Allen Bathurst, Lord Apsley

Allen Algernon Bathurst, Lord Apsley, DSO, MC, TD, DL (3 August 1895–17 December 1942) was a British politician.

Family

Lord Apsley was the eldest son of Seymour Bathurst, 7th Earl Bathurst and his wife Lilias Margaret Frances Borthwick. His maternal grandparents were Algernon Borthwick, 1st Baron Glenesk and Alice Beatrice Lister.

Alice Beatrice Lister was a daughter of novelist Thomas Henry Lister and Lady Maria Theresa Villiers.

Maria Theresa Villiers was a daughter of George Villiers and Theresa Parker. Her paternal grandparents were Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon and Charlotte Cappell. Her maternal grandparents were John Parker, 1st Baron Boringdon and his second wife Theresa Robinson.

Charlotte Cappell was a daughter of William Capell, 3rd Earl of Essex and Jane Hyde. Theresa Robibson was a daughter of Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham and Frances Worsley.

Jane Hyde was a daughter of Henry Hyde, 4th Earl of Clarendon and his wife Jane Keveson-Gower. Her maternal grandparents were Sir William Leveson-Gower, 4th Baronet and Lady Jane Granville.

Jane Granville was a daughter of John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath and Jane Wyche.

Career

He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. During World War I, he served overseas with the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars. He was promoted to temporary lieutenant in April 1916, [LondonGazette|issue=29622|supp=yes|startpage=5912|date=13 June 1916|accessdate=2008-04-01] acting captain in June 1917, [LondonGazette|issue=30379|supp=yes|startpage=11775|date=13 November 1917|accessdate=2008-04-01] receiving a substantive promotion to lieutenant from the same date, [LondonGazette|issue=30148|supp=yes|startpage=6269|date=22 June 1917|accessdate=2008-04-01] and to substantive captain in 1918. [LondonGazette|issue=30558|supp=yes|startpage=2861|date=5 March 1918|accessdate=2008-04-01] He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his actions in Egypt: [LondonGazette|issue=31219|supp=yes|startpage=3225|date=7 March 1919|accessdate=2008-04-01] [LondonGazette|issue=31583|supp=yes|startpage=12219|date=3 October 1919|accessdate=2008-04-01]

cquote|AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER.

[...]

Capt. Allen Algernon, Lord Apsley,. M.C., 1/1st Glouc. Yeo. (EGYPT)

On the 30th September, 1918, near Damascus, he was sent out with a troop of 20 men. and a Hotchkiss gun to seize the Kadem wireless station. Near Kadem Station he was held up by a body of the enemy, whose strength was double his own. He charged, killing 12 with his sword, the remainder being put to flight. On arrival at his objective the wireless station was found to have been already destroyed, and the enemy, who had been strongly reinforced, was threatening to cut off his troop. This officer carried out the retirement of the troop in perfect order, and, when attacked by the enemy from a flank, another charge was made, inflicting loss and enabling him to get away intact. Throughout this mission he showed splendid gallantry and marked ability to command.

He was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Southampton in 1922 [LondonGazette|issue=32775|startpage=8710|date=8 December 1922|accessdate=2008-04-01] and for Bristol Central in 1931, [LondonGazette|issue=33769|startpage=7137|date=6 November 1931|accessdate=2008-01-10] seats he held until 1929 [LondonGazette|issue=32897|startpage=366|date=11 January 1924|accessdate=2008-04-01] [LondonGazette|issue=32996|startpage=8531|date=25 November 1924|accessdate=2008-04-01] and 1942 [LondonGazette|issue=34223|startpage=7496|date=26 November 1935|accessdate=2008-01-10] respectively. In 1923 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for the "County of Gloucester, and of the City and County of the City of Gloucester, and the City and County of the City of Bristol." [LondonGazette|issue=32874|startpage=7215|date=26 October 1923|accessdate=2008-01-10]

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 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.

He remained a member of the Territorial Army between the wars, [LondonGazette|issue=32731|supp=yes|startpage=5434|date=21 July 1922|accessdate=2008-04-01] and was awarded the Territorial Decoration (TD) in 1929, [LondonGazette|issue=33548|supp=yes|startpage=6991|date=1 November 1929|accessdate=2008-04-01] promoted to brevet major in 1930, [LondonGazette|issue=33565|startpage=8505|date=31 December 1929|accessdate=2008-04-01] and promoted to substantive major in 1938. [LondonGazette|issue=34589|startpage=289|date=13 January 1939|accessdate=2008-04-01] During World War II, he served overseas again and died on active service, commanding the Arab Legion in Malta, in 1942. [cite web|url=http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1703809|title=Commonwealth War Graves Commission - casualty details|publisher=Commonwealth War Graves Commission]

Marriage

On 27 February 1924, Lord Apsley had married Violet Meeking (who succeeded him as MP for Bristol Central) [LondonGazette|issue=35916|supp=yes|startpage=937|date=23 February 1943|accessdate=2008-01-15] and they had two sons: Henry Allen John (born 1927) and George Bertram (born 1929). As Lord Apsley predeceased his father, the latter's earldom later passed to Lord Apsley's eldest son, Henry.

References

###@@@KEY@@@###