Royal Air Force
Douglas Ridley Clunes Gabell was born on 28 November 1897 in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, the son of Emma Gabell (née Jones) and the Rev Arthur Charles Gabell, Rector of Swindon Village 1901-1914 and acting vicar-in-charge at St John’s Church, Cheltenham.
He was educated at Cheltenham College from September 1912 until July 1915, where his father had preceded him from 1860 to 1867. According to his admission form Douglas was possibly destined for holy orders, following in his father’s footsteps. Previous to his admission to Cheltenham College, he had been educated at Etonhurst in Weston-Super-Mare for about two years, had a private tutor at home for a year, and went to Glyngarth in Cheltenham but the order is not clear.
Douglas was the eighth child of Arthur and Emma, and his siblings were Richard Henry L (1887), Ifor Hone (1889), Cyril Leicester (1890), Violet Olwen (1892), Muriel Dison (1893), Arthur Iltyd (1895), Victor Llewellyn (1896), Edward Beresford Gwyn (1899-1907), and possibly Irene Winifred (1903). His half-siblings, from his father’s first marriage to Helen Celeste (née Clewes), were Flora Helen Celeste (1874-1895), Margaret Lucy E (1876), Arthur Vivian (1877), John Clunes (1878-1897), and Catherine Violet (1881).
From Cheltenham College, Douglas was accepted at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and was commissioned into the Gloucestershire Regiment in July 1916. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps on 1 September 1916 where, after only three weeks training he proceeded as a pilot to the Western Front where he saw considerable service, being brought down twice. On the second occasion he was wounded, and invalided home in the Spring of 1917.
He was promoted Captain in January 1918 and, although he repeatedly applied to return to the front, his services were required at home as an instructor at Yatesbury, Wiltshire. He was Wing Examining Officer, a senior examiner, instructing in advanced flying – testing pupils and instructors, and raising the standard of flying and instruction for instructors.
In July 1918, at the age of 20, he was in England as an officer of the newly formed Royal Air Force, attached to the 13th Training Squadron, and stationed at Yatesbury, Wiltshire where he was co-pilot with his friend Lieutenant George Frederick Delmar-Williamson.
On 12 July 1918 whilst test flying an RE8 aircraft, serial number C2236, over Chippenham, Wiltshire, it collapsed in mid-air, crashed to the ground, and both pilot (Delmar-Williamson) and co-pilot (Douglas) were killed; Douglas was 20 years old.
Captain Gabell was buried on 16 July 1918 on the south boundary of the St Lawrence’s Churchyard, Swindon Village, near Cheltenham.
At the time of his death, his father’s address was given as Battledown Gates, Cheltenham. According to his Medal Index Card, his address was changed from Ashfield, Crickhowell, Breconshire, to 14 The Lees, Malvern, Worcestershire, on 22 November 1921. As this was some time after his death, this may have been a forwarding address for his medals. His father subsequently died on 10 July 1957.
Douglas is commemorated in the chapel of the Royal Military College, and on the Cheltenham and Swindon Village war memorials.
Wreckage of RE8 Serial No. C2236
Researched by Baden Russell (date unknown)
In compiling this biography I wish to thank and acknowledge Jill Barlow, Cheltenham College Archives; Dave and Jimmy James, for their website ‘Leaving Cheltenham’; and Joe Devereux and Graham Sacker, for their book ‘Leaving All That Was Dear’.