The Queens Own Royal West Kent R

The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment

Major M P Buckle

Photograph by "MrBob"

Major Matthew Perceval BUCKLE, 1st Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, killed in action, near Neuve Chapelle, (while in Command of his Battalion), 27th October 1914, age 45.

Born 29th September 1869, Wray Cottage, Ambleside, Westmorland.

Second Son of Admiral C. E. Buckle, R.N. of the Red House, Raithby, Spilsby, Lincolnshire.

Educated Summerfield, Oxford.

Married 1909, Marjorie Ethel Grace Buckle, (elder daughter of Colonel C Arthur Swan, CMG), of Sansthorpe Hall, Spilsby, Lincolnshire.

Children - Margaret Elizabeth Buckle, born January 1910; Peter Claude Matthew Buckle, born May 1914.

10th April 1889, Gazetted 2nd Lieutenant, Royal West Kent Regiment; 14th December 1892, promoted Lieutenant, being Adjutant from 21st June 1897 to 20th August 1901; 16th July 1898, Captain; 7th March 1907, Major; employed in Uganda, 9th January 1898 to 9th March 1900; served in the South African War, 1900 - 1902; took part in the operations in the Orange Free State, April to May 1900, severely wounded; operations in the Orange River Colony, May to 29th November 1900, including action at Wittebergen, 1st to 29th July; operations in Cape Colony south of Orange River 1900; operation in the Transvaal June to September 1901, and October to November 1901; operations in Orange Colony 30th November 1900 to June 1901 and November 1901 to January 1902 and those on the Zululand Frontier of Natal in September and October 1901(mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette 10th September 1901; Queens Medal with four Clasps; Kings Medal with two Clasps and D.S.O.; was Adjutant of the Imperial Yeomanry from 1st May 1903 to 1st September 1906; Brigade Major of the 2nd South Midland Mounted Brigade, Southern Command from 1st April 1911 to 23rd May following and Brigade Major of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, Irish Command from 24th May 1911 to 14th February 1912, being appointed Military Attache (General Staff Officer) Washington and Mexico, 12th July 1912; served with the Expeditionary Force in France & Flanders from 14th August 1914.

Twice mentioned in Despatches, London Gazettes, 19th October 1914 & 17th February 1915 by Field Marshall Sir John (now Lord) French for gallant and distinguished service in the Field.

Commemorated at Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, XXIX. C. 41., Souchez, Pas de Calais, France.

AWARDS: DSO

London Gazette 20th October 1914.

Mentioned in Despatches 8th October 1914.

OBITUARY

Major Matthew Perceval Buckle, D.S.O., was born on September 29th, 1869, the son of Vice Admiral C.E. Buckle, of Raithby, Lincolnshire.

He passed through Sandhurst, and in 1899 joined a battalion of the Royal West Kent Regiment, of which he afterwards became Adjutant.

He fought in South Africa from 1900 to 1902, being severely wounded at Thabanchu: He received the D.S.O. for his services and was twice mentioned in despatches. On his return to England he entered the Staff College and passing out with distinction, was appointed in 1904 to the General Staff, War Office. Subsequently he served as Brigade-Major of the 2nd Infantry Brigade at Aldershot, and from 1909 to 1913 as instructor at the Indian Staff College, Quetta.

In July 1914 he was ordered to Albania to take up a staff appointment at Skutari, but on the outbreak of war these orders were cancelled, and early in August he went to France with his battalion.

He was killed on October 27th, 1914, near Neuve Chapelle, while commanding the battalion at a critical period of the First Battle of Ypres. He had been twice mentioned in despatches.

Major Buckle married in 1909 Miss Marjorie Swan and left two children.

This page was last updated on 16-Jun-2018.