The heroic death of Captain Lionel Arthur Edward Ollivant at Tientsin on 14 July 1900 during the so-called Boxer Rebellion was of such a nature that one would have thought the he would have received some official recognition for his act of gallantry. Unfortunately due to the rather unusual
circumstances surrounding the event and aside from some brief  mentions in period press accounts it went otherwise unnoticed.

He was born in Bombay, India on 3 December 1872 to Sir Edward Charles Kayll Ollivant, K.C.I.E. of the Indian Civil Service and the former Lucy Caroline Shelly. He received an appropriately gentlemanly education at Charterhouse School and Trinity College, Cambridge. An avid boater while at Cambridge he took part in the annual Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge in 1893 and 1894 (winning team in 1894).

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He was appointed second lieutenant (supernumerary) without pay or allowances with the 4th Battalion, the Norfolk Regiment on 22 January 1896.