His full name was Archibald Nelson Lacochee Bottomley (junior), and he was born in 1920, at Belfast, in Northern Ireland. He was the eldest of five children to Archibald Nelson Lacochee Bottomley (a soldier), and Flora Harriet Kate Bottomley (née Scales), then of Belfast.

His father, a native of Norfolk, was a regular soldier, serving as a Sergeant with the 1st Battalion, the Norfolk Regiment. He had served in France during World War One, from 1915, where he was wounded, and was later attached to the 3rd King's African Rifles, serving in Africa.

In 1939 his mother and younger siblings were living at 1 St. Peter's Avenue, in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, and then at 3 Windsor Terrace, in Lenton Street, Nottingham. He was unmarried.

Archibald Bottomley's service record is not yet in the public domain, but it is estimated that he enlisted in 1938, when he reached 18 years of age. He joined the Northamptonshire Regiment, as a Private, No. 4858449.

He was posted to the 2nd Battalion, which was serving in Northern Ireland at the outbreak of World War Two, in September, 1939. It immediately joined the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and was sent to France. It was evacuated via Dunkirk in June, 1940.

At some point Private Archibald Bottomley was wounded and evacuated to England. He is named in a casualty list for the BEF, but the date was not reported. At the time of his death on 19 August, 1940, he had been posted to the 50th (Holding) Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, which had been raised on 12 June 1940. Its role was was to temporarily 'hold' men who were medically unfit, temporarily homeless, returning from abroad or awaiting orders.

Private Archibald Bottomley had clearly been posted to this battalion as a consequence of having been wounded, and following service with the BEF. He was attached to RAF Honington in Suffolk. On 19 August, 1940, the German Luftwaffe carried out two surprise attacks on the Suffolk Bomber Command airfield. The first attack, by a single aircraft using high explosives and incendiaries, occurred around 4.15 pm. Around two hours later a second attack was carried out by a Dornier 17 light bomber. In these two attacks one bomb hit the parade ground, and a barrack block was damaged and two Wellington bombers and a Magister aircraft were destroyed. Five airmen were killed and another two died later from their injuries: another 12 were wounded. It is not known how many attached personnel became casualties, but one was Private Archibald Bottomley, who was 'Killed by the effects of an explosion caused by an enemy bomb'. He was aged 20.

Private Archibald Bottomley was buried at Thetford Cemetery, in Norfolk, on Thursday, 22 August, 1940, which was reported on in the Bury Free Press, dated Saturday, 31 August, 1940:

'Military Funeral at Thetford: The funeral took place at Thetford on Thursday afternoon of Pte. Archibald Nelson L. Bottomley, of 3 Windsor Terrace, Lenton Street, Nottingham. Pte. Bottomley, who was 20 years of age, was killed the previous Monday afternoon. The officiating clergyman was the Rev. H. C. Eves, M.C., C.F., and the mourners were: Mr. and Mrs. A. N. L. Bottomley (parents) and Pte. Alec Bottomley (brother). The firing party was in the charge of Sergt. Prodger and the Last Post and Reveille were sounded by Bugler A. Girling.'

His World War Two service earned him the 1939-45 Star, and the War Medal, 1939-45.

Private Archibald Bottomley was buried in Thetford Cemetery, and his grave is marked by a CWGC headstone. His name has not been found on any war memorial.