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The Roll of Honour, Volume 1 : $b A biographical record of all members of His Majesty's naval and military forces who have fallen in the war · Ruvigny et Raineval, Melville Henry Massue, marquis de

Section 53

[Illustration: =Lionel A. Bosanquet.=]

=BOSANQUET, SIDNEY COURTHOPE=, 2nd Lieut., 5th Battn. The Middlesex Regt., elder _s._ of Charles John Bosanquet, of Stokesay, Kidbrook Park, Blackheath, Electrical Engineer, by his wife, Edith, elder dau. of the Rev. John Lloyd, of Llanvapley, co. Monmouth, and grandson of the late Rev. Edward Stanley Bosanquet, Rector of Bolingbroke, co. Lincoln, and great nephew of the late Samuel Richard Bosanquet, of Forest House and Dingeston Court, co. Monmouth, J.P., D.L.; _b._ Belvedere, co. Kent, 15 July, 1894; educ. St. Lawrence’s College, Ramsgate; received his commission 1 Sept. 1914, and was killed in action at Houplines, near Armentières, 16 Dec. 1914; _unm._

[Illustration: =Sidney Courthope Bosanquet.=]

=BOSEMAN, JOHN=, Private, No. 631, 1st Light Horse, Australian Imperial Force; a native of co. Armagh, Ireland; volunteered on the outbreak of war; killed in action at the Dardanelles, 7 Aug. 1915.

=BOSHER, CHARLES WALTER=, Corpl., No. 2446, 1/7th Battn. The London Regt. (T.F.), only _s._ of Walter John Bosher, of 8, High Street, Egham, by his wife, Winifred Birkett, dau. of Henry Channing; _b._ Egham, co. Surrey, 2 Sept. 1884: educ. at Cranleigh School, Surrey; was in business with father as a corn and coal merchant; joined the 1/7th City of London Regt. early in Sept. 1914, and after training at Watford during the winter, went to the Front, 17 March, 1915. He came safely through the Battle of Loos (25 Sept.), and was killed in action three weeks later at Hulluch, 19 Oct. 1915, by the explosion of a trench mortar; _unm._ His cousin, Corpl. R. F. Bosher, who joined the Colours the same day was killed by the same explosion (see following notice).

=BOSHER, RONALD FREDERICK=, Corpl., No. 2449, 1/7th Battn. The London Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of Ellington Bosher, of Lewes, Sussex, by his wife, Alice, dau. of Arthur Garratt; _b._ Lewes, co. Sussex, 24 March, 1893; educ. at Lewes Grammar School; was a farmer’s assistant; joined the 7th City of London Regt. early in Sept. 1914, and after training at Watford during the winter, went to the Front, 17 March, 1915. He came safely through the Battle of Loos (25 Sept.), and was killed in action at Hulluch, 19 Oct. 1915; _unm._ His cousin, Corpl. C. Bosher, who joined the Colours the same day, was killed at the same time (see previous notice).

=BOSWELL, BENJAMIN=, Private, No. 5784, 1st Battn. Coldstream Guards, _s._ of Benjamin Boswell, Blacksmith; _b._ Small Heath, Birmingham, 25 Dec. 1886; educ. Ada Street Council School there; enlisted in the Royal Warwickshire Regt., purchasing his discharge from it in 1902. On 4 Oct. 1903, he joined the Coldstream Guards, and died of wounds received in action at the Battle of the Aisne, 15 Sept. 1914. He _m._ at Christ Church, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, 16 April, 1911, Lily, dau. of William Herrick, of Small Heath; _s.p._

[Illustration: =Benjamin Boswell.=]

=BOSWELL, JOSEPH NORMAN=, Boy, 1st Class (Dev.), J. 29552, H.M.S. Formidable; lost when that ship was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel, 1 Jan., 1915.

