Stephen Wriothesley Best

Served with the Brecknock Battalion, South Wales Borders His name is commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq.

Following is from the Christ College Brecon, website.'Stephen Wriothesley Best followed his older two brothers, Walter and Arthur, to Christ College as a Day Boy in 1900. Academically successful, gaining form prizes Greek and Mathematics, he passed his Higher Certificate examinations before leaving school in 1906.He went on to gain a civil service appointment in Edinburgh, working as a clerk in the Estate Duty office. In 1912 he began studying law at Edinburgh University and in January 1913 joined the Officers Training Corps. At the outbreak of war Stephen returned home, becoming an ‘officer Cadet’ in the Brecknockshire Battalion, South Wales Borderers and was soon gazetted Second Lieutenant.'Stephen and the Battalion arrived in Aden on 16th December 1916. After a gruelling few months facing the Turks, the Battalion was sent to India. In early 1917 Stephen and his brother, Frank, took 140 men from India to help rebuild the shattered 4th Battalion in Mesopotamia. By 13th February the brothers were in the thick of action in which Frank was killed. Wounded in the heavy shelling at Deltwa in late March, Stephen rejoined his Battalion on 21st April 1917.'At 5am on the morning of 30th April 1917, the 4th Battalion attacked Adhaim Village where Turkish forces were entrenched. Stephen was killed while leading the capture of two Turkish gun batteries. His body, with several of his men, was found close to the gunpits.'Charles W. Best claimed the medals of his three sons on 26th December 1920. Lieutenant Stephen Wriothesley Best is remembered at the Basra Memorial, Iraq. He is the third of the three Best brothers to be remembered on the Christ College War Memorial, a tablet designed by their elder brother, Walter Best.'Two of his brothers were also killed during the 'Great War' Lieutenant Arthur Stephen Middleton Best, 71 st Field Company Royal Engineers, killed in action Mesopotamia 23 February 1917 (Amara War Cemetery). Lieutenant Frank Harrington Best, Brecknock Battalion South Wales Borderers, killed in action Mesopotamia 13 February 1917 (Basra War Memorial). Brecon County Times, 10 May 1917: ‘Lieut. Stephen Best Killed. The news has been received that Lieut. Stephen Wriothesley Best, of the Brecknock Battalion, attached to the S.W. Borderers, third son of Mr and Mrs Best, Penbryn, has been killed in action. This is the third son of Mr and Mrs Best to fall in action during the present war. A further reference to the gallant lieutenant will be made in our next issue.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)Brecon County Times, 10 May 1917: ‘Town and County. One can imagine no expressions of sympathy, no matter how eloquently phrased, that would be fit to match the circumstances of the death in action of the last of the three soldier sons of the County Surveyor of Breconshire (Mr CW Best). Three fine young fellows in every respect, with most promising careers before them, all have gladly laid down their lives for their country within the space of about two months. There is no detail wanting to the pathetic picture. Two of the heroes, who had served with the Brecknocks, volunteered for the hard work and hot fighting in Mesopotamia, and the third, who came across the world to take an Engineer’s commission, me them there. There they fought and died, side by side, like the gallant English gentlemen they were could be depended on to fight and die. And at home, all honour to them, there is no pitiful murmer from the family in this dark hour. There is deep grief, but not doubt. The country’s call, when it came, was regarded as the highest of all earthly claims, the debt to the country has been paid in full without repining. And all this while we have seen the father ably, fearless and regularly carrying on a most distasteful and responsible public duty at home, knowing he was likely to become unpopular on every hand, but going straight ahead without a hairbreadth’s deviation. Who can, who dare, offer sympathy to such a family: It would seem to be a presumption. One would only like to say just this to Mr and Mrs Best and the remaining son and daughters, that the heart of every Breconshire man and woman who knows them is very full of tender feeling for them in their overwhelming trouble.’ ( www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)Brecon County Times, 17 May 1917 with photograph: ‘Lieutenant Stephen W Best. As was briefly anounced in last week’s issue, the sad news has been received that the third and last of the soldier sons of Mr and Mrs CW Best, of Penbryn, Brecon, has been killed in action, namely, Lieut Stephen Wriothesley Best. He was killed on the 30 th April in Mesopotamia, where also his two brothers were killed. He was the third son of Mr and Mrs Best, was born in Brecon, educated at Christ College, Brecon, and was 28 years of age. He was a second division clerk in the Civil Service stationed at Edinburgh when the war broke out, and he volunteered for service and was given a commission in the Brecknocks in September, 1914, having had nearly three years training in the Edinburgh University OTC (attached to the Royal Scots) as during his stay in Edinburgh he was a law student at the University and had passed with honours all but one of the examinations necessary for the BL degree. He went out with his Battalion to Aden at the end of the following month and was in the affair at Lahej. Subsequently he went on with the Brecknocks to India, and was promoted lieutenant in August, 1916. He volunteered for Mesopotamia and went there in September last. He was in the actions at Kut-al-amara and subsequently was wounded in an engagement on March 29 th this year, but he soon recovered and rejoined the regiment to which he was attached.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)