After Sandhurst, Stockwell was commissioned into the 2nd Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers (later the
Royal Welch Fusiliers) in February 1899 and served with his battalion in China and India. Stockwell recorded the experience in his extant diary now held by the
Royal Welsh Fusiliers. and appointed to command the 164th Infantry Brigade, part of the
55th (West Lancashire) Division. He led his brigade during an attack on the Gord Line and
Gueudecourt on 27 September 1916. He was mentioned in despatches in January 1917 and led his brigade in the
Battle of Passchendaele and the
Battle of Cambrai. He was again mentioned in despatches and awarded the
CMG in January 1918. Stockwell remained in command of the 164th Infantry Brigade and successfully held Givenchy taking 700 prisoners in April 1918, and was again mentioned in despatches. He commanded a surprise attack on Givenchy in September 1918 and captured the enemy position and pursued the retreating enemy from
La Bassée to
Tournai and in the forcing of the Haute Dendre Canal. On 9 November 1918 he organised a mobile column known as ‘Stockwell's Force’ which reached a point a mile from
Enghien on the day of the
Armistice. He was made
CB and again mentioned in despatches. Stockwell was later Commandant of the
Senior Officers' School, Belgaum, and Commander of the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade,
Ahmednagar, between 1930 and 1931. ==Family life==