Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Major H. N. Bousfield, East Surrey Regiment, who as a Lance-Sergeant was Mentioned in Sir John French’s Despatch of 20 November 1914 for services at the Battle of La Basse; Commissioned in March 1915 ‘for services in the Field’, he was wounded on 1 April 1915, and was later attached to the 1/69th Punjab Infantry, Indian Army. After service during the Irish Civil War, he saw further service with the British Expeditionary Force during the Second World War, and was killed in action at Le Panne on 31 May 1940

1914 Star, with clasp (L-10498 Pte. H. Bousfield. 1/E. Surr: R.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Capt. H. Bousfield.); India General Service 1908-35, 3 clasps, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919, Waziristan 1919-21, Mahsud 1919-20, second and third clasps both tailor’s copies, affixed to a different sized clasp carriage (Capt. H. N. Bousfield. E. Surrey Regt.) re-impressed naming; 1939-45 Star; War Medal 1939-45, verdigris to Star and VM, scratches and contact marks, about nearly very fine; the Second War awards nearly extremely fine (6) £400-£500

M.I.D. London Gazette 17 February 1915
‘For gallant and distinguished services in the field (to be dated 20 November 1914)’.

Hambleton Edwin Neville Bousfield was born at South Norwood, Surrey on 27 March 1893; his maternal grandfather was General W. N. Custance who had served before Delhi during the Indian Mutiny and at one time commanded the 6th Dragoon Guards. He attested for the Honourable Artillery Company on 8 May 1911, before transferring to the Regular Army for service with the East Surrey Regiment on 27 July 1912. Posted to the 1st Battalion, he is shown in a group photograph, dated January 1914 captioned ‘On the Liffey Dublin’ where he is noted as serving in ‘B’ Company.

On the outbreak of the Great War, the 1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment was still stationed at Dublin, having been previously assigned to the 14th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division. The battalion disembarked at Le Havre on 15 August 1914, and Bousfield is confirmed as having entered the France and Flanders theatre of war with his unit, on 16 August 1914. In recognition of his gallant and distinguished services during the First Battle of Ypres, his name was brought to notice in Sir John French’s Despatch of 20 November 1914.

Bousfield was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the East Surrey Regiment on 14 March 1915 in recognition of ‘his distinguished services in the Field’, and two weeks later the Battalion War Diary notes that he was admitted to hospital on 31 March 1915, being recorded as having received a bullet wound to the right arm. Promoted Lieutenant on 25 June 1916, and Acting Captain on 10 July 1917, he was seconded to the Indian Army on 20 February 1918, and served firstly as a Staff Officer and later on attachment to the 1/69th Punjabis, seeing active service on the North West Frontier. Returning to his parent regiment, he served in Dublin during the Irish Civil War on counter-insurgency operations, being included in a group photograph dated 24 September 1921. Appointed Adjutant and Quartermaster, Army Vocational Training Centre, Hounslow, on 3 October 1934, he retired with the rank of Major on 3 September 1938.

Recalled on the outbreak of the Second World War, Bousfield re-joined the East Surrey Regiment and proceeded to France with the 1st Battalion, which had been assigned to the 5th Infantry Division, British Expeditionary Force. In May 1940, the 1st Battalion advanced into Belgium, where it briefly defended the line of the River Escaut until compelled to carry out a fighting withdrawal. On their last night in Belgium, the 1st Battalion was ordered to Nieuport to counter-attack in support of the 1/6th Battalion East Surrey Regiment. The counter attack stabilised the situation and both battalions were able to hold the position until ordered to withdraw to the beaches prior to embarkation.

Bousfield was killed in action on 31 May 1940, during the retreat to Dunkirk, the circumstances of his death being recounted by Robert Lloyd, a former member of the Battalion:
‘The British Expeditionary force was now contained in a perimeter some 30 miles long It ran from the mouth of the Yser to Nieuport. Inside this narrow perimeter which was held by weary but determined men. The British Expeditionary force waited patiently to embark on the gallant Armada of ships. During the night of 30 May 1940, orders came that the first Surreys were to embark to England at 12.00 noon the next day. We marched to a pre-arranged lying in area at Coxyde Bains. We got there at 6.00 am the following morning where we ate breakfast with the prospect of home before us, but it was not yet to be. A message came that the Battalion was to move at once to Nieuport where the 10th Infantry Brigade were holding the perimeter. The battalion was moved in its own transport which we had refused to jettison. The 1/6th Surreys were under attack and desperately holding part of the Brickworks. A counter attack was launched with ‘B’ and ‘D’ Companies and ‘A’ and ‘C’ for some support the attack was successful with about 30 men. At midnight we were ordered back to the Beach near Le Panne to await embarkation at dawn. On 1 June the orders came that we were to embark at Dunkirk as Le Panne was being heavily shelled and was on fire. The battalion managed to get through with only a few casualties. The C.O.’s car was caught in heavy fire outside the town and both Major Bousfield and his driver were wounded. The majority managed to reach the beaches at Bray Dune safely, and what a sight we encountered. The beaches were crowded with men waiting their turn to be taken to the ships laying off shore. The sea was full of small boats ferrying them. Enemy aircraft dive bombed and machine gunned us and the men in the boats fired defiantly and an RAF Fighter dispersed fifteen bombers and shot one down. We, the Surreys kept together and dug slit trenches around a large sand dune which we named Surrey Hill. After a long wait we formed up on orders and marched of in parties at intervals of five minutes along the beach towards Dunkirk where we embarked on various craft. Some were killed on the beaches and on the way to the ships, others were drowned when boats sunk. The medical officer got aboard a ship that was severely damaged and could not leave harbour, so Lieutenant Bird gallantly went back to the beach and devoted himself to attending the injured men. He was never heard of again and was presumed dead. The last casualty of the 1st Surreys was Lieutenant Hayfield who was mortally wounded during a bombing attack on his rescue ship, he failed by a few minutes to reach England alive’. (BBC ‘WW2 People’s War’ Website: ‘I Was There: East Surrey Regiment at Dunkirk 1940 by Robert Lloyd refers).

Bousfield was amongst those listed as wounded and missing; he was later confirmed as having been killed in action, with the date of his death (notwithstanding the eyewitness account above) officially recorded as 31 May 1940. His body was later identified, and he is buried in De Panne Communal Cemetery, Belgium.

Sold with the recipient’s riband bar for the first four awards.