Lieutenant-Colonel Somerset Arthur Maxwell (20 January 1905 – 30 December 1942) was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.

Family

Eldest son of Arthur Kenlis Maxwell, 11th Baron Farnham. He married 1930 (Angela) Susan Roberts (d. 10 April 1953 Jamaica), daughter of Captain Marshall Owen Roberts (d 3 July 1931) by his former wif
Irene Helene Murray
of the dukes of Atholl, and sister of the aviator Owen Roberts and had issue: * Barry Owen Somerset Maxwell, 12th Baron Farnham. * Simon Kenlis Maxwell, 13th Baron Farnham * Sheelin Virginia Maxwell, Viscountess Knollys.

Political career

He was elected as member of parliament (MP) for the King's Lynn constituency in

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

at the 1935 general election, succeeding the Conservative MP Lord Fermoy, who had held the seat since the 1924 election. From the 1920s he had been an officer in the 2nd Cavalry Divisional Signals (Middlesex Yeomanry). In December 1942, Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell diedCWGC entry
/ref> of wounds received in action at

El Alamein El Alamein (, ) is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. The town is located on the site of the ancient city Antiphrai which was built by th ...

on active service in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, aged 37.by-election in February 1943, Lord Fermoy was re-elected.

Death and funeral

In the morning of the new Year's Eve we had news that Lt. Colonel the Honourable Somerset Maxwell, O.C. Middlesex Yeomanry, sometime Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for War, and M.P. for
Kings Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is north-east of Peterborough, north-north-east of Cambridg ...
had died at 2030 hrs. the previous night following wounds sustained in action. The funeral was to be the same afternoon and as the cemetery was nearby we old originals turned out. When we arrived our party brought the M.Y. contingent up to 30 exclusive of bearer party and officers. The plain coffin was slid off the ambulance on to the shoulders of 8 NCOs and OCTU cadets and preceded by the chaplain passed through the ranks of the firing party who stood at the Present. Behind followed General Penney, DSO, MC, Colonel Messel, former C.O. of the unit and several other officers of ours, after them came ourselves who have served under him for so long, the journey was short but at the slow march it seemed a long way, we formed up round the coffin on which the flag trembled in the wind. The service was almost inaudible as planes taking off nearby drowned everything, except the words of the 23rd. Psalm. They lowered the coffin into the grave, and the escort fired three rounds into the air and the bugler's sobbing notes ran from
Last Post The "Last Post" is a British and Commonwealth bugle call used at military funerals, and at ceremonies commemorating those who have died in war. Versions The "Last Post" is either an A or a B♭ bugle call, primarily within British infan ...
to
Reveille "Reveille" ( , ), called in French "Le Réveil" is a bugle call, trumpet call, drum, fife-and-drum or pipes call most often associated with the military; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise. The name comes from (or ), the ...
. The wreaths were placed and one by one we stepped up to the grave and made our last salutes. .. .. .

References

;Notes ;Sources * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maxwell, Somerset Arthur 1905 births 1942 deaths British Army personnel killed in World War II Middlesex Yeomanry officers Royal Corps of Signals officers Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1935–1945 Somerset, Kings Lynn Heirs apparent who never acceded