Captain King-Mason was the son of a former Master of St Bees School (1886-87) who volunteered for service in the Boer War, and at the end of that time settled in South Africa. The son came to St Bees in 1902, leaving in 1902 to join his father in South Africa. Subsequently the whole family went to Canada, where the father and the eldest son joined the 5th Canadian Contingent. Early in 1915 they were sent to France with the 2nd Infantry Brigade, 1st CEF, where Captain C G D King-Mason was killed in action at Ypres on April 24, 1915. While trying to save the lives of two privates of his company.

Elizabeth Wood