1893 Toronto Canada Cumpston Basil Lancelot son of Basil Arthur Cumpston and Florence Jane Ashton. Birth 1916 6th June. Cumpston Basil Lancelot  age 23 Border Regiment Lce Corpl from PPCLI London Gazette. Promoted to temporary 2nd Lieuteneant on probation with effect from 7th Mary 1916.
1917 Thursday 10 May Achiet Le Grand Cumpston Basil Lancelot age 24 2nd Lieutenant 2nd Battalion, Border Regiment death. Died of wounds. Son of Basil A and Florence J Cumpston, of 443 Walmer Road, Toronto, Canada, age 24.

Burial Achiet-le-Grand Communal Cemetery Extension Pas de Calais, France. Plot 1 A 8

The plaque in memory of Basil in Barton Church reads "In loving memory of Basil Lancelot Cumpston son of Basil Arthur Cumpston of Toronto Canada who died of wounds at Bullecourt May 1917 at the age of 25. He gave his life for the Empire."

I have his Army record from the National Archive which states that he was serving with the Border Regiment (from Carlisle - his ancestor's home regiment). The file outlines the transfer of his belongings back to his father in Toronto. He had been with the regiment from 7th May 1916 to 31 May 1917 - 186 days paid at 7/6p amounting to £69.15 shillings.

Description Medal card of Cumpston, Basil Lancelot
Corps Regiment No Rank
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry MCG147 Lance Corporal
Imperial Army MCG147 Lance Corporal 2nd Border Regiment Second Lieutenant
 
Date 1914-1920 Catalogue reference WO 372/5 Dept Records created or inherited by the War Office, Armed Forces, Judge Advocate General, and related bodies
Series War Office: Service Medal and Award Rolls Index, First World War
Piece Cooke W E - Denham W

BASIL LANCELOT CUMPSTON March 16, 1893 May 10, 1917

Second Lieutenant, Border Regiment.

Son of Basil Arthur Cumpston; b. Wapella,Sask.; ed. Weston P.S. and H.S., Upper Canada College; u.c.c. Scholar, Trinity College, 1911-15, B.A. (Mod. Hist.); c.o.x.c.

In May 1915 he enlisted in the 2nd Universities Company, P.P.C.L.I., and went overseas as Lance-Corporal the next month. He reached France in August and served in the battalion for a time till he returned to England to train for a commission in the Imperial Army. Being appointed to the 2nd Border Regiment, he returned to France in May 1916. On June 28th he was wounded at the Somme. On May 9th, 1917, near Bullecourt, he was reporting to his Commanding Officer the result of a reconnaissance, which he had made as Battalion Intelligence Officer, when a shell struck Headquarters and wounded all the Staff. The next morning he died of his injuries. Buried at Achiet- le-Grand.

Information from University of Toronto Roll of Service 1914-1918 http://www.archive.org/stream/torontorollservic00unknuoft/torontorollservic00unknuoft_djvu.txt Logged

Photo #24058 Last Name: Cumpston First Name : Basil (aka Comy) Middle Name: Lancelot

Subject's Country: Canada Date: 1901-1920 Photographer: University of Toronto

Comments: TRINITY 1 - 1915 University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
email marie.f.claude@sympatico.ca. http://www.deadfred.com/search/annuals.html

Sidney Childs Reginald Cluff
Basil (aka Comy) Cumpston
Charles Drew Reginald Ferris David Keys David Keys Arthur Lawson Trinity 1 School Annual 1915 University of Toronto
DOUBLE CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE