriculture. His father was later knighted in 1927.
1919 May. Posted to Germany. Appointed Liaison Officer, British Army of the Rhine at Aix la Chappelle
1919 Nov 2. G.S.Os., 3rd Grade.- Lt. G. H. Souchon, 17th Lrs., and to be temp. Capt. whilst so empld. Liaison Officer with 33 French Corps
1920 Mar 18 Liaison Officer with Belgian Army
1921 Jun 1. Relinquishes GSO 3rd Grade, Lt. G. H. Souchon, 17th L,, and relinquishes the temp, rank of Capt.
1921 Jul 1. 17th Lancers, G H Souchon is restored to the establishment and rejoins Lancers
1921 Jul 26. Granted 5 days leave
1921 Aug 22. Selected for duty with the Hungarian Czech Boundary Commission
1921 Sep 10 . Granted 14 days leave. This was for him to be interviewed for the job with the Hungarian Czech Boundary Commission
1921 Sep 13. Applies to resign his commission in order to go and live abroad, but Army decided that situation in Ireland necessitated his remaining in the army, and that they would look at it agin in 2 months
1921 Oct 2. Lieutenant Souchon was on his way from his Club to Earl’s Island Army Camp in Galway. On his way he met some fellow officers who gave him a lift in their car. As they drove passed the Town Hall shots were fired and Lieutenant Souchon was hit in the head, he died instantly.
Investigations into the shooting showed that Lieutenant Souchon was killed by a stray bullet fired in a dispute at a local hall where a dance was being held in aid of The Republican Prisoners Dependants’ Fund. There were several accounts of how the dispute arose but it involved some Crown Forces either attempting to enter the dance without paying or Republican stewards at the dance attempted to search Crown Forces outside the dance. Lieutenant Souchon was not involved in this dispute.
The inquiry showed that there were four men in the car
Evidence was also given by William Lorraine King, Commanding D Coy ADRIC. He describes an altercation he had near the Town Hall when shots were fored at him and two ADRIC men - they were all unarmed in accordance with the terms of the truce. He says "my belief is that on the night in question, I was identified near the Town Hall and my presence reported to gunmen who rushed out and fired at me. My Ford cars are well known and it is possible that the Ford car in which Lt Souchon died was fired at in the belief that I was one of the passengers as the car is one of my strength and frequently used by me personally"
The odd thing to me is that Souchon was hit and died in the back of the car, yet Thornton, the man sitting beside him, never noticed anything. He only saw the body when the car had deposited Major Parbury and was moving off. Thornton himself says he was covered with blood.
The inquiry concluded tthat Souchon died from a bullet fired from the Town Hall
His body was taken to Wookham, Surrey for burial.
1921 Dec 3. Probate to his father
1922 His father sold Eastwick Park, and I think returned to Mauritius
