Image of Jesus College war memorial

André Raoul Christian Schlumberger, French Air Force

André Raoul Christian Schlumberger is not on the College War Memorial, nor in War List of the University of Cambridge 1914-1918. We surmise that this is because he served with the French Forces.

Born: Paris, France on 18 January 1889

Killed in action: 28 June 1918

He is recorded, however, in Freddie Brittain’s Biographical Notes on Members of Jesus College 1901-1920, the examinations book and in the 1908 Annual Report. 

The biographical notes only record Schlumberger’s basic details of birthdate, place of birth, school – École des Roches, Verneuil, France and his matriculation year -1907.  The Examinations book record that he “ceased to reside in June 1908” without having taken any examinations at all. 

The only other mention of him comes in the 1908 Jesus College Cambridge Society Annual Report as a member of a fairly successful Tennis Six.  In fact it seems that Schlumberger was the sixth member of the team which was a hotly contested spot amongst the Freshmen.  He was paired with the Tennis Club Secretary, J. G. Walker and the team’s record was won seven, lost five.  The Annual Report claimed that the team improved as the season progressed and by the end of the season defeated both Caius and Trinity “two of the best teams in the University”.

His military record is shown in the Livre d'Or de l'école des Roches he was awarded Croix de Guerre with palm and silver star. Sadly he died only a few months after his brother Raymond was also killed in action. As far as we are aware he was the only Jesuan member of the French Forces to be killed.

You can email us on ww1-project@jesus.cam.ac.uk, go to our First World War homepage, or find us on Lives of the First World War.