Allen Algernon Bathurst, Lord Apsley,
DSO,
MC,
TD,
DL (3 August 1895 – 17 December 1942) was a
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
officer and
Conservative Party politician.
Early life
Apsley was the eldest son of
Seymour Bathurst, 7th Earl Bathurst and his wife
Lilias Margaret Frances ''née'' Borthwick, daughter of
Algernon Borthwick, 1st Baron Glenesk. He was educated at
Eton and
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...
, graduating BA hons.
[''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage,'' 100th Edn, London, 1953.]
Military career
During
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, he served overseas with the
Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was a volunteer yeomanry regiment which, in the 20th century, became part of the British Army Reserve. It traced its origins to the First or Cheltenham Troop of Gloucestershire Gentleman and Yeomanry raised i ...
. He was promoted to temporary lieutenant in April 1916, acting
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
in June 1917, receiving a substantive promotion to lieutenant from the same date, and to substantive captain in 1918. He was awarded the
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...
(MC) and
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...
(DSO) for his actions in Egypt:
[
]
Political and business career
He was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
in 1922, holding the seat until 1929. He then stood for Bristol Central in 1931, and held the seat until his death in 1942. In 1923 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for the "County of Gloucester
Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire to the east, Wiltshire to the s ...
, and of the City and County of the City of Gloucester, and the City and County of the City of Bristol."
During this time, he was Parliamentary Private Secretary to: the Under-Secretary of State for the Overseas Trade Department 1922–24, the Minister of Transport
A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...
1925-29 and the Minister for Co-ordination Defence 1936. He had also been President of the UK Pilot's Association in 1925 and sometime chairman of Western Airways, Western Air Transport Company and a director of Morning Post
''The Morning Post'' was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by ''The Daily Telegraph''.
History
The paper was founded by John Bell. According to historian Robert Darnton, ''The Morning ...
. Lord and Lady Apsley published a book called ''The Amateur Settlers'' in 1929 recounting their escapades and adventures travelling through in the Northern Territory of Australia. They had many encounters, including with local aborigines, in which detailed descriptions reveal their social attitudes and behaviour.[
He remained a member of the Territorial Army between the wars, and was awarded the ]Territorial Decoration
__NOTOC__
The Territorial Decoration (TD) was a military medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Territorial Army.
This award superseded the Volunteer O ...
(TD) in 1929, promoted to brevet major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
in 1930, and promoted to substantive major in 1938. During World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, he served overseas again, with the Arab Legion
The Arab Legion () was the police force, then regular army, of the Emirate of Transjordan, a British protectorate, in the early part of the 20th century, and then of the Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, an independent state, with a final Ar ...
(1941–42).[
]
Marriage
On 27 February 1924, Lord Apsley had married Viola Meeking (who succeeded him as MP for Bristol Central) and they had two sons: Henry Allen John (1927–2011) and George Bertram (1929–2010). As Lord Apsley predeceased his father, the latter's earldom later passed to Lord Apsley's eldest son, Henry.[
]
Death
Lord Apsley was a passenger on a Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax is a British Royal Air Force (RAF) four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It was developed by Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine Avro Manchester.
The Halifax has its or ...
of No. 138 Squadron RAF
No. 138 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force that served in a variety of roles during its career, last disbanded in 1962. It was the first 'V-bomber' squadron of the RAF, flying the Vickers Valiant between 1955 and 1962.
History
...
when it crashed on take-off from Malta, killing all on board. Apsley was buried with the other victims at Kalkara Naval Cemetery in Kalkara
Kalkara () is a village in the Port Region of Malta, with a population of 3,014 as of March 2014. The name is derived from the Latin word for lime (Calce), and it is believed that there was a lime kiln present there since Roman times. Kalkara ...
.
References
External links
Lord Apsley8
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Apsley, Allen Bathurst, Lord
1895 births
1942 deaths
People educated at Eton College
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
British Army personnel of World War I
Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
Recipients of the Military Cross
UK MPs 1922–1923
UK MPs 1923–1924
UK MPs 1924–1929
UK MPs 1931–1935
UK MPs 1935–1945
Bathurst
Deputy lieutenants of Gloucestershire
Royal Gloucestershire Hussars officers
Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford
Heirs apparent who never acceded
British courtesy barons and lords of Parliament
Allen Allen, Allen's or Allens may refer to:
Buildings
* Allen Arena, an indoor arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee
* Allen Center, a skyscraper complex in downtown Houston, Texas
* Allen Fieldhouse, an indoor sports arena on the Univ ...
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Malta
Royal Armoured Corps officers
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1942