Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Book--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. 20. He was full of keenness and enthusiasm about it, as he was always about everything. Just before midnight, before we started off, I met him in the dressing station, where he gave a letter to Dr. Kenny, our medical officer, asking him to send it to you by registered post if he was killed. The medical officer said 'Nonsense,' not to talk that way, as he would not be killed. Your husband replied cheerfully that it did not worry him a bit, only he wanted the letter sent if he were. After that we started off. He was ahead of me. About 12.45 I caught him up with my company, and gave him a lot of empty sandbags we had been carrying for his company. This was about 500 yards from the enemy's trenches, and the bullets were flying about. I said 'Good-night,' wishing him the best of luck. He was very cheery and happy then. That is the last time I saw him alive. From Coy. Sergt.-Major Kershaw, whose home address is 22, Clarendon Street, Bradford, I got the following details. He was with your husband the whole time. At 2 a.m. they charged and captured the trench, any Germans who were in it running away; but after some time found they were being so hotly fired on into the trench from the right flank that they decided to fall back into a trench just behind. As they did this a young subaltern, named Buchanan, of the Irish Fusiliers, who was attached to A Coy., was badly wounded. As soon as your husband got his company into a trench behind, he, with the Coy. Sergt.-Major and a volunteer, went back under heavy fire and brought Buchanan into the trench. By the time it was 5.15 a.m., just daylight. At 5.30 a.m. the Sergt.-Major saw a lot of men retiring out of the left flank of the trench they were in, and went to see what it meant. Your husband followed him. They were walking along inside the trench, but your husband's head must have been exposed (his height was 6 feet 4 inches), for a bullet came over the parapet and went right through his head. He knew nothing about it, but just dropped, death being instantaneous. It would seem almost as if he had a premonition of his death, as several times he repeated to his Coy. Sergt.-Major, 'Be sure, if I am shot, that you bury me where I fall, as I am too big and heavy for the men to carry in.' Up to the very end he was always thinking of others. He was buried as soon as it was dark on Monday evening, 15 March, in a little plot of ground on the left hand side of the road just as you leave the ruined village of St. Eloi for Ypres. This spot is exactly opposite the last ruined cottage on the right as you leave the village. We are going back to this post to-morrow evening for another eight days' work. I am getting the Battn. Sergt.-Major--Sergt.-Major Shaw--who buried him, to point me out the spot, so that I will know should I ever return alive. I can then tell you exactly. A wooden cross with his name and regt. will be put up to mark the place. I am very glad to say I understand the commanding officer is recommending your husband for the D.S.O. for the good work he did that night." He _m._ at. Bilton, near Rugby, 7 Dec. 1907, Winifred, dau. of the late Rev. Charles Frederick Cumber West, Vicar of Charlbury, Oxford, and had a son and three daus.: Charles Patrick Russell, _b._ 25 Feb. 1913; Peggy Winifred Isabel, _b._ 2 Aug. 1909; Honor Georgina Beatrice, _b._ 13 Sept. 1911; and Marian Elizabeth Hope, _b._ 12 Oct. 1914. [Illustration: =R. M. Bowen-Colthurst.=] =COLUMBUS, FRED=, Private, No. 912, D. Coy., 1st Newfoundland Regt., 2nd _s._ of Frank Columbus, of Shallop Cove, St. George's Newfoundland, by his wife, Susan, dau. of Peter Benoit, of Flat Bay, Newfoundland; _b._ Shallop Cove aforesaid, 18 April, 1893; educ. Shallop Cove and Grand River, Newfoundland; was a Lumberman; joined the Newfoundland Expeditionary Force, 3 Jan. 1915; left for England in March, went to the Dardanelles, 19 Aug. 1915, and died at Alexandria, Egypt, 9 Oct. 1915, of wounds received in action at Gallipoli on the 1st (?); _unm._ Buried in the Chatby Military Cemetery at Alexandria. =COLVIN, ROBERT ALEXANDER=, Capt. and Adjutant, 2nd Battn. West Yorkshire Regt., _s._ of the late John C. Colvin, of Sutton Veney, co. Wilts: _b._ 5 Nov. 1889; gazetted 2nd Lieut. West Yorkshires, 18 Sept. 1909, and promoted Lieut. 2 July, 1909, and appointed Adjutant 1 Aug. 1913; served with the Expeditionary Force in France, and was killed in action on the Western Front, 12 March, 1915; _unm._ =COLYER, REGINALD JAMES=, Leading Seaman, 194323, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =COMYN, WILLIAM NUGENT=, L.-Corpl., No. 119777, 2nd Battn. The Wiltshire Regt., _s._ of Francis Sarsfield Comyn, Master Mariner, by his wife, Eliza Jane (209, Alcester Road, King's Heath, Birmingham), dau. of George Barber, and only gdson. of the late Capt. William Nugent Comyn, R.N. [descended from the Comyns of co. Clare]; _b._ Upton Park, London, 27 Feb. 1881; educ. privately in Birmingham; was independent; volunteered on the outbreak of war, and enlisted in the Wiltshires at Lavington, 8 Sept. 1914, trained at Weymouth; was promoted L.-Corpl. Nov. 1914, went to France 12 Dec., and was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle, 12 March |