Part 23

=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._

=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.”

=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.

=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.

=BOTTGER, ABBIN ERNEST HENRY=, Private, No. 7774, 1st Battn. Highland Light Infantry; served with the Expeditionary Force in France, etc.; killed in action at Neuve Chapelle, between 11–18 March, 1915.

=BOTTING, EDWARD CHARLES=, Private, No. G. 915, 6th (Service) Battn. East Kent Regt., _s._ of John Botting, of 12, Wheatley Terrace, Erith, Kent; _b._ Battersea, S.W., 20 July, 1893; enlisted 4 Sept. 1914; served with the Expeditionary Force in France, etc.; killed in action, 13 Oct., 1915.

=BOTTING, GEORGE=, Private, No. G. 71, 7th (Service) Battn. East Surrey Regt., _s._ of Joseph Botting, of Cowdry Cottage, Midhurst, Sussex; served with the Expeditionary Force in France, etc.; killed in action, 8 Oct. 1915.

=BOTTOMLEY, ALBERT=, Private, No. 2010, 4th Battn. Manchester Regt.; was employed at Messrs. Platt Brothers & Co.’s Works, Oldham; enlisted early in 1914; served with the Expeditionary Force in France, etc.; killed in action at Neuve Chapelle, 14 March, 1915, aged 25.

=BOTTOMLEY, THOMAS REGINALD=, B.A., Lieut., 1st Battn. East Yorkshire Regt., eldest _s._ of Thomas Bottomley, of 25, Norman Road Thornton Heath, co. Surrey, formerly of Ripponden, Halifax, by his wife, Ellen, eldest dau. of the late Peter Whiteley, of Liverpool; _b._ Ripponden, co. York, 17 Oct. 1887; educ. Rishworth Grammar School, and St. John’s Training College, Battersea, and from the latter was appointed as a teacher by the Croydon Educational Committee in 1909. He was connected mainly with the Oval Road Boys’ School, and with his boys he was a great favourite and an intimate friend, joining in all their sports and gaining their confidence in every way. As an internal student of London University he graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1913 and had intended to take the Honours Degree examination in 1915. It was while at London University that he entered the Officers’ Training Corps, in which he spent three years until April, 1914, when he accepted a commission as 2nd Lieut. in the 1st East Yorkshires. He entered barracks in June, left for the Front the beginning of Sept. a few days after his marriage, and was killed in action at the Battle of the Aisne, 23 Sept. 1914. He was elected to membership of the South London Harriers in 1911, and was known mostly to the cross-country members, having been a regular attendant at headquarters. He avoided racing not being keen on it, nevertheless he finished 26th in the match against the Ranelagh Harriers in 1912. He _m._ at Cambridge, 29 Aug. 1914, Eveline Mary, only dau. of William Henry Gibson, of The Hollins, Sowerby Bridge; _s.p._

=BOUCHER, HAROLD ERNEST=, Private, No. 7065, 3rd Battn. Coldstream Guards, _s._ of the late Arthur Boucher, by his wife, Helena, dau. of James Whitehouse; _b._ Birmingham, 17 Aug. 1886; enlisted in 1st Battn. 28 Dec. 1906, and exchanged into the 3rd Battn. when he went to Egypt, serving seven years with the colours. On the outbreak of war he was called up from the Reserve, and died at Viviers, Landrecies, 2 Sept. 1914, of wounds received in action. He _m._ at Windsor, 4 Dec. 1912, Gertrude Annie (4, Park View, Winson Street, Dudley Road, Birmingham), dau. of George Hawkins, and had two children: Frances Annetta Gregson, _b._ 11 Oct. 1913; and Kathleen Gertrude Magdalen, _b._ (posthumous) 27 April, 1915.

=BOUGHTON, ERNEST GEORGE=, Rifleman, No. 3226, No. 2 Platoon, 1/17th Battn. (Poplar and Stepney Rifles) The London Regt., 3rd _s._ of Horace John Boughton, of 15, Auckland Road, Bow, E., by his wife, Ann, dau. of George Parrot; _b._ Bow, London, E., 22 May, 1896; educ. Chisenhale Road Council School; was a Shop Assistant; enlisted 11 Sept. 1914; went to France, 9 March, 1915, and died in hospital at Bethune, 15 May, 1915, of wounds received in action at La Bassée the previous day; _unm._ Buried in Bethune Cemetery. His Platoon Officer, Lieut. W. A. Piercey, wrote: “He was wounded to-day. He was struck twice by a German sniper while out of the trench under my orders. Rifleman Gowers, who was with him, acted in a very cool and soldierly way in assisting his comrade under fire, and your son bore up most bravely under the pain and discomfort inevitable in being brought in under such circumstances. We have every reason to be proud of them both.”

