Major Amyas Henry Stafford NORTHCOTE (69157) MC
B Company, 2nd Battalion Prince of Wales Volunteers (South Lancashire) Regiment

Date of birth: 13th February 1916
Date of death: 6th March 1944

Killed in action aged 28
Buried on the Rangoon Memorial Face 14
He was born at Kyambu, Nairobi Kenya on the 13th of February 1916 the youngest son of Sir Geoffrey Alexander Stafford Northcote, District Commissioner, and Lady Edith Juliet Mary (nee Adams) of the Gold Coast, West Africa and 32 Drayton Court, London SW10.

He was educated at the Junior King’s School from April 1927 and at the King’s School Canterbury from January 1930 to December 1933 where he was in School House. He played in the Rugby XV and was awarded his colours for both Boxing and PT.

From King’s he went on to the Royal Military College Sandhurst from where he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the South Lancashire Regiment on the 17th of August 1936. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 27th of August 1939.

He was posted to the 2nd Battalion of his regiment and on the outbreak of war he was based at Bombay in India on garrison duties. On the 5th of June 1940 the battalion embarked at Bombay to return to England and landed at Liverpool docks on the 17th of July. They then moved to Crowborough in Sussex to assist in the defence of the south coast.

In April 1941 they moved to Iverary in Scotland to train for combined operations where they underwent six months of intensive training.

He was promoted to Captain on the 11th of October 1941 and to temporary Major on the 9th of August 1942.

He was married to Mollie Gordon Buchanan (nee Scott later Smallwood) at Horsham on the 6th of June 1941 and they had a daughter, Sylvia Rosalind Stafford born on the 5th of June 1942. He was a member of the East India Club.

The 2nd Battalion embarked at Glasgow on board the Polish liner “Sobieski” on the 19th of March 1942 for an operation to capture Madagascar.
Their objective was the port of Diego Suarez which was held by Vichy French forces who were to be subdued and the island captured. Initially the 2nd Battalion were a floating reserve and were to follow their Brigade other units were ashore.

Northcote and B Company landed sometime after 7am on the 5th of May 1942 and by 8.30 had set out on a forced march to catch up with the leading elements of their Brigade which is did by 2pm. Just before darkness fell contact was made with enemy units near the village of Antistirane and plans were made for an attack on the village at first night the following day. B Company moved through a mangroves swamp during the night to attack the enemy positions from the rear in support of other battalions would deliver a frontal assault.

At 5.30am the attack began and the South Lancashire men suffered casualties as they subdued an enemy strong point before Amyas Northcote and B Company headed for the Ana Bazoka Barracks which they found to be clear of enemy troops. He now found that he was behind the enemy front line and as they advanced beyond the barracks they came under heavy fire from a wood on their left. Northcote ordered one platoon to fire on the woods to keep the enemy’s heads down while he led the rest of the Company in a flanking movement. In carrying out this manoeuvre Northcote was badly wounded in the chest and, with the rest of his men being forced back due to heavy fire, he was captured and taken to a nearby hospital. The rest of company spilt up and made their way back to the battalion by 2pm. The town fell the following day and Northcote was released and evacuated.

For his actions during the attack on Diego Suarez he was awarded the Military Cross for “Distinguished services during operations in Madagascar”, which was announced by the War Officer on the 16th of June 1942. The recommendation for the award read: -

6th May 1942, Antsirane, Madagascar.

"This officer was in command of B Coy, 2/S Lan R. This Coy was leading when the Battalion carried out a right flank attack during the morning of 6 May 42. At daylight (about 0530 hours) the Coy came under enemy LMG and rifle fire. Major Northcote led his men into the attack which resulted in three enemy LMG posts being destroyed. The Coy then continued to advance against the enemy’s rear defences. Innumerable small enemy’s posts and snipers were accounted for and the enemy’s morale suffered accordingly. Major Northcote was badly wounded about 0900 hours. For over three hours during which he as constantly under fire, he led his men with courage and determination, regardless of his personal safety.”

Following a period of rest in South Africa the battalion moved to India in January 1943 where they began training at Poona for jungle warfare. On the 9th of February 1944 they embarked at Calcutta and travelled by sea to Chittagong. From there they moved forward to Bawli Bazzar on the Arakan front arriving there on the 20th of February 1944 taking over positions known as Bawli Keep where they were to protect the Goppe pass.

The battalion spent the next week engaged in frequent patrolling but made no contact with the enemy.

On the 5th of March 1944 they received orders to move forward along the Mayu Range to relieve the 2nd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment on the 7th. Before they had begun their move enemy infantry infiltrated Brigade positions and attacked Brigade Headquarters and some nearby gun positions. The Japanese were beaten back with heavy casualties but the surviving elements fell back to a deep watercourse which ran away from the B Company’s positions. As a result, B Company, led by Northcote, was sent to “mop them up”. The Japanese troops were wiped out but Amyas Northcote and Company Sergeant Major Ivor South were killed with two other ranks missing as a result of the battle.

Their bodies were recovered the following day by a patrol of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

His father wrote, in a letter to the school:-

"Amyas had a great love for the King's School, where he had been happy for many years. As you will know he was given the M.C. "on the field" at Diego Suarez for a very gallant piece of work, and I have heard from his Brigadier that he fell leading then battalion in an attack on the enemy."

He is commemorated on the war memorial at the East India Club.
School House

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