Part 24

=PLEYDELL-BOUVERIE, JACOB EDWARD=, Lieut., King’s Royal Rifle Corps, only _s._ of the late Hon. Duncombe Pleydell-Bouverie, of Coleshill House, by his wife, Maria Eleanor (Coleshill House, Highworth, Wilts.), dau. of Sir Edward Hulse, 5th Bt., and grandson of Jacob, 4th Earl of Radnor; _b._ Sherburn Lodge, Watlington, co. Oxford, 12 July, 1887; educ. Evelyns, Uxbridge; St. Vincents, Eastbourne; Eton, and Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut. 4th Battn. King’s Royal Rifles, 8 Feb. 1908; joined his battn. at Colchester, and left with them for India in 1909. He was promoted Lieut. 23 Jan. 1911, returning to England the same year. On the outbreak of war, after some weeks at Sheerness, he went out with a draft on 30 Aug., arriving at St. Nazaire 1 Sept., 1914. He left there to join the 2nd Battn. in billets at Paynon, 20 Sept., and was posted to D Coy., taking command of 13 and 14 platoons. The battn. remained at or near Paynon till 18 Oct., when they were moved to Ypres. They were in the trenches from 22–24 Oct. when they returned to billets in Ypres. On 27 Oct. they went into reserve trenches in a wood just east of Hooge, and on 29th advanced to reinforce the 3rd Brigade at Gheluvelt. Lieut. Pleydell-Bouverie was hit 31 Oct. while ordering a counter attack, was carried to the rear under fire by Riflemen Taylor, Scott, Alcott and Quick, and from the field hospital was sent by train to Boulogne. He died early in the morning of 1 Nov. in No. 13 stationary hospital where he had been admitted a few hours before and was buried in the English cemetery there; _unm._

=BOWDEN, ALBERT JOHN=, Leading Stoker (R.F.R., A. 890), 123326, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=BOWDEN, EDWARD RATCLIFFE=, Lieut., 6th Battn. Northumberland Fusiliers (T.F.), _s._ of Thomas Bowden, of Sheriff Mount, Gateshead Fell, co. Durham, J.P., head of the firm of Thomas Bowden, Sons & Nephew, of Newcastle-on-Tyne and Manchester, Chartered Accountants; _b._ 28 April, 1889; educ. Corchester Preparatory School, Sedbergh, and Pembroke College, Cambridge (B.A.), was a member of the O.T.C. at Cambridge, and received a commission in the Northumberland Fusiliers 1910, being promoted Lieut. 25 Dec. 1912. He died of wounds received in the action at Ypres, 28 April, 1915, and was buried at Abbeville; _unm._

=BOWELL, FREDERICK JAMES=, Leading Seaman (R.F.R., B. 2088), 162995, H.M.S. Hawke; lost in action in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914; _m._

=BOWEN, CUTHBERT EDWARD LATIMER=, Assistant District Superintendent, East African Police, Lieut., attd. King’s African Rifles, elder _s._ of the Rev. Thomas James Bowen, Vicar of St. Nicholas, Bristol, by his wife, Susan Elvina, dau. of John Williams, of Ty-ar-y-Graig, Swansea; _b._ at All Saints’ Vicarage, Swansea, 23 Sept. 1881; educ. at Box Grove, Guildford, and Rugby. He joined the 3rd (Royal Surrey Militia) Battn. of the Queen’s during the Boer campaign, and did duty at Guildford depôt during the 1900 embodiment, and in South Africa. After the peace of Vereeniging he was gazetted into the Regular Army and posted to the 1st Battn. of the Queen’s, then stationed on the North-West Frontier of India. In 1904 he was transferred to the West India Regt., and served with the 1st Battn. in Jamaica under Col. A. R. Loscombe. In 1905 he was employed under the Colonial Office, and became an assistant superintendent of police in the East African Protectorate and was serving under Major W. F. S. Edwards, the Insp.-General, when war broke out. He was attached to the King’s African Rifles, and fell on 1 Dec. 1914, at Utendi, in the Nyanza Province. His body was recovered and brought to British territory and buried at Utendi. The following message was received from Col. Edward, D.S.O.: “Mr. Bowen’s loss not only to the Police Force but to a large number of personal friends, will be most severely felt. I deem it to be the wish of all that their condolences should be inseparable from the high tribute of praise of the commanding officer that Mr. Bowen evidently lost his life in a gallant attempt to capture Susuni Hill. Concerning myself, I feel that I have lost both a gallant and true friend.” He _m._ at Nairobi, British East Africa, 25 May, 1907, Alice May, dau. of (--) Swift, and had two daus.: Kathleen Elvina, _b._ 25 March, 1908; and Dorothy Starbuck, _b._ 25 Jan. 1911.