=GARNETT-BOTFIELD, ALFRED CLULOW FITZGERALD=, Lieut., 1st Battn. South Wales Borderers, yr. _s._ of the late William Egerton Garnett-Botfield, of Decker Hill, and The Hut, Bishop’s Castle, co. Salop, J.P., F.G.S., by his wife, Elizabeth Clulow (Decker Hill, Shifnal, etc.), dau. of John Howard-McLean, of Aston Hall, co. Salop, and gdson. of the late Rev. William Bishton Garnett-Botfield, of Decker Hill, co. Salop, and Haughton Hall, co. Chester, M.A., J.P.; _b._ Bishop’s Castle, 16 June, 1892; educ. Eton (Mr. Churchill’s House), and Trinity College, Cambridge, and was up at Cambridge for the Long Vacation when war was declared. He volunteered the same day, and was given a commission in the Rifle Brigade, 15 Aug. 1914. After a course of training at Sheerness he was sent to the Western Front in Nov., and on arrival there was attached to the South Wales Borderers, and was subsequently (22 Jan. 1915) transferred to that regt. He served through the fighting at Festubert, Givenchy, La Bassée and Neuve Chapelle, where he several times had his clothes pierced with bullets but escaped unwounded, and was killed in action at Richebourg L’Avoué, 9 May, 1915; _unm._, and was buried there. He had been promoted Lieut. in March. Writing to his mother, his company officer, Capt. A. C. Lloyd, said: “Your very gallant son fell in action on the 9th (Sunday). His platoon was ordered out to an advanced trench under protection of our artillery fire. The order was given to advance from there, and though heavy maxim gun fire was coming from the German lines, he at once and without any hesitation gave the command, ‘Prepare to advance.’ I was myself hit and just saw him leap out of the trench, only to fall at once instantaneously killed. I have recommended him for his gallant conduct, and only hope that an official recognition of his qualities as a soldier will receive due mention.... A more efficient subaltern than your son could not be found, always ready for any work however hazardous, and always most cheerful. The men all loved him, and would have followed him anywhere, as they always knew he could lead them.” And his commanding officer, Major A. I. Reddie, wrote: “On the 9th an assault in the early morning had been attempted on the enemy’s trenches. This was unsuccessful, so another was made in the afternoon, when our battn. were detailed to carry it out in one part of the line. Your son’s platoon during the artillery bombardment had to crawl along an old trench in front of the breastwork in order to get nearer the enemy’s lines. This they had to do under heavy fire, but succeeded so far. When the time came for the assault your son jumped up to lead his men, and was shot at once before he got any distance. Several attempts were made at night to recover his body, but owing to the enemy’s fire it was found impossible to do so before we were relieved at midnight; but it is still hoped to do so, and we had arranged to bury all the officers in an orchard near a place called ‘Windy Corner.’” His body was afterwards recovered and “buried on the 10th in the evening by being carried across our trench on one of the bridges used for the ditch ... about 300 yards on the left of the cinder track. The ditch between our line and the German line is the most permanent guide. This ditch, about 4 feet deep and 16 feet wide, runs parallel to our line, then at right angles to this into the German. The spot would be about 250 yards to our left of this junction and 40 yards from this point back in the direction of the Rue du Bois.” At Cambridge he was in the first Third Trinity boat. He stroked the winning University Trial Eight two years in succession, and with Mr. A. Drewe won the Foster-Fairbairn Pairs in the record time of 8 min. 35½ secs. He was also a keen tennis and hockey player. He was intensely musical, much of his spare time being spent at the organ. He was a member of Third Trinity, Leander and Viking Rowing Clubs, and but for the war would more than possibly have stroked the University boat in 1915. One who knew him very intimately at Cambridge as an engineering student wrote to his mother of him: “Your son was one of the best types produced by Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, a type we can very ill afford to lose.... He was much honoured, respected ... and loved by all oarsmen, and many hoped he might in his last year have obtained the coveted ‘Blue.’ As engineer he displayed a great ability in practical things and a thorough understanding of machines and men. An untimely end through his fearless bravery has robbed us of one of the very finest of the coming generation.”

[Illustration: =A. C. F. Garnett-Botfield.=]

=GARNETT-BOTFIELD, CHARLES SIDNEY=, Capt., Bedfordshire Regt., elder _s._ of the Rev. Charles Ramsey Garnett-Botfield, M.A., Vicar of Moreton, Oswestry, co. Salop, by his wife, Ida Mary, dau. of Thomas Aldersey of Aldersey, co. Chester, and gdson. of the Rev. William Bishton Garnett-Botfield, of Decker Hill, co. Salop, and Haughton Hall, co. Chester, M.A., J.P.; _b._ Rochdale, 5 Oct. 1887; educ. Rossall and Royal Military College, Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut. Bedfordshire Regt. 8 Feb. 1908, and promoted Lieut. 5 March, 1910, and Capt. 2nd Battn. 15 Sept. 1914. He died at Boulogne, 14 Dec. 1914, from wounds received in action at Ypres, 30 Oct. 1914, and was buried at Moreton; _unm._ Capt. Garnett-Botfield was mentioned in F.M. Sir John French’s Despatch of 14 Jan. 1915, for gallant and distinguished conduct in the field.

[Illustration: =Charles Sidney Garnett-Botfield.=]

=BOTHWELL, WILLIAM=, Private, No. 18312, 13th (Service) Battn. Royal Scots (Lothian Regt.), _s._ of William Bothwell, of 10, Bogside Place, Easter House, Lanarkshire; served with the Expeditionary Force in France; died in the Canadian General Hospital, Camiers, 4 Oct. 1915.

=BOTLEY, ALBERT WICKSTEAD=, A.B., Ch. J. 10692, H.M.S. Formidable; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the English Channel, 1 Jan. 1915.

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