AINSCOUGH, Cyril
Cyril Ainscough, who was killed in an attack in Gallipoli, intended to cover the Suvla Bay landing, came to Ampleforth in September, 1904, at the age of eleven. By nature he was a retiring and shy boy, but this quiet disposition never concealed a strength of character which grew steadily throughout his school career, nor did it deprive him of a quiet sense of humour which made him the friend of many whose characters were of a more uproarious nature. He passed through the School without making an enemy, and in his last two years his delightful cricket style and a few good scores for the First XI gave him a more prominent position in the School than he would ever have sought for himself. But once in that position he showed that he had a high sense of what a leader should be in all the essentials of school life. He left the School in July, 1910. After that he became one of the most promising amateur batsmen in Lancashire, and just before the war broke out had every chance of being tried for his county, being chosen to play in the Lancashire Colts match. He joined the 5th Manchester Regiment in 1912 and was a keen and ever cheerful officer. With age he lost his shyness, and his last .few visits here revealed him to us in a new light as a man of ideas and many interests. On the outbreak of war his battalion of the Manchesters was ordered to Egypt where he took part in the early fighting, and was promoted Lieutenant. The last number of the Journal contained his own cheery account of the three wounds he received in the early fighting in the Dardanelles. After recuperating in Alexandria he returned thither on the 27th of July, and sent this characteristic cable home, 'Very cheery: going back.' He was given charge of a company, and though not actually gazetted his name was sent up for promotion to captain on the day before he was killed on August 6th. In his last attack only Ainscough, a corporal and two privates reached the Turkish trenches. Colonel Darlington says that he gave orders for the company commanders not to go with the men .as he was short of officers, but Ainscough, remarking in his laconic fashion, 'Where my men go, I go,' led the charge. We offer our sincerest sympathy to Mr and Mrs James Ainscough, of Fairhurst Hall, on the death of their gallant son. Below is printed the first letter they received from Lieutenant-Colonel H. C. Darlington, commanding the 5th Manchester Regiment:
Dear Mr Ainscough, I write to tell you what I can about poor Cyril, as I am afraid there is little doubt that he was killed. On August 6th we were ordered to take some Turkish trenches. Cyril was in command of A Company, having just returned from hospital. I was so short of experienced officers that I ordered Cyril and three other Company Commanders not to go with the charge, but to follow it with some more men, in order that I might have these officers in the Turkish trenches when they had been captured in order to take charge. The assault took place, but it was difficult to see whether it had succeeded owing to the dust raised by the shells. Cyril, with some more men, went after his Company, but never came back. The assault failed owing to the artillery not being successful in smashing the Turkish trenches, and very few officers or men came back. One of the wounded men who came back said Cyril had been killed leading his men, and that he knew he was dead. I could not return him as 'killed', but as 'missing, believed killed', but f am afraid there can be no doubt about it at all. I can’t tell you what a blow it has been to me personally, as I was so fond of him, and I can’t tell you how much I feel for you and Mrs Ainscough. You have the consolation, such as it is, of knowing he was killed very gallantly, leading his men, and that they would follow him anywhere. He was one of the very best officers I ever had, thoroughly reliable, absolutely fearless, and always calm and collected, and certain to do the right thing. His men would do anything for him, and their care, their food, and their well-being he put before everything. He is a very great loss to the Battalion, and I would give anything to have him back again, both as C.O. and as a friend. I trust this will give you both consolation. I will let you know as soon as I can get any more details, but I feel sure poor Cyril was killed. He was a very brave fellow, and an officer one cannot replace.
BOOCOCK, W.N.
We regret to say that Lieutenant W.N.Boocock died on March 3rd, at Bristol, from pneumonia, following influenza. He was severely wounded in the retreat from Mons and never really recovered his health. His brother, B. Boocock, writes, 'He was ill only a few days, but received the last sacraments before he died.' May he rest in peace.
CADIC, Bernard Francis
Captain, Royal Garrison Artillery.
Bernard Cadic entered the School in September, 1908, and remained in it for three years. He was a kindly and generous boy, gifted with good humour that was almost imperturbable, and a capacity for enthusiasm that was both wide and delightful by reason of his apparently complete unselfishness. He was particularly attracted by the work of the O.T.C., and joined the Territorial Force soon after he left School. He was sent to France with his battery in 1915, and returned home in June, 1916, wounded and suffering from shellÂshock, as a result of which he died on August 20th. At school his simple manly piety was evident to all. Dom Ambrose Byrne saw much of him in France, and has spoken in admiration of his edifying life, the care he took of his men, and his eagerness that they should have ample opportunities of seeing a Chaplain. We offer to Captain Cadic and Mrs Cadic our sincere condolence in the loss of their son.