=BOWEN, EDWARD=, Signaller (R.F.R., B. 2774), 230362, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=BOWEN, GEORGE FREDERICK=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 2434), 169906, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=BOWEN, HENRY=, Rifleman, No. 3265, B Coy., 21st Battn. (1st Surrey Rifles) The London Regt. (T.F.), 3rd _s._ of Charles Richard Bowen; _b._ Camberwell, 17 Nov. 1893; was a Clerk, but after the outbreak of war joined the Surrey Rifles, 25 Jan. 1915, and was killed at Festubert at 6 a.m., 9 May, following being shot through the temple by a sniper; _unm._

=BOWERS, PERCIVAL CONWAY=, Private, No. 9664, 2nd Battn. Lincolnshire Regt., _s._ of the late John Bowers (who served 22 years in the Army with the Yorks and Lancs., and _d._ 25 Aug. 1915), by his wife, Ann (Queen Street, Frodingham, Scunthorpe, Lincs.), dau. of (..); _b._ Broughton, co. Lincoln, 13 June, 1895; enlisted 9 Dec. 1913, and was killed in action, being shot by a sniper, 21 Feb. 1915. He was buried at a farm on the north side of the Rue Wasselot, south-east of Rue Bacqueort; _unm._

=BOWES, ROBERT EDWARD=, Officers’ Steward, 3rd Class, L. 5306, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=BOWES, WILLIAM EDWARD=, Stoker, R.N.R., 2652T, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=BOWLBY, GEOFFREY VAUX SALVIN=, Capt., Royal Horse Guards (The Blues), 6th but 2nd surviving _s._ of the late Edward Salvin Bowlby, of Gilston Park, Harlow, Essex, and Knoydart, Inverness, J.P., D.L., by his 2nd wife, Elizabeth, dau. of Robert Vans-Agnew, of Barnbarroch, and Sheuchan, co. Wigtown; _b._ London, 1 Dec. 1884; educ. Eton, and joined the Royal Horse Guards from the Militia (King’s Own Scottish Borderers) as 2nd Lieut., 9 March, 1904. He was promoted Lieut. 1 Feb. 1905, and Capt. 6 May, 1908. He went to Ireland in 1909 as A.D.C. to Sir Neville Lyttleton, returning to his regt. in Sept. 1910 to take over the Adjutancy which he held to Sept. 1913. On the outbreak of war he was sent to France in advance of the composite regt., as billeting officer to the 4th Cavalry Brigade, rejoining his regt. the day before the battle of Mons. After the fight at Wytschaete, 29 Oct.-1 Nov. 1914, Capt. Bowlby was the senior officer left and took over command of the composite regt. for a short time, until each squadron went back to its own regt. On rejoining the “Blues” he commanded the A Squadron. He was killed leading his squadron in a charge across 1,000 yards of open country north of Bellewarde Farm, during the 2nd Battle of Ypres, on the afternoon of 13 May, 1915. His commanding officer wrote: “I cannot tell you what a loss he is to the regt.; he was as gallant as he could be and a magnificent soldier. He was so keen and energetic and proud of his squadron, of which he took the greatest care.” Capt. Bowlby was a fine polo player, and enjoyed great popularity at the London grounds. In his day there were few to surpass him in skill and dash. For several seasons he was No. 1 in the Blues’ team, and in two years (1910 and 1912) he helped the side to win the Inter-Regimental Cup at Hurlingham. The other members of those victorious sides were: Capt. Lord Alastair Innes-Ker, Capt. H. E. Brassey, and Capt. J. F. Harrison. Capt. Bowlby was in the team again in 1913 and in 1914, but his regt. was in both years beaten by the 1st Life Guards. He _m._ at Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Street, 18 Oct. 1911, the Hon. Lettice, née Annesley, 4th dau. of Arthur, 11th Viscount Valentia, C.B., M.V.O., and had two children: John Edward Richard, _b._ 8 May, 1914; and Elizabeth Mary, _b._ 3 Feb. 1913.

