Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

Basil Arthur Horsfall, VC (4 October 1887 – 27 March 1918) was a British-

Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

ese recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

forces.

Early life

Born on 4 October 1887 in Colombo,

(now

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

), Horsfall was educated at

S. Thomas' College , motto_translation = Be Thou Forever , song = Thomian Song , athletics = Yes , sports = Yes , nickname = Thora , denomination = Anglican , patron ...

Mount Lavinia Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia ( si, දෙහිවල-ගල්කිස්ස, translit=Dehivala-Galkissa; ta, தெஹிவளை-கல்கிசை, translit=Tehivaḷai-Kalkicai), population 245,974 (2012) is the largest suburb of the City of ...

and at Sir William Borlase's Grammar School, Marlow in England. He left a position with Barclay's Bank, London, to become a rubber planter back in Ceylon, where he also held a civil service position with the Public Works Department and served with the Ceylon Engineer Volunteers. During World War I, he returned to Britain in July 1916 to enlist in the British Army and was commissioned as a

2nd Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the East Lancashire Regiment in December. He was wounded at Rouex on 11 May 1917 while serving with the 1st Battalion. After recovering from his wound he joined the 11th Battalion, (the

Accrington Pals The Accrington Pals, officially the 11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington), East Lancashire Regiment, was a pals battalion of Kitchener's Army raised in and around the town of Accrington during the First World War. History Recruiting was initi ...

), in the Autumn of 1917.

Victoria Cross

On 21 March 1918, between Moyenneville and

Ablainzevelle Ablainzevelle is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. Geography A small farming village located 11 miles (18 km) south of Arras, at the D7 and D12 road junction. It was rebuilt after being destroyed during World War ...

, France, the Germans attacked positions held by Second Lieutenant Horsfall's centre platoon. After his three forward sections were driven back, he was wounded in the

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

by enemy fire. Ignoring the wound, he immediately reorganised what remained of his troops and counterattacked to regain his original position. Despite the severity of his head wound, he refused to go to the dressing station, as the three other officers in his

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...

had been killed. Later, he made another counterattack, but was ordered to withdraw. The last to leave his position, he was shot soon afterwards.

Distinctions and tributes

Victoria Cross. Horsfall's medal is kept in the

Queen's Lancashire Regiment Museum The Lancashire Infantry Museum, formerly known as the Queen's Lancashire Regiment Museum, is located at Fulwood Barracks in Preston, Lancashire, England. The museum claims to be "largest Regimental archive and the premier centre for military hi ...

at Fulwood Barracks, Preston, Lancashire. * Horsfall's name is on the Arras Memorial in France. It is not known where he is buried. * The school of Ablainzevelle was named after Horsfall in 2019. There is a blue plaque commemorating Horsfall on the front wall of Borlase School in Marlow. His name is recorded on the war memorial inside the school chapel and a replica of his VC is placed inside the chapel.

Notes

References

* Andrew Jackson, ''Accrington's Pals: The Full Story'', Barnsley, Pen & Sword, 2013, . * Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999) * The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997) *

VCs of the First World War - Spring Offensive 1918 ''VCs of the First World War'' is a series of books that list the List of First World War Victoria Cross recipients, Victoria Cross recipients of the First World War. The series consists of 13 books written by four different authors, first publishe ...

(Gerald Gliddon, 1997)

External links

*
Article about Basil Arthur Horsfall
{{DEFAULTSORT:Horsfall, Basil Arthur 1887 births 1918 deaths British colonial army officers East Lancashire Regiment officers British Army personnel of World War I British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross British military personnel killed in World War I Ceylonese military personnel People from British Ceylon People educated at Sir William Borlase's Grammar School Alumni of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross Sri Lankan people of British descent