Photo: Malcolm Kinghorn

GPS 26 deg 39 min 20 sec S; 15 deg 09 min 36 sec E

Significance
Brothers Private Reginald Lyndhurst (Rex) Winslow and Private Wilfred Lyndhurst Winslow are buried in adjacent South African War Graves in Luderitz, Namibia.

They were both killed in action on 25 September 1914 at Grasplatz (also known as Stettin) in German South West Africa (now Namibia).

The original crosses on their graves gave their date of death as 26 September 1914. They were initially buried at Stettin/Grasplatz.

Private Wildred Winslow was killed while attempting to rescue his brother, who had been killed.

From Commonwealth War Graves Commission records

South African War Graves in Luderitz, Namibia
Photo: Malcolm Kinghorn

The Winslow brothers' Commanding Officer wrote a letter describing how they had been killed

HOW THE WINSLOW BROTHERS WERE KILLED IN ACTION

ON 26 SEPTEMBER 1914

(During the German South West Africa Campaign, East of Luderitzbucht)

I am sure that long before this reaches you that you will have heard news of our being in action…losing…both Winslows. It is awfully pathetic, but war has no distinction.

We were out on an all-night patrol. The next morning, we ran across a raiding party of Germans - about seven of them. They immediately opened fire. Croon was hit in the chest. Another man, Gronan, who had already been wounded in the morning, then fell. He appeared to me to be dead, but he was not. Rex Winslow, who was just round a small kopje, was next, shot clean through the heart. Wilfred Winslow, his brother, ran round to him, and as he stooped down to raise his brother's head to give him water, he was shot dead - through the neck - and fell on his brother with his arms round him.

He was a brave boy, and they were both of them two of the best boys I had, keen and absolutely fearless.

It is a dreadful loss to their mother, but she may be somewhat comforted to know that they died like brave men and soldiers.

The whole affair lasted a few minutes and the result is I have lost four men from my troop.

Out of the seven Germans, we killed four, captured one and two got away, both badly wounded.

We brought the bodies in here, and this afternoon they were buried. We dug two graves in the cemetery here, at Stettin. The Winslows were in one grave, Wildred is on the right, Rex on the left; the other two were in the other. All the Brigade turned out and the Rev Mr Hill, who is with the ILH, read the burial service. It was most impressive, and I felt much affected.

I do feel so much for Mrs Winslow. I am afraid that I left them on the field. I kissed them both for their mother. So I want her to know that they were buried with their mother's love and a kiss from her.

We are having their graves properly fixed up, and it will have the ILH verse on it "Tell England, ye whom pass this monument, that we who lie here, serving her, died content."

Stettin is also known as "Grasplatz"

The Winslow brothers' original graves

Queen's College Great War Memorial Roll of Honour
Photo: William Martinson

Queen's College Great War Memorial stained glass windows
Photo: William Martinson

QUEEN'S COLLEGE
WWI MEMORIAL
STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

Henry Wilkinson conceived the idea of the Memorial windows, commemorating the 80 Queenians who died in WWI. The windows signify "Comradeship in work, play, religion & danger."

The subjects for the windows' theme were Rex and Wilfred Winslow, brothers who were killed in GSWA in October 1914.

Gascoyne & Son of Nottingham were selected to design and create the design of the windows. Payment for the commission, which was raised by public subscription, was £700.

Major General Sir Henry Timson Luki KCB, CMG, DSO unveiled the windows in August 1922.

Reference:Queen's College (1858-2008) by N.R. Veitch

The Queen's College Memorial Hall was opened on 23 February 1957
Photo: William Martinson

The Winslow brothers are commemorated on panel 6 of Queenstown's WW 1 Memorial Roll of Honour
Photo: William Martinson