=BOWLEY, HARRY EDWIN=, Private, No. 9913, 2nd Battn. Coldstream Guards, _s._ of Harry Edwin Bowley, Private 2/4th Battn. Royal Sussex Regt. (now on active service), by his wife, Eliza May (41, Bentham Road. Brighton), dau. of John Winder, of Brighton; _b._ Brighton, 25 June, 1894; educ. St. Luke’s Terrace Board School there; was for some time a telegraph boy at the Brighton Post Office; enlisted 1 Jan. 1912; went to France with the Expeditionary Force, and during the retreat from Mons was sent with a dispatch but never returned, and is assumed to have been killed in action at Villers Cotterets, 1 Sept. 1914.

=BOWMAN, FREDERICK=, Seaman, R.N.R., 1793C, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=BOWMAN, JAMES=, A.B. (R.F.R., Ch. B. 3771), 180916, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=BOWYER, CHARLES ALEXANDER=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 7440) S.S. 1330, H.M.S. Hawke; lost in action in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914; _m._

=BOWYER, WILLIAM HENRY=, A.B., 215065, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=BOX, FREDERICK JAMES=, Stoker, 1st Class, S.S. 112109, H.M.S. Hawke; lost in action in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.

=BOX, JOSEPH WILLIAM=, A.B. (R.F.R., Ch. B. 2822), 175583, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=BOXALL, CARYL LERMITTE=, Capt., 2nd Battn. The Hampshire Regt., yr. _s._ of Alleyne Alfred, 1st Baron Boxall, of 14, Cambridge Square, Hyde Park, W., by his wife, Mary Elizabeth, dau. of the late James Henry Lermitte, of Knightons, J.P., and nephew of Mr. Boxall, K.C., Recorder of Brighton, and of the late Col. Sir Charles Boxall, K.C.B.; _b._ at 14, Cambridge Square, W., 26 Dec. 1887; educ. Eton (1901–6) and Sandhurst; received his commission in the 2nd Hampshires, 9 Oct. 1907, and was promoted Lieut. 1 April, 1911, and Capt. 4 Oct. 1914. He served in South Africa, Mauritius and India, and with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. Landed from the River Clyde with the 29th Division, and died of wounds received in action following the landing at the Dardanelles on 25 April, 1915. He was _unm._ A brass plaque to the memory of this officer was erected in the south aisle of St. Peter’s, Cowfold, Sussex.

=BOXALL, CHARLES BERT=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 3515), 210631, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=BOXWELL, FRANCIS JEFFARES TILSON=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 3598), 188877, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=BOYCE, JOHN HENRY=, Trooper, No. 1626, Buckinghamshire Yeomanry (Royal Bucks Hussars), only _s._ of Henry Boyce, of Woodford Green, Essex, and grandson of the late Henry Boyce, of the Leman School, Beccles, Suffolk; _b._.........., 1889; joined the Royal Bucks Hussars early in Oct. 1914; left England for Egypt just before Easter, 1915; went to the Dardanelles early in June, and was killed in a charge at Suvla Bay, 21 Aug. 1915; _unm._

=BOYD, DAVID=, A.B., 229233, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=BOYD, HAROLD ALEXANDER=, 2nd Lieut., 2nd Battn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, only _s._ of Dr. Alexander James Boyd, of The Manor House, Ware, co. Herts (who served for 13 years in the 1st (Herts) Vol. Battn. Bedfordshire Regt., and retired as Capt. in 1902), by his wife, Constance Mary, dau. of Brackenbury Comyns Berkeley, of Collett Hall, Ware, and grandson of the late Samuel Boyd, of Illerton, Killiney; _b._ at The Manor House, Ware, 19 Jan. 1895; educ. at the Preparatory School, Castle Park, Dalkey (co. Dublin), Rugby, and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was studying medicine at the time of mobilisation and had passed his first M.B. examination at the end of his first year. He had joined the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in April, 1913, as a Special Reserve officer, and was called up for service and at first put on Coast Defence duty at Lough Swilly, co. Donegal, being afterwards sent to France on 31 Aug. He was killed in action at Crecy, 7 Sept. 1914, during the Battle of the Marne; unm. Corpl. W. Poots wrote: “On the morning of Monday, 7 Sept., we were reinforced by a draft of a hundred men from the depôt in Ireland under Lieut. Boyd, and continued the advance all day. In the evening the Inniskillings had to find the outposts at a village to which we had come--on the right being an open road with a row of apple trees, and on the left a clear open plain. In the distance, about 1,000 or 1,200 yards, was a broad belt of woods and shrubs, from which came rifle and big gun fire. This took us by surprise. We lined out and retaliated, but their shelling was terrific, and we had no artillery with us. Our officers were trying to find the range and had no cover from the shells, thus exposing themselves, notably Mr. Boyd, who was standing by an apple tree by the right of the road. He was struck on the body by shrapnel and killed instantly; also Private Cousins, and 14 wounded. We continued all night in this position. In the morning the enemy had retired.” 2nd Lieut. Boyd was a fine athlete, gaining his colours at Rugby in football, swimming, shooting and cross-country running; and he also won the Royal Humane Society’s medal and Dr. Duke’s cup for life-saving competition. At Cambridge he was a member of the First Trinity Boat Club, and in 1914 he won the swimming championship of his regt. at Aldershot.

