Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Book8 Sept. 1894; educ. National School there; went to New Zealand in 1911, and settled at Dipton, Southland, N.Z., as an Agricultural Worker; joined the New Zealand Territorials in 1912; volunteered for Imperial service on the outbreak of the European War in Aug. 1914; left for Egypt; took part in the landing at the Dardanelles, 25 April, 1915, and died on H.M. Hospital Ship Dongola, 7 May, 1915, of wounds received in action in a bayonet charge there on the 2nd. =PITT, GEORGE ROBERT=, Private, R.M.L.I., Ch. 16457, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =PITT, JOHN=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 5268), 203612, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =PLATER, WILLIAM JOHN=, Private, No. 8980, 1st Battn. Coldstream Guards, 3rd _s._ of William John Plater, of Ichnield Cottage, Little Kimble, co. Bucks, Cowman, by his wife, Jane; _b._ Great Kimble, 2 July, 1891; educ. there; enlisted 27 Jan. 1911; went to France, 12 Aug. 1914, and was killed in action, 4 Oct. following; _unm._ Lieut. Beckwith Smith, D.S.O., wrote: "I knew Private Plater well, as practically throughout his soldiering he was under my command. He was in my platoon throughout, and I can only say that I wish every man in my platoon and in the British Army had been like him. During the retreat from Mons he suffered the most frightful blisters on his feet, but I never once heard him grumble and he never fell out. He was one of the 50 men I took with me on the night of 4 Oct. 1914, when I was told off to try and take two German trenches at the point of the bayonet. These two trenches were one behind the other, and the first one was not more than 100 yards from our own. This first was unoccupied, but the second one was full of Germans, and Private Plater was killed on reaching the parapet of this trench. We got into the trench and killed all the Germans in it, but were unable to hold it, as there were a lot more Germans coming up. I tell you all this because I did not see Private Plater killed myself, and as we retired we were unable to bring his body away with us. The men who were actually next to him both stopped to make sure he was dead before leaving him. Will you please convey to Private Plater's sister my own personal grief at the loss of such an excellent soldier. The company, the regt., and, in fact, the whole army feel the loss of such men, as they are hard to replace. He died a death of which every soldier and every Coldstreamer is proud. Every man who took part in that charge that night was worthy of a D.C.M." [Illustration: =William John Plater.=] =PLAYFAIR, LAMBERT=, Lieut., 1st Battn. Royal Scots, attd. 1st Squadron Royal Flying Corps, only _s._ of Harry Playfair, of Siloni Bari Tea Estate, North Lakhimpur, Upper Assam, India, by his wife, Jessie, dau. of the late A. P. Sandeman, and grandson of the late Lieut.-Col. Sir Robert Lambert Playfair, K.C.M.G., LL.D., by his wife, Agnes (18, Queen's Gardens, St. Andrew's, Fife), dau. of Major-Gen. Thomas Webster, of Balgarvie, co. Fife; _b._ Dibrugarh, Assam, India, 7 Dec. 1893; educ. at Oakham, and passed into Sandhurst with a Prize Cadetship, 14 Jan. 1912; gazetted 2nd Lieut. Royal Scots, 5 Feb. 1912, joined the 2nd Battn. in March, and afterwards the 1st Battn. at Allahabad; left India with his Regt. for England in Oct. 1914, and in March, 1915, entered the Royal Flying Corps as observer on active service. On 6 July, 1915, when engaged in signalling to our guns the positions of the enemy's batteries, his aeroplane was assailed first by one German machine and then by another. These were driven off in turn whenever they ventured to approach, Lieut. Playfair in the intervals resuming his observation duties--then the two German machines which had the great advantage of superior speed, made a combined assault but rather than give way he ordered an attack on the two, although he had only five rounds left. He was shot through the heart and his body was skilfully brought back to our lines by his pilot, 2nd Lieut. O. D. Filley, who afterwards received the Military Cross for this engagement. He was buried in Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery, Belgium; _unm._ His Colonel wrote that he was an unusually capable officer, that his death was heroic, and that it was indeed an honour to have had such an officer under one's command. His Major reported that he was extraordinarily brave, feared absolutely nothing, loving fighting in the air, and was such an example of grit and ability that his death was a great loss to the squadron, and added that he "knew of no one who could gather so much information from a single reconnaissance as Lieut. Playfair." [Illustration: =Lambert Playfair.=] =PLAYFAIR, HON. LYON GEORGE HENRY LYON=, Capt., 126th Battery, 29th Brigade, R.F.A., only _s._ and _h._ of George James, 2nd Baron Playfair, C.V.O., Brigadier General and Hon. Col. 2nd Highland Brigade, R.F.A., by his 2nd wife, Augusta Mary, dau. of Henry Thomas Hickman, of Chorlton House, Leamington; _b._ London, 19 Oct. 1888; educ. St. Andrew's, Eton and the Royal Military Academy (where he passed in second); gazetted 2nd Lieut. R.F.A. 18 Dec. 1908, Lieut. 18 Dec. 1911, and Capt. 18 Dec. 1914; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders, and was killed in action near Zonnebeke, while acting as observing officer for his battery, in a trench close to the German lines, 20 April, 1915; _unm._ One of his gunners wrote of him: "A finer officer or better gentleman, it would be hard to find." [Illustration: =Lyon G. H. L. Playfair.=] =PLEACE, WILLIAM GEORGE=, Corpl., R.M.L.I., 12239 (R.F.R., Ch. B. 1553), H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =PLUMB, ARTHUR EDWARD=, Private, R.M.L.I. (R.F.R.), Ch. 9435, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914; _m._ =PLUMB, WILLIAM=, Private, R.M.L.I., Ch. 12774, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914. =PLUME, GEORGE=, Master-at-Arms (R.F.R., Ch. A. 1814), 350101, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =MANSEL-PLEYDELL, EDMUND MORTON=, of Whatcombe, co. Dorset, Lieut., 3rd (Reserve) Battn. Dorsetshire Regt., attd. 3rd Battn. Worcestershire Regt., elder _s._ of the late Lieut.-Col. Edmund Morton Mansel-Pleydell, of Whatcombe, co. Dorset, J.P., D.L., 12th Lancers (died 13 Oct. 1914), by his wife, Kathleen Emily (Croft House, Botley), 4th dau. of the late Sir Thomas Francis Grove, 1st Bart.; _b._ Bangalore, India, 23 Dec. 1886; educ. Wellington, and Sherborne; was for some time a Lieut. of the Royal Agricultural Contingent, Senior Division, O.T.C. (T.F.), and on the outbreak of war was given a commission as 2nd Lieut. in the Dorsetshire Regt., 30 Nov. 1914; trained at Wyke Regis until 25 Jan. 1915, when he was ordered to Rouen, and there transferred to the Worcestershire Regt.; proceeded to the front, 2 March, and was killed in action at Kemmel, during the B |