John Huntley Wickham Stevenson died of wounds on this day in 1917
John Huntley Wickham Stevenson was born in Ahmednagar, Deccan, India on 19 April 1897 and was the son of Surgeon General Henry Wickham Stevenson of Lorn House, Castletown, Isle of Man and Frances Clara (née Skrine).
He was educated at Holm Leigh (Buxton) and Springfield Park (Horsham) preparatory schools and, subsequently, Wellington College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
John was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant, unattached List for the Indian Army on 13 January 1915.
John went to India in February 1915 and was posted to the 46th Punjabis on 13 March and served on the North West Frontier of India during 1915. He later served with the Indian Expeditionary Force in Mesopotamia from October 1916 when he was attached to the 20th Punjabis.
He died in the trenches on 5 February 1917 aged just 19 years from wounds received in action at the Second Battle of Kut al Amara.
John was originally buried in the Officers’ Cemetery at Baronie Ford on the Shatt-al-Hal but his grave is now in the Amara War Cemetery in southern Iraq.
His Commanding Officer wrote to his parents "Your son had not been with us very long, but quite long enough to endear himself, by his charming manner and readiness to help anyone, to us all. He was indeed an asset to the regiment...... from his readiness to help anyone he could, and from his unfailing cheerfulness."
2nd Lieut John Huntley Wickham Stevenson, 46th attached 26th Punjabis, Indian Army.