Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookn conjunction with Capt. Whyte he brilliantly led it. It was a magnificent sight considering they charged up a hill through a hail of bombs and bullets. Capt. Preston got safely on the hill (capturing the trench), but in the counter-attack was fatally wounded in the right breast. I was the last officer to speak to him, and told him how splendidly he had done. Personally, I feel his death very much. No man could have helped his colonel more than he, the success of the regt. was greatly due to him." Capt. Whyte, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, wrote: "We closed on the Munsters, and all collected on some dead ground about 100 yards from the crest; I was sitting beside John, and he was in his usual spirits, laughing and joking. When the word came that we were to clear the ridge we fixed bayonets, then we all started together, Dublins and Munsters, John shouting 'Come on boys.' They (the Turks) threw bombs and opened fire upon us as we neared the top, but we went straight on and rushed the trench. The Turks put up their hands. I saw John stop his men who were just going to bayonet a Turkish officer. As you know, he was my best friend, and was loved by every one in the regt., officers, N.C.Os, and men. The only consolation is that he died a glorious death, leading his men to victory, the death I am sure he would have chosen." Capt. Preston wrote to his wife on that fatal 15 Aug., remarking: "I have had six hours sleep and am full of buck and life." Also to his father a five-page letter. The battle had even then commenced in the valley below. It was written under strenuous circumstances, no change of clothes for five nights, and only six hours sleep, no chance of a wash, and exposed to the heat of a tropical sun, yet his last written words were "Love to you all; I am very fit and quite happy." He and the Adjutant, Capt. Richards, who fell at the same time, were buried side by side in the same grave close to the sea shore at Suvla Bay. A flat gravestone covers them with their names engraved upon it under the words "In Victory." He was mentioned for gallant and distinguished service in the field by Sir Ian Hamilton in his Despatch of 11 Dec. 1915. While in Egypt he and Lieut. Crozier sailed some hundreds of miles up the White Nile from Khartoum, in a rough native boat, on which occasion they secured a fine bag of big game, including lion, buffalo, elephant, hippo, and various specimens of antelope, deer, etc. He was a keen sportsman, well known with the Kildare and Meath hounds, and a fine cricketer and tennis player, and the best shot with revolver and rifle (tied) in his battn. Capt. Preston _m._ at St. Mary-le-Bone Church, London, 24 March, 1914, Sylvia, dau. of Arthur James Billin, of Tadworth, co. Surrey, and had a son: John Nathaniel, _b._ 27 Jan. 1915. [Illustration: =Arthur J. D. Preston.=] =PRESTON, GEORGE FRANCIS=, Private, No. 365, 3rd Battn. 1st Infantry Brigade, Australian Imperial Force, _s._ of James Preston, of Milton, Hampshire (who served as a gunner in the R.G.A. for 12 years, and is one of the few survivors of Lord Roberts' march from Kabul to Kandahar), by his wife, Florence Alexandra, dau. of the late Capt. F. Bunyer, R.H.A.; _b._ Harda, Central Province, India, 20 March, 1893; educ. National School, Milton; went to Australia in July, 1913, and settled at Milton, New South Wales, to learn farming; volunteered for Imperial service on the outbreak of war, and joined the 3rd Battn. Australian Imperial Force; left for Egypt with the main force; took part in the landing at the Dardanelles, 25 April, 1915; was wounded in the right arm, shortly afterwards, and was killed in action there, 7-12 Aug. 1915; _unm._ =PRESTON, GEORGE THOMAS=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 2520), 202274, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =PRESTON, THOMAS ARTHUR=, Private, R.M.L.I., Ch./17074, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =PRETT, JESSE=, Stoker, Petty Officer (R.F.R., Ch. B. 2123), 165403, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =PRICE, ALFRED=, 2nd Yeoman of Signals (R.F.R., B. 3715), 133963, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914; _m._ =PRICE, CHARLES LEMPRIÈRE, D.S.O.=, Capt. and Adjutant, 2nd Battn. The Royal Scots, only child of Col. Thomas Charles Price, of 8, Inverness Gardens, Kensington, W., late R.A., by his wife, Amy Earle, dau. of Chas. Monteiro D'Almeida Lemprière, and gdson. of Col. Thomas Smith Price, H.E.I.C.S. (who received the Punjab medal with clasps for Mooltan and Googerat); _b._ Alderney, C.I., 17 Sept. 1877; educ. St. Paul's School; privately, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut., Royal Scots, 8 Sept. 1897; and promoted Lieut. 29 June, 1899, and Capt. 3 Nov. 1903; served (1) in the South African War, 1899-1902; took part in operations in Cape Colony, south of Orange River, 1899; operations in the Orange Free State, Feb. to May, 1900; operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, July to 29 Nov. 1900, including actions at Belfast (26-27 Aug.) and Lydenberg (5-8 Sept.); operations in Orange River Colony, May to 29 Nov. 1900; operations in the Transvaal, 30 Nov. 1900 to Dec. 1901, and Feb. 1902 to 31 May, 1902; operations in Orange River, Dec. 1901 to Feb. 1902; was acting Provost Marshal, Komati Poort, and afterwards Station Staff Officer (twice mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 20 Aug. and 10 Sept. 1901], Queen's medal with three clasps, and King's medal with two clasps; awarded D.S.O. "for gallantry in leading an attack on the Boer position at Bermondsey, East Transvaal 16 May, 1901"; and (2) with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from -- Aug.; was appointed Adjutant at the Front, and was killed in action at Vailly on 16 Sept. following, during the Battle of the Aisne, while in command of the regt.; _unm._ A brother officer wrote: "I was present at the Battle of Mons with him and also at Le Cateau, and in the trying retreat almost as far as Paris, during the whole of which he was indefatigable, cheery, doing the work of ten men, full of resource, regardless of danger, the bravest and finest man I have ever known or wish to know; in losing him we have lost our best, a great sportsman and staunch friend. He will be mourned by the whole regt., by whom he was respected and beloved"; and Private P. Clancy, in describing his experiences during this time, said ["Dundee Advertiser"]: "We met the Germans on 23 Aug. On the 26th we were nearly annihilated at Cambray owing to the French reinforcements not coming up. About 7.30 o'clock that morning one of our airmen descended and reported that the French were advancing about 20 miles off, and would be able to reinforce us about mid-day. We waited anxiously, but 12 o'clock came and no French, and 5 o'clock and still no French. Half-an-hour later Major Butler gave the order 'Retire, men, for God's sake; every man for himself.' Shells were flying thick a |