=BOYD, NIGEL JOHN LAWSON=, 2nd Lieut., 1st Battn. The Black Watch, yr. _s._ of William Boyd, of 26, Inverleith Place, Edinburgh, Writer to the Signet, Member of the King’s Body Guard for Scotland (R.C.A.), by his wife, Laura, dau. of the late John Crerar, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and grandson of the late Sir John Boyd, of Maxpoffle, co. Roxburgh, by his wife, Isabella, 2nd dau. of John Lawson, 14th Laird of Cairnmuir, co. Peebles; _b._ Edinburgh, 14 Sept. 1894; educ. Cargilfield School, Midlothian, Winchester College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. In passing into the latter he obtained a Prize Cadetship, and in passing out he was fourth on the list. He was gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the Black Watch, 25 Feb. 1914, and joined the 1st Battn. at Oudenarde Barracks early in March. After the declaration of war he left Aldershot with his regt. in the beginning of Aug. for France, and took part with it in the memorable retreat from Mons to the Marne. He was fatally wounded on the morning of 14 Sept., his birthday, during the early days of the great Battle of the Aisne. From a description which he subsequently gave when in hospital in Rouen to his father, it appears that in the early morning of 14 Sept., which was misty, the Black Watch were acting in concert with the Cameron Highlanders on the banks of the Aisne, and found themselves opposed to a strong force of the Germans, and came under a very severe fire. Lieut. Boyd with his platoon had been directed to take up a position, and it had been indicated to him that it must be held at all costs. The Germans continued to press on in overpowering numbers at that point, and they could see them within 100 yards. He stated that he had personally fired 10 rounds at them with a rifle, and afterwards emptied his revolver at them. The shrapnel, machine gun and rifle fire at the time was terrific. The enemy continued to press on from all sides. He was standing up and had drawn his Claymore, and in turning to the side to give a signal to those of his men who survived he was hit. The bullet struck the scabbard of his Claymore, glanced off it, entered the left hip and lodged in the bladder. After that he said the Germans rushed the position. Words are unnecessary, and no effort of the imagination required to show that this young officer and his small force of men had made a gallant stand against overpowering odds, and that they had acted in accordance with the best traditions of their grand old regt. When on the ground wounded he asked a German who was passing for assistance, but all that the man did was to threaten to shoot him. After that he stated that he pretended to be dead when other Germans passed. Some time after this a party of the Cameron Highlanders appear to have been in the vicinity, and he was observed by the late Capt. Napier Cameron of that regt. Capt. Cameron gallantly went under fire to his assistance, and carried him to the shelter of a lane some distance in the rear. Lieut. Boyd told his father that he owed his life at the time to Capt. Cameron, as the ground on which he had fallen was swept afterwards by a terrible cross fire, and if he had been left there he could not possibly have survived. He lay where Capt. Cameron had put him for 16 hours in the rain. A stretcher party of the Gloucestershire Regt. found him and brought him in. Afterwards he was for 36 hours in a cattle truck being taken to the Base hospital. The officers in charge of No. 8 General Hospital, Rouen, and the Rev. W. G. Arrowsmith, one of the Chaplains, there stated that the whole of the time in that cattle truck, and afterwards in the hospital, he had never complained, and had shown extraordinary fortitude, and that the example shown had the most wonderful effect upon the wounded men there. An instance told was this: a Quartermaster-Sergt., who was badly wounded and was suffering a lot, had been calling out a great deal, and disturbing the other men. After they had tried to soothe him without effect he was told that in the next ward there was a young officer of the Black Watch who was far worse than he was, and who never complained at all. After that the man was quiet. Although very severely wounded, great hopes were entertained of Lieut. Boyd’s recovery, as he had been operated upon successfully. But it was not to be, as he collapsed suddenly in the early morning of 12 Oct., the immediate cause of death being a blood clot. As he died in hospital his body was brought back to Scotland in the hospital ship St. Patrick. The Headquarters, Scottish Command, arranged for a military funeral, which took place in the Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh, on 19 Oct. From earliest boyhood he had taken the keenest interest in all outdoor sports. He played in the “Houses fifteen” matches at Winchester. At cricket he was a fair performer, and at golf a Scratch player. He was a good rider, a keen fisherman, and an excellent shot both with the gun and rifle. He represented Winchester College at Bisley in 1911, when he shot for the Cadet Trophy, and was again at Bisley in 1912, when he was in the Winchester “eight.” It had been his greatest ambition from earliest childhood to be in the Black Watch.

