The Roll of Honour, Volume 1 : A biographical record of all members of His…
1912. He then undertook work in connection with the Irish Department
502 words | Chapter 50
of Agriculture, and later succeeded the Earl of Carrick as Inspector
for Irish Agricultural interests in Great Britain, which post he held
until the outbreak of war. Acting on his conviction that every man
ought to be trained in time of peace for the defence of the country,
he had joined the 4th (Special Reserve) Battn. of the Leinsters in
1910, received his Lieutenancy, 12 March, 1912, and, volunteering for
Imperial service, was gazetted Capt. 14 Aug. 1914. He went to the
Front on 5 March, 1915, and was killed in action on the 15th of that
month at St. Eloi. Lieut.-Col. C. B. Prowse, commanding 1st Leinster
Regt., wrote: “The battn. had to retake some trenches which had been
lost by another regt., and your husband bravely led his men and took
and occupied the trench as he was ordered to. But early the following
morning he was shot through the head over the parapet of a trench, and
died, I hear, without pain--in fact, death was instantaneous. During
the few days he was with us he had done splendid work and behaved most
gallantly, and the men would follow him anywhere, and I do greatly
sympathise with you and yours in your loss, and the regt.’s loss, too.
I am sending your husband’s name to the General for ‘gallant conduct,’
and I also enclose a note which he wrote previous to the night attack,
which was to be given to you.” And a brother officer: “I know Col.
Prowse has written to you, but I think, perhaps, you might like to hear
a second account of everything that happened. It might throw fresh
light on details that you have heard from the commanding officer. Your
husband arrived up here last Thursday week, 11 March. We were just
going to start our eight days’ tour of duty in the trenches and were
marching to them. He, with Capt. Radcliff from the 5th Battn., joined
just about 5 p.m., when we were having a halt for tea. I remember how
delighted I was to see him again, as he had always been so good to me,
and it was just like a link with home seeing him again. He and Capt.
Radcliff came with us into the trenches, your husband taking command of
A Coy. We came out of the trenches again on Saturday night, arriving
in our billets about 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, the 14th. I did not see
much of him that day, as we were all sleeping off the effects of the
48 hours in the trenches. About 4.30 p.m. in the afternoon of Sunday,
the 14th, a tremendous bombardment by our guns started. We were very
soon turned out and hurried up to a ruined village not far behind the
trenches. We learned that the Germans had captured our trenches, and it
was decided that we must counter attack at 2 a.m. on Monday morning.
Your husband was detailed with his company to recapture a trench, No.
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