Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Beach Cemetery, ANZAC | I. B. 37. | |
| 2. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 7A GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Son of Madeline Wilson Wood (formerly Boothby), of Timsbury Manor, Romsey, Hants, and the late A. C. Boothby.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: Armoured Car Div. (Dardanelles) |
| Action : Gallipoli |
The Gallipoli Campaign was fought on the Gallipoli peninsula 25th April 1915 to 9th January 1916. in a failed attempt to defeat Turkey by seizing the Dardanelles and capturing Istanbul. Ill-conceived and planned, the initial effort by the Royal Navy failed to force passage through the Dardanelles by sea power alone. It was then realised that a land force was needed to support the project by suppressing the Turkish mobile artillery batteries. By the time all was ready the Turks were well aware and well prepared. Despite amazing heroics on the day of the landings only minor beachheads were achieved and over the succeeding 8 months little progress was made. Eventually the beachheads were evacuated in a series of successful ruses.
Despite Gallipoli rightly becoming a national source of pride to Australians and New Zealanders, far more British casualties were sustained, and these days the substantial French contribution is almost forgotten.
Detail :
JAMES ROBERT BOOTHBY. LT COMMANDER, R.N.V.R. No. 4 SQUADRON ARMOURED CARS James Boothby was the 2nd son of the late Alexander Cunningham Boothby, of St. Andrews, by his wife Madeline of 7, Abbotsford Crescent. St. Andrews. He was born Cupar Fife, on 17th January 1883 and educated at St. Andrews, and Glenalrond College Perthshire. In May 1900 he joined the Fife Artillery Militia. He served in the 24th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry during the South African War receiving the campaign medal with five clasps. He rejoined the Fife Artillery in 1903 and was subsequently appointed to the Royal Scots and served in India. When his regiment came home he resigned owing to temporary ill-health and went to Vancouver. On the outbreak of war he returned to England and obtained a commission in the RN Armoured Car Division. He was killed in action on 1 May, 1915 at Gallipoli the day after landing at Gaba Tepe. His commanding officer wrote: I can only say this, that every officer and man in the Armoured Car Force simply loved Jim Boothby. I never wanted a more loyal, good hearted and good natured second in command than he was. His own men saw that he had a proper burial. He was unmarried.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Lodge of Unity, Peace, and Concord No. 316 E.C. | London |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
17th March 1911 | - | - |
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley