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Captain Armytage Percy BOSANQUET MC
3rd (Reserve) Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry attached to D Company, 5th (Service) Battalion Wiltshire Regiment Date of birth: 20th August 1893 Date of death: 25th January 1917 Killed in action aged 23 Buried at Amara War Cemetery Plot XVIII Row E Grave 5
Armytage Percy Bosanquet was born at Lowdham Vicarage in Nottinghamshire on the 20th of August 1893 the eldest son of the Reverend Claude Charles Courthorpe Bosanquet, Vicar of Lowdham, and Millicent (nee Percy-Smith) Bosanquet later of The Vicarage, St Stephen-by-Saltash in Cornwall. He was educated at St Mary's Hill School, Horsell near Woking in Surrey and at Lancing College where he won an Exhibition and was in Olds House from September 1907 to July 1912. While at school he excelled at marksmanship and distinguished himself at Bisley on more than one occasion. He was in the Shooting VIII from 1909 to 1912. In July 1909 he was one of the pair which won the Bronze medal for the Cadet Trophy at Bisley and was Captain of the Shooting VII in 1911 and 1912. He achieved his Higher Certificate in July 1911. He served as a Cadet Sergeant in the Officer Training Corps and achieved Certificate A on the 1st of July 1910. He was appointed as a Prefect in 1911. He went on to Christ Church Oxford in 1912 and had finished his second year there when war broke out. He applied for a commission in the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, Special Reserve of Officers on the 8th of July 1912 in an application which was supported by the Reverend Bowlby, Head Master of Lancing. On the 30th of July 1912 he underwent a medical examination, at the Military Hospital Brighton, which recorded that he was five feet six and half inches tall and weighed 130 lbs. It was also noted that his chest measurement was half an inch less than the minimum requirement but that he be recommended for a commission as it was expected that he would meet the requirement within six months . He was sent to begin training the following day. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Special Reserve of Officers in the 3rd Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry on the 4th of September 1912 and was promoted to Lieutenant in February 1915 which was ante dated to April 1914. On the 1st of October 1914 he underwent a medical examination at the Military Hospital Falmouth which recorded that his chest measurement was now satisfactory and that he was fit for overseas service. He received his orders for overseas service on the 26th of October 1914 and embarked at Southampton, landing at Le Havre on the 2nd of November where he was attached to the 1st Battalion of his regiment. He was promoted to Captain on the 20th of April 1915. During May, June and July 1915 he suffered badly from boils and was off duty for a period of a week on two occasions. He was sent to Rouen for hospital treatment for them and was invalided back to the UK on board the Hospital Ship "St Andrew" on the 11th of August. He was sent to a convalescent home at Osborne on the Isle of Wight on the 12th of August and was sent on sick leave from the 24th of August until the 13th of September 1915. A Medical Board was convened at Parkhurst on the 13th of September which concluded that he had recovered and that he was fit for general service. He rejoined the 3rd Battalion at Bodmin on the 15th of September 1915. After a period of home service he was attached to the 5th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment and joined them at Mudros on the 17th of January 1916. On the 14th of February 1916 he embarked with the battalion at Port Said and disembarked at Basra on the 4th of March. On the 5th of April 1916 the 5th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment attacked Turkish positions at Falahiyeh. They advanced over open country, all the time under artillery and machinegun fire, before digging in some 800 yards from the enemy positions. At dusk they withdrew to camp by a river about a mile further back. Their casualties during this attack were thirteen officers wounded with seventeen other ranks killed, one hundred and thirty seven wounded and seventeen missing. Bosanquet was wounded in the back during the attack but remained at duty. At 4.20am on the morning of the 9th of April 1916 the battalion attacked Turkish positions at Sannaiyat and dug in about 650 yards from the enemy. During the attack they suffered casualties of two officers killed, two wounded with five officers missing. Casualties among the other ranks were twenty one killed, one hundred and sixty one wounded with thirty seven missing. Among the dead was their commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Courtenay Brabazon Throckmorton. On the 10th of April 1916 Armytage Bosanquet assumed command of the Battalion. He relinquished this command on the 24th of April and was appointed as second in