=BOULDEN, REUBEN WILLIAM HENRY=, Leading Seaman, 237607, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=BOULOGNE, JORDAN=, Stoker (Native), H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=BOULT, THOMAS=, Corpl., No. 1639, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry; a native of Seaham Harbour, Durham; went to Canada from West Hartlepool about 1910; volunteered on the outbreak of war and joined Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry; was severely wounded at Ypres, where he had a leg shot off, and died in hospital at Boulogne, 15 May, 1915. Three of his brothers are on service, two in the Army and one in the Navy.

=BOULTON, JAMES FORSTER=, Midshipman, R.N., H.M.S. Monmouth, yr. _s._ of Alexander Claude Forster Boulton, of 28, Ranelagh Avenue, Barnes, J.P., Barrister-at-Law, Inner Temple, formerly M.P., North Hunts, by his wife, Florence Marion, dau. of Henry Harmes; _b._ Putney, 3 April, 1899; educ. Willington School, Putney, and the Osborne and Dartmouth Royal Naval Colleges. He was appointed to H.M.S. Monmouth on the outbreak of war, as a Naval Cadet, and was advanced to the rank of Midshipman only a few days before he was lost in the sinking of H.M.S. Monmouth, while in action off the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. Entering Willington School as its youngest boy in May, 1905, he left it as head boy at Christmas, 1911, after being head of Form V and prize-winner the previous July. Having entered Osborne Royal Naval College in Jan. 1912, he was second of his year at Easter and first of his year at Midsummer. He was top in bookwork in the Christmas term, and third in the final order for the year. He played for the Soccer XI in various “forward” positions. In the following year he won the fly-weight boxing, and passed out second of the 70 Cadets of his “year.” In Jan., 1914, he entered Dartmouth College, where he was also first in bookwork in his first term. His aggregate position at both colleges was generally second--a highly creditable record when one remembers the number of Cadets.

=BOURGES, JOHN (JEAN)=, Private, No. 67214, 25th Battn. Canadian Expeditionary Force, _s._ of Gabriel Bourges, of Cancale, Ille et Vilaine, France; _b._ Cancale, 3 May, 1890; educ. there, and left France on a French fishing vessel in 1904 for Canada, and on account of ill-treatment remained there and worked as a sailor, and never returned to France until he came with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. On the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914, he at once volunteered, crossed to France in Sept., and was killed in action 27 Dec. 1915, by the bursting of a shell in his trench; _unm._ He was buried in the cemetery of the 25th Battn. by the Rev. Father Doyen, of the 5th Brigade.

=BOURKE, BERTRAM WALTER=, Capt., 5th, attd. 2nd, Battn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers, only surviving _s._ of the late Major William Henry Bourke, of Heathfield, Ballina, co. Mayo, Connaught Rangers, by his wife, Sarah Louisa, dau. of James John Young; _b._ 9 Dec. 1882; educ. in Saint Servant, France; served with the Royal Engineers (Militia) from which he exchanged into the 5th Battn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers in 1904; passed the school of instruction for employment with the Regular Forces, and obtained the rank of Capt. 24 Feb. 1912. He left for the Front on 2 May, 1915, was attached to the 2nd Battn. Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and was killed in action while gallantly leading his men near Ypres, just a week later, 9 May, 1915. Capt. Bourke _m._ at Stapletown, Carlow, 19 April, 1913, Eileen, dau. of George Neville Usher, of Carlow, and had two daus.: Vivienne Neville, _b._ 29 Jan. 1914; and Patricia Bertram, _b._ 4 Nov. 1915.

