209634 2nd Lt. Basil Arthur Horsfall VC.British Army 1st Btn. East Lancashire Regiment from:Ceylon (d.27th Mar 1918) Second Lieutenant Basil Arthur Horsfall was born on 4 October 1887 in Colombo, Ceylon. He left a position with Barclay's Bank, London, to become a rubber planter back in Ceylon, where he also held a civil service position with the Public Works Department and served with the Ceylon Engineers. During the Great War, he served as 2nd Lieutenant with the 1st Battalion, attached to the 11th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment.
The citation to his VC reads:
"On the 21st March 1918 between Moyenneville and Ablainzevelle, France, the enemy attacked Second Lieutenant Horsfall's centre platoon, his three forward sections were driven back and he was wounded in the head by enemy fire. Ignoring the wound, he immediately reorganised what remained of his troops and counter attacked to regain his original position. Despite the severity of his head wound, he refused to go to the dressing station, as the three other officers in his company had been killed. Later, he made another counter attack, but was ordered to withdraw. The last to leave his position, he was shot soon afterwards."
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