CHAMBERLAIN, Peter Augustine
Chamberlain lost his life on Sunday, March 25th, in the sinking of the transport, on which he was engineer. He entered this school in January, 1905. At that time few would have thought that he would ever attain either the physical hardiness or the mental qualities of the kind required by the exacting profession which he afterwards adopted. For he was a frail, delicate child, he was not sharp, and he aggravated the effects of these deficiencies both on himself and on others by his sensitiveness and diffidence. But he compensated, and more than compensated, for them by sheer courage. As he grew older, too, he showed literary taste, a capacity for independent and constructive thought and for clear self-expression, qualities, however, which would, one feels, have lain undeveloped but for his uncommon determination to do the best that was in him. He left school in 1908 in the fourth form, too early to take a leading part in school life. But he was already beginning to show his powers. He could generally produce a creditable result when his task was one that gave scope for independent thought or action. He was an excellent speaker and debater, and under the system of school government which then prevailed here he was official leader of the Opposition over members of two higher forms. He was a great reader, and his essays were above the average. The issue of this Journal for May, 1908. contained a prize essay by him, which is a striking piece of work for a boy of fifteen. His companion liked him, for he was particularly unselfish and sympathetic; they viewed him with some awe, too, as one who in spite of his unassuming manner and his habitual underestimate of himself, could not be overawed or coerced. This was certainly the most striking feature of his character; he formed his own views, planned his own course of action, and deferred to nothing except cogent reasoning. And yet he was markedly diffident of his powers. There were other traits too which those who knew him well appreciate and will treasure in their memory now. He was az extremely unselfish man, tender-hearted and affectionate: the sight of sorrow stirred him deeply, ani he gave help, and continued to give it, regardless of the cost to himself. When the war broke out he had just finished apprenticeship in an engineering firm, and he served on various ships in Government employment. In this work he led a varied and eventful life in many parts of the world, and being an interested and thoughtful observer found it attractive in spite of its hardship. His ship was returning from Cuba and was within a few hours of port when it was torpedoed at a quarter past four in the morning, and sank in four minutes. His watch had ended a few minutes earlier and he was probably in his own quarters at the time of the explosion. He was not seen again. May he rest in peace. To Mr and Mrs Chamberlain, and to all Peter Chamberlain’s relatives, we offer our sincere sympathy.
CLAPHAM, Alan
[Ampleforth Journal 21:3 (1916 May) 371-386]
2nd Lt Alan Clapham was with us many years. He came at Easter, 1903, at the age of eight, and left in July, 1911. The first four terms he spent in the First Form, and after the first term was always among the first two or three in the form if not actually the top. After the first year he went up a form every Midsummer, till in 1911 he was head of the School. It is not perhaps surprising, that one who was so young for the position he occupied in the School, should at first have been accorded by his fellows scarcely that position of prominence which was his due; for at an age, when games appear to be the work of life, ability and strength of character to turn it to the best advantage are conidered in the light rather of a hindrance to athletics, no doubt because those who are thus gifted are thrown into contact with older boys of greater physical development. However he gradually showed that he could more than hold his own with the best of his form in the matter of all games, though he was perhaps the youngest. In the sports of 1909 he proved himself the best stayer in the School, winning the mile, and again in 1910 the mile and half-mile. He played in the first football and cricket elevens during the School year ending 1910, and was twice elected Captain of the School in the following year, and had the best batting average — no less than 37.5. As a boy there was not in him that too rapid development, which at times disappoints great expectations, but he was marked by a steady and gradual acquirement of strength of character and body, which gives the greatest promise for the future, and which continued up till the time of his death. All who knew him came very quickly to realise that he was one in whom to place confidence, and that he could never be anything but thoroughly reliable, upright and honourable. He attacked with energy and vigour whatever he decided to master, whether in games or studies, and as he got towards the top of the School, he gave himself over to the study of Mathematics with the greatest zeal, having deliberately decided that this was what he would most need in after life, when be became articled to a firm of chartered accountants. It came naturally to one to learn that he never gave up his intellectual pursuits, and when he left school took a great interest in the study of Catholic philosophy, and was familiar with all the Stonyhurst Manuals. Nor was it surprising to us to hear that he had decided to become a priest, and only gave up the idea for a time at the outbreak of war, in order to join the army. He obtained his commission in the 4th East Yorkshire Regiment on February 15th, 1915, and went to the front in July. He returned home on leave for a week in October. He was killed in action at Ypres on January 3rd. His company had been in the trenches eight days, and were leaving for billets, when the Germans started shelling heavily from three sides. He saw some of his men unnecessarily exposing themselves to danger, and he 'Rushed out,' writes his captain, 'without a moment’s hesitation, got them into safety and was himself struck by a piece of shell and instantaneously killed. I never hope or expect to meet a man more devoted to duty or more thorough in all his undertakings. He has been in many a severe corner with me, and could always be counted on.' His Colonel writes of him that 'by constant and painstaking devotion to duty he won the respect of all ranks and was liked by everybody', while the Chaplain, Fr Wolverstan SJ writes: 'He was a great comfort to me from his constant attention to his own religion and that of his men.'
CRAVOS Cyril
[AJ22:3 (1917) 307-320]2nd Lt Cyril Cravos was killed on March 2nd in his plane somewhere over the German lines. Of his death no details are known and for some time hope was entertained that he was a prisoner. He joined the H.A.C. in February, 1915. In the following August he obtained a commission in the Welsh Regiment and last summer joined the Royal Flying Corps. He got his wings in December, and went to the front in January. In a letter to Mr Cravos his commanding officer wrote: 'I regret his loss immensely as he was very keen and could always be relied upon to carry out his duties with courage and cheerfulness. He was a very clever pilot.' That is precisely what we at Ampleforth would have expected of him. He was courageous to recklessness and buoyantly cheerful. Qualities he displayed not only in the Rugger XV but also in the boxing ring.
Cravos entered the School in May, 1908, and left in April, 1913. By nature he was a singularly generous and kindly boy, he was ever ready to play his part in every department of the school life, shirking nothing and always giving of his best. Of such a character it goes without saying that he developed into a fine specimen of young manhood notable for his upright and faithful adherence to all duties among which he counted not least his religion. May he rest in peace. To Mr and Mrs Cravos and their family we offer our sincerest sympathy in their bereavement.
FISHWICK, Joseph
J.L.Fishwick was reported missing at the beginning of September, but news has now been received by Mr John Fishwick, his father, that he was killed at Guillemont on August 9th. We are in possession of this fact alone, and we are therefore unable to give any details, if indeed any details are known. Fishwick was only three years in the school. Coming in September, 1908, at the age of twelve, he left in 1911, before he had really attained any position in the school. At the same time, all will remember him as a merry spirit, a great reader