Lives of the First World War

Lieutenant Colonel Freegift William Van der Kiste Royal Field Artillery Lt Col Van der Kiste (1875-1948) was born in Limerick, Ireland, and was educated at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He received his commission in the Royal Artillery in 1894 and by the outbreak of war in 1914 had attained the rank of major, having served primarily in India. Lt Col Van der Kiste served throughout the war on the Western Front and in Salonika. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and twice Mentioned in Despatches. He retired from the Army in 1925 but subsequently served as a major in the Home Guard during the Second World War, during which conflict his son was killed in action.