=BOURKE, EUSTACE GEORGE WALTER=, Capt. and Adjutant, 1st Battn. King’s Royal Rifle Corps, eldest _s._ of Walter Longley Bourke, of Monycrower, Maidenhead, late Major, Duke of Lancaster’s Own Imperial Yeomanry, by his wife, Ethel Kathleen Jane, only dau. of the late Capt. John W... Freeman, of Rockfield, co. Hereford, 16th Regt., and grandson of Rev. the Hon. George Wingfield Bourke, M.A., [4th _s._ of Robert, 5th Earl of Mayo]; _b._ 24 June, 1888; educ. at Mr. Arnold’s School at Wixenford, Uppingham and Sandhurst, and received his commission as 2nd Lieut. in the 1st Battn. King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 6 Feb. 1909, becoming Lieut. 20 Aug. 1912, and Capt. 18 May, 1915. For some time he was A.D.C. to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, and was appointed A.D.C. to the Governor-General of South Africa, but was unable to proceed with Lord Buxton to take up the appointment on account of the outbreak of the war. He went out to the Front on 12 Aug. 1914, being in command of the machine-gun section of his battn. He was with his battn. during the retreat from Mons and on the Aisne. Near Ypres, on 26 Oct., he received a bullet wound in the foot, and was sent home. Subsequently he was appointed Adjutant of the 6th (Reserve) battn. of his regt., which appointment he might have retained until the end of the war but for his own determination to go again to the Front. Early in May he was transferred as Adjutant to the 9th Battn., and on the 20th of that month he again proceeded to the Front. “20 May. Just off,” he wrote. “We shall be in France before you get this. I can’t understand myself. I expected when the time came I should be sorry to go. However, I slept like a top last night, no worries, so far no fears. Everything seems to me to be quite all in the day’s work. It’s odd when you think of it.” He was promoted Capt. on 18 May, though not gazetted until a few weeks later. Capt. Bourke was killed in the first action in which the 9th battn. was engaged, and within half a mile of the spot where he was wounded in October. The battn. was ordered forward and marched up a railway cutting in full view of a German observation balloon. Within a few minutes they were being heavily shelled, and one burst close to Capt. Bourke and his servant (Rifleman S. Chater), who were together; the latter was blown into the air, but neither was injured. Capt. Bourke turned back to see if his man was hurt, and they then made for some small dug-outs in the side of the cutting. Before they could take cover, however, another shell fell close to them, and Capt. Bourke was badly hit. Chater again escaped unhurt, though he afterwards suffered so severely from shock that he had to be invalided home. Chater ran off under heavy fire to fetch a doctor, and succeeded in bringing one back in a very few minutes, but only to find that Capt. Bourke was already dead. Chater remained with him for several hours in the hope of being able to bring his body in, but this was impossible. It was, however, recovered the next day, and he was buried in a cemetery close to Ypres, where a wooden cross, put up by his Colonel and some of his brother officers, marks his grave. Col. Chaplin (himself killed shortly afterwards), in writing to Capt. Bourke’s father, said: “I cannot express to you how very deeply we feel his loss. He was most conscientious and a very useful officer, and did his duty admirably. I fear his loss to the battn. and to myself is almost irreparable.” And Major Hope (2nd in command), in another letter said: “I should like to add that I myself only knew your son for about a month, but that was quite long enough to become devoted to him and to appreciate his sterling qualities both as a man and as a soldier. I believe it was the same throughout all ranks of the battn., to which his loss is indeed irreparable. I was in the same mess with him, and he was always so cheery and capable in any difficulty. Chater, his servant, is heart-broken, and has gone to hospital.” Capt. Eric Benson also wrote: “In the short time he was with us he did so much for the battn. and helped everyone. We all miss him more than I can say, both as a soldier and as a friend.” Like so many of the Bourke family, he was devoted to hunting. In regimental point-to-point races, too, he never missed a chance of a plucky ride for a place, and many will remember how well he was often carried by his charger “Maxim Gun.” The charm of his personality is vividly illustrated in the lifelike description of him written by a friend, and here quoted: “He was still a boy, though already in the Army and an A.D.C., when I first knew him, about four years before his death. He retained to the last day I saw him before he went out to the war for the second time the light-hearted look of amusement at life of a typical boy, and his open expression, curly brown hair, and big humorous brown eyes heightened this first impression, but as time went on and things were discussed with and before him and, incidentally, his own experience and plans, it was striking to see how often he summed up a question in a few words modestly and often lightly spoken. Then, when it came to decisions, whilst almost turning the laugh against himself, he was clear as to his own course of action, and this invariably included consideration for and loyalty to others. He seemed to see his way without question. His handsome, healthy face and figure and look of high spirits seemed to put up the temperature when he came into a room.”

=BOURKE, JAMES PATRICK=, Private, No. 93, 1st Australian Light Horse, 2nd _s._ of James Bourke, Private Estate Steward, by his wife, Elizabeth, dau. of Hugh Wallis; _b._ Kilfrush, co. Limerick, 23 Nov. 1880; educ. National School, Hospital; went to Australia in June, 1907; enlisted after the outbreak of war and was killed in action at the Dardanelles, 26 June, 1915. He _m._ at Hospital, 10 Sept. 1905, Mary, eldest dau. of Loughlin Doran, of 26, Deyne Avenue, Rusholme, Manchester, and had a dau., Mary Elizabeth, _b._ 23 Nov. 1906.

=BOURNE, ERNEST=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 4221), 294840, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=BOURNS, CHARLES=, Lieut., 6th, attd. 4th, Battn. The Rifle Brigade, yr. _s._ of Charles Bourns, of Boley, Lichfield, formerly of West Hill, Oxted, Physician, by his wife, Florence, dau. of Edward Walker, of West Hill, Oxted, and Araluen, Eastbourne; _b._ West Hill, Oxted, 7 Aug. 1881; educ. Merchant Taylors’ School and St. John’s College, Oxford (M.A.), and was an Assistant Master at Repton when war was declared. Being a member of the Repton O.T.C., he obtained a commission as 2nd Lieut. in Oct. 1914, and was promoted Lieut. in the Rifle Brigade, 22 Jan. 1915. He was killed in action near Hooge, 25 May, 1915; _unm._ He was an Oxford (Rugby football) Blue in 1903.

=BOUTLE, SYDNEY=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 2047), 209405, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.