Image: Detail of stained glass memorial window. 

In the Derbyshire Dales, in the village of Fenny Bentley, stands the 14th-century St. Edmund the King and Martyrs Church.  Here, in the west wall, you will find a memorial to Major Beresford Arthur Jardine Haveslock. He served with the North Staffordshire Regiment and was killed in action, aged 28, covering the evacuation of British troops from Baku on 14 September 1918.

General Dunsterville recalled: “Up till 4 p.m. I considered that a faint ray of hope still remained. It would take so little to defeat an enemy who had been kept at bay for twelve hours after having gained the key of the position. But by that hour the last flicker of hope was extinguished by the news that once more the endeavour to mass troops for the counter-attack had completely failed. So off went the final order to the troops. The retirement to commence from the right at 8 p.m., covered by the left, where the North Staffords would have to hold on for another hour, till 9 p.m. The sick and wounded from the shore hospital were brought on board the Kursk and the Abo, and arrangements made for future cases to be run straight on board from the dressing stations. Guards were placed as unostentatiously as possible at important street corners to help the withdrawing troops through in case of pursuit by a mob, and all entrances to the pier were strongly held. Up till sunset the battle raged very fiercely, and the whole safety of the withdrawal depended on whether the North Staffords could hold on to the southern ridges till dark. Nothing could exceed the gallantry of this battalion, which accomplished its mission to the last letter. Among others a very fine soldier. Major Beresford Havelock, of the North Staffords, grandson of the famous Sir Henry Havelock of Lucknow, was mortally wounded while leading his men, and continued issuing calm and collected orders with his last breath.”