command and Battalion Adjutant the same day. On the 25th of May 1916 he was taken to hospital suffering from dysentery and on the 11th of June he was evacuated from Basra to India on board the Hospital Ship "Rajput". On the 20th of June 1916 he was granted three months sick leave in Bombay. He was twice mentioned in despatches, in 1915, and in Sir Henry Lake’s despatches of the 12th of August 1916 regarding the defence of Kut. On the 23rd of September 1916 he embarked at Bombay, landing at Basra on the 2nd of October and journeyed on to Makina the same day. He rejoined his battalion in the field on the 7th of October where he took command of D Company. He was awarded the Military Cross "for services rendered in connection with military operations in the field" which appeared in the London Gazette of the 22nd of December 1916. On the 25th of January 1917 the 5th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment, in concert with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, was detailed to attack Turkish trenches at the Hai River. Their objective was to take the front line trench and to also take a strongpoint know as Point P10N. In preparation for this the artillery fired intermittently in the hope of cutting the enemy's wire. All ranks were said to be confident of success in the forthcoming assault. At 9.42am, under a terrific barrage from the supporting British artillery, the Wiltshires moved forward on a 400 yard front with the Welsh on their right. Assisted by the artillery the Wiltshires swept into the enemy trench, clearing it quickly and allowing their bombers to begin working towards the enemy strongpoint. Due to the resistance they encountered there they withdrew a distance to allow the artillery to pound the defenders once more. When this was done, the bombers rushed forward and captured it. They then consolidated their gains with the assistance of the 88th Field Company Royal Engineers. During the night the Turks counterattacked but were repulsed without difficulty. The attack resulted the capture of 100 enemy prisoners, one machine gun, two trench mortars and a minenwerfer. Casualties were two officers killed with four wounded and 33 other ranks killed and 110 wounded. Armytage Bosanquet was among the dead. Sir Stanley Maude, General Commanding the British Army in Mesopotamia, wrote:- “Though personally unknown to you, I feel I must write one line to express to you my very deep sorrow at the death of your gallant son in action. I have known and seen a good deal of him throughout the war. First he was in my Brigade in France when he was serving with the Cornwalls. Then subsequently, he came to my Division with the Wilts in Gallipoli, and so I may say we have served practically continuously throughout the war. It is no exaggeration for me to say that I had formed the highest opinion of him, both as a soldier and as a man. He was a brave and fearless officer, always striving to do his duty to the best of his ability, and full of eagerness and keenness. He was always earnest and yet full of cheeriness, and I know how well he has stuck to his duty on more than one occasion when he was far from well. Your boy was I know a Lancing boy, a splendid school, where I also had a son (Lieutenant Colonel Edward Frederick Maude OBE Heads 1911-1916). His career as a soldier brings nothing but honour and credit to Lancing, for he was one of the best types of an English schoolboy". Lieutenant Colonel Haseldine wrote:- "He was shot through the head when leading an attack on the German (sic) trenches on the morning of 25th January. He had covered about half the distance when he was struck, and in another two minutes would have been into this position. Although we took a heavy toll -this regiment alone accounted for two hundred and fifty Turks killed- it does not make up for our loss. I considered Captain Bosanquet one of my most capable company commanders, and his death is a serious loss to the Regiment. I have also lost a personal friend. It was a great pleasure to me to know he had been awarded the Military Cross, especially so, as I had recommended him for the decoration; he was justly very proud of his distinction, and was wearing his ribbon when killed. As soon as it was dark I had his body recovered and taken to our little burial ground on the bank of the Hai River where he was buried by our Brigade Chaplain. He was extremely popular in the regiment and his company, with good reason, would do anything for him or follow him anywhere.” Brigadier General Lewis wrote:- "Your son was quite one of our best officers, and had already shown his grit and coolness in many a tight corner, and his death is not only a great loss to his Battalion, the 5th Wilts, but to the whole Brigade." He was mentioned in despatches on two occasions. He is commemorated on the memorial at St Stephen’s Church, Saltash in Cornwall and on the memorial at Christ Church Oxford.

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