=BOYD, PERCY GERNON=, Private, No. 3158, 10th (Liverpool Scottish) Battn. King’s Liverpool Regt., eldest _s._ of Samuel Boyd, of 19, Hale Road, Liscard, Cheshire, Accountant and Secretary, Liverpool Shipping Company, by his wife, Emma, dau. of William Ker, of Liverpool; _b._ Egremont, Wallasey, co. Chester, 1 Sept 1890; educ. Liscard High School, and joined the Army on the outbreak of the war Aug. 1914. He died from shell wounds received in action at Locre, Flanders, 22 Jan. 1915, and was buried in the churchyard there; _unm._ Major N. S. Anderson, D.S.O., wrote: “He was in my company (No. 1) and was under my command. I was thoroughly satisfied with all his work. He was a good soldier.” And a comrade wrote: “He was a real good soldier, and a very brave one too. It was only the night before Lieut. Turner was killed that he was out with him putting barbed wire in front of the trenches.” He was an active and keen footballer, being a member of the Liscard Old Boys’, Brompton, and other clubs, and won the mile handicap at his school annual sports.

=BOYLE, HON. JAMES=, Capt., Royal Scots Fusiliers, 2nd surviving _s._ of David, 7th Earl of Glasgow, G.C.M.G., by his wife, Dorothea Elizabeth Thomasina, dau. of Sir Edward Hunter-Blair, 4th Bt.; _b._ Shewalton, co. Ayr., 11 March, 1880; educ. Wanganui College, New Zealand, and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and joined the Ayrshire Militia 27 May, 1898, and served through the South African War, 1901–2, part of the time with mounted infantry and for some time on staff duties, receiving the Queen’s medal with five clasps. In 1903 he joined the Regulars and was gazetted as 2nd Lieut. to the Royal Scots Fusiliers, becoming Lieut. 6 June, 1906, and Capt. 10 April, 1912. From 1908–9 he was extra Aide-de-Camp to the Governor of Victoria, and from 1909–11 Aide-de-Camp, and later, 1912–14, A.D.C. to Gen. Sir H. Smith-Dorrien, Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Command. He was killed in action at Chateau Warneton, near La Bassée, on 18 Oct. 1914 (being officially reported wounded and missing for seven weeks, until a letter was received from a German officer who reported he was buried at Chateau Warneton). He _m._ in London, 15 Sept. 1908, Katherine Isabel Salvin (Marston House, Banbury), sister of Capt. Geoffrey Vaux Salvin Bowlby, Royal Horse Guards, killed in action 13 May, 1915, and dau. of the late Edward Salvin Bowlby, of Gilston Park, Herts, and had three children: Patrick John Salvin, _b._ 21 April, 1910; Edward James, _b._ 26 Feb. 1912; and Belinda Margaret Graeme, _b._ 4 Dec. 1913.

=BOYLE, THOMAS=, Private, No. 15645, 13th (Service) Battn. Royal Scots (Lothian Regt.), _s._ of Thomas Boyle, of 33, Lyons Lane, Port Glasgow; served with the Expeditionary Force in France, etc.; killed in action at Hooge, 27 Sept. 1915.

=BOYLE, THOMAS WILLIAM=, Private, No. 10345, 1st Battn. Coldstream Guards, only _s._ of William Boyle, Coldstream Guards, by his wife, Bridget (102, Marian Street, Gateshead, co. Durham), dau. of Thomas Jackson; _b._ Gateshead, 18 July, 1896; enlisted 4 Sept. 1913; died of wounds received in action at Ypres, 23 Oct. 1914; _unm._

=BOYLE, WILLIAM=, Private, No. 14602, 4th Battn. Middlesex Regt.; served with the Expeditionary Force in France, etc.; died 4 Nov. 1914, while a prisoner of war.

=BOYS, CHARLES HENRY=, A.B. (R.F.R., Ch. B. 9527), 200302, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.