de Bathe, Sir Christopher Albert, Bart., son of Capt. Patrick Wynne de Bathe, of Westminster, by Violet Lindsay, elder daughter of Nicholas Wood, M. P.; b. Sept. 17, 1905; adm. April 26, 1918 (R); left April 1919; went to Rugby School; 2nd Lieut. Highland Light Inf. 1925; retired 1927; Hon. Attache to the British Embassy at Constantinople 1930, and at Brussels 1931; correspondent for The Times in Persia 1932-3; succeeded his grandfather as 6th baronet Aug. 1940; Pilot Officer (A. and S. D.) R.A.F.V.R. Aug. 19, 1940; m. Jan. 11, 1932, Edna, daughter of Arthur Terrell, of Melbourne, Australia; killed on active service June 3, 1941.
Sir Christopher Albert de Bathe was born in London on the 17th of September 1905 the only son of Captain Patrick Wynne de Bathe Bt., HM Diplomatic Service, and Violet Lindsay (nee Wood later Compton) de Bathe of 121, Rue de la Commerce, Brussels, later of “Blackwater”, Lyndhurst in Hampshire. He was christened at St Paul’s Church, Wilton Place, Knightsbridge on the 17th of October 1905. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from the 26th of April 1918 to April 1919. He went on to Rugby School where he was in Cotton House from May 1919 to December 1921.
He attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst from 1923 before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Highland Light Infantry on the 29th of January 1925. He resigned his commission on the 19th of March 1927. He served as Hon Attaché in HM Diplomatic Service at Constantinople in 1930 and at Brussels in 1931. He was the Persia correspondent for the Times newspaper from 1932 to 1933.
He was married at St Michael’s Church, Pimlico on the 22nd of January 1932 to Edna Winifred (nee Terrell); they had a daughter, Charlotte Louise, born on the 24th of September 1934.
He succeeded to the Baronetcy on the death of his uncle in August 1940, becoming the 6th Baron de Bathe of Knightstown. He was a member of the Naval and Military Club.
He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on the 19th of August 1940.
On the 3rd of June 1941 Christopher de Bathe and a group of Royal Air Force officers were gathered on a golf course in Berkshire to watch some twin engined aircraft practicing dive bombing. He and three others were walking across the practice ground when he was struck and decapitated by the propeller of an aircraft which was flying at very low level.
His funeral took place at 3pm on the 10th of June 1941 and a memorial service was held in his memory at 3pm the following day at St Mark’s Church, South Audley Street, London.
He is buried at St Andrew’s Church, West Stoke.
