Topham H A C 2nd Lt Indian Army
TOPHAM, HENRY ANGRAVE CECIL, 2nd Lieut., Indian Army, attd. 1st Battn. The Welsh Regiment, elder s. of John Henry Topham, of Morley Hall, co. Derby, by his wife, Dorothy Marion, dau. of George Henry Angrave; b. Derby, 14 Oct. 1891; educ. Malvern and Clare College, Cambridge (graduated B.A., Dec. 1913), and was in both the school and college O.T.C. He obtained a university commission as 2nd Lieut. Indian Army, 21 Jan. 1913, and his rank was made substantive, 5 Aug. 1914. He was on the point of sailing for India when war was declared, but was posted to the 4th Sherwood Foresters at Backworth, Northumberland, where he remained until the end of Feb. 1915, when he was sent to France, being attached for the period of the war to the 1st Battn. Welsh Regt. He took part in the 2nd Battle of Ypres, and on 24 May, his regt. being ordered to join in a counter-attack, he was severely wounded in the head by a piece of high explosive shell, near Ypres, dying the next day, 25 May, 1915, at Bailleul Clearing Hospital, where he had been Henry A. C. Topham. taken, and was buried in the Military Cemetery there (No. 1125).
An officer wrote: “We were all so fond of him and he is indeed a great loss. He was of great assistance to me in the field, for I could rely on him, and in addition he had the happy knack of commanding men.”
Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1