Lieutenant Colonel Sydney Rowland Savill DSO MC TD went to Wellington in 1905. He was in the Wellesley then called Pearson’s after its Tutor. He was a dormitory prefect and a Sergeant in the Corps. He was a member of the family that gives its name to the well known chartered surveying and agency business.
He became a stockbroker in the City, and was commissioned in 1911 into the 16th London Regiment, the Queen’s Westminsters, on the strength of his Wellington OTC service.
The Great War interrupted things and saw his territorial service become professional. He stayed with his Regiment being made Captain in 1915 and was given the MC in 1916 before taking command of the Regiment in June of 1918. The Gazette quotes his rank as “Capt. (actg. Maj.) S. R. Savill, M.C., to be actg. Lt.-Col. whilst comdg. a Bn. 17th June 1918″. A lot of responsibility for a young Captain.
He bought the Regiment back with him and commanded them through to 1922. He was made DSO in 1919.
He returned to full time soldiering in the second war, by which time his unit had become part of the KRRC and added the TD to his collection in 1942.
He was initiated into Mensura Lodge No 3724, the Lodge associated with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and joined the OW Lodge in 1925, a strong year for the Lodge under the deputy Mastership of ‘G-H‘ which saw four initiates William de Burgh White (Purnell’s 1889— 91), Frances Ian Hamilton Moore (Orange 1916—20), Charles Edward Pierson (Hopetoun 1899—01) and Henry Sidley Lees Smith (Hardinge 1887—90), and two joining members Oswald Arthur Chaldecott (Hardinge 1894—00) and Savill.
He was a member of the Junior and RAC.