Captain Bagot-Chester in the ruins of Nebi Samwil mosque where he was wounded in November 1917

Photograph, World War One, Egypt and Palestine (1914-1918), 1917.

After serving on the Western Front in 194-15, Bagot-Chester was posted to the Suez Canal defences in October 1916 before joining the advance on Gaza in October-November 1917. For his actions there he was awarded the Military Cross for leading a raid on Outpost Hill. Bagot-Chester was badly wounded during a Turkish counter-attack at the Battle of Nebi Samwil near Jerusalem on 23 November 1917.

Five of 3rd Battalion 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifle's seven officers were casualties, including Bagot-Chester who was hit by shell and stone fragments, and 380 of 722 other ranks were killed, wounded or listed as missing. Bagot-Chester recovered from his wounds to re-join his unit the following January. Promoted to acting major, on 27 March 1918 he was mortally wounded by shellfire at Hill 1263 near Mughair Ahmed while supervising the consolidation of a recently gained position.

From the diary of Captain Walter Greville Bagot-Chester (1887-1918), 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles, covering the period, 19 Oct 1916 to 1 Dec 1917 in Palestine and Egypt.