| Backhouse | Miles Roland Charles | | Captain | BACKHOUSE, MILES ROLAND CHARLES, Captain, was born 24 November 1878, at the Rookery, Middleton Nyas, Yorkshire, son of Sir Jonathan E Backhouse, Baronet, and Florence, daughter of Sir John S Trelawny, 9th Baronet. He was educated at Eton, and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and became Second Lieutenant, Northumberland Hussars (Yeomanry Cavalry) in April, 1897. He was employed in the 14th Yeomanry Squadron, Imperial Yeomanry, South Africa, from January to the end of the war, in which he served as Lieutenant from January 1900 to April, 1901, and was then promoted Captain (Honorary), and given command of a squadron. He was severely wounded; mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 29 July 1902]; received the Queen's Medal with three clasps; the King's Medal with two clasps, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 31 October 1902]: "Miles Roland Charles Backhouse, Captain, 5th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa". He married, September 1904, at Dunston, Norwich, Olive, second daughter of Geoffrey Fowell Buxton and Mary, daughter of the Honourable and Reverend John Harbord, and they had three sons: Roger Trelawny, born 5 September 1905: Jonathan, born 16 March, 1907; Wilfrid Jasper, born 28 July 1913, and one daughter, Patricia, born 23 April, 1911. He was promoted Major, and retired from the Territorial Force 27 June, 1903. He served in the European War from 1914-19; went out with the Northumberland Hussars, as Second-in-Command, October 1914; in command, February to May 1915; commanded the North Somerset Yeomanry, September 1915 to March, 1917; commanded the 8th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment 1 October 1917 to January 1919. He was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Force Reserve. He was mentioned in Despatches four times: June, 1915; January 1917; June, 1918; March, 1919, and awarded a Bar to the Distinguished Service Order, for services in operations on the Piave, Italy, in September and October 1918 [London Gazette, 18 November 1918].
Source: DSO recipients (VC and DSO Book) | 5th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry |
