Edward Radcliffe - Nash Edward Radcliffe - Nash ( 9 June 1888 – 21 February 1915 ) was a British soldier and horse rider who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics . He was killed in action during the Great War . Early life and education . Born in London on 9 June 1888 to Lieutenant - Colonel Edward Nash JP , late the Essex Regiment , of Ballycartee , Tralee , Co . Kerry , and Constance , daughter of John Radcliffe JP of Moorfield Withington . He was educated at Mr . Bulls Preparatory School , Westgate on Sea ( 1898 – 1902 ) , Eton ( 1902 – July 1905 ) and the Royal Military College , Sandhurst , into which he passed by the entrance exams on 15 August 1905 with the position of 119 from a cadetship of 196 , receiving 7 , 838 marks . He commenced his period at the Royal Military College in September 1905 . Edward Radcliffe Nash left Eton at the earliest possible moment ( giving up all that Eton could give him over the next two years ) to enroll at Sandhurst to enable him to gain seniority in the Army . In July 1906 Nash passed out of Sandhurst with the position of 87 from 218 cadets . Military career . On 29 August 1906 Edward Radcliffe Nash was gazetted a 2nd Lieutenant into the 16th Lancers and joined his Regiment on 3 October 1906 . He was promoted to Lieutenant on 15 January 1909 and Captain on 10 October 1914 . Nash qualified at the School of Musketry in their examinations on 14 October 1910 . With the outbreak of the First World War , Nash was sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force ( BEF ) in August 1914 . He took part in the retreat from Mons , the battles of the Marne , the Aisne , and the First Battle of Ypres . He was killed in action near Ypres on 21 February 1915 , when the 16th Lancers suffered severely through the blowing up of a trench . At the time of his death he was acting Adjutant of his Regiment . Captain Edward Radcliffe Nash was mentioned in dispatches by Lord John French on 8 October 1914 . Sporting career . Edward Radcliffe Nash was a splendid all round sportsman . He distinguished himself at Eton as a long distance runner and as a “ wet bob ” . In 1905 he won the Junior Sculls and stroked his Junior House Four up to “ head ” , the last time that the colours of Miss Evan ’ s were seen on the river . While at Sandhurst he proved himself to be a remarkable athlete , winning against competitors considerably older than himself in the equivalent of the “ Victor Ludorum ” cup . After joining the 16th Lancers he ran twice in the Army Championship for the mile , being second on both occasions with practically no training . However he devoted himself to riding . He was well known at Olympia and represented Britain at the Stockholm Olympic Games in 1912 . He did not finish the Individual eventing ( Military ) competition , also the British team did not finish the team event . However in the individual jumping event he finished 29th on " The Flea " . He was first and second in successive years at the Grafton Pont - to - Point , won his Regimental Light Weight Steeplechase on two occasions and was “ placed ” at a number of other meetings at which he rode . In De Ruvigny ’ s " Roll Of Honour 1914 – 1924 " it is said that : - “ As conspicuous for dash , energy and endurance in War as in sport , he was the ideal cavalry officer and appeared to have a distinguished career before him . His exuberant vitality found expression in all that he said or did , and one who knew him well , observed on hearing that he had been killed : “ Of all the deaths in this war , his death is the hardest to realise ” . ” Captain Edward Radcliffe Nash is buried in the Ypres Town Cemetery , Ieper , West - Vlaanderen , Belgium , Row G , Grave 4 . Captain Edward Radcliffe Nash had a younger brother , Llewellyn Charles Nash ( a Captain in the King ’ s Royal Rifle Corps ) who died of wounds on 28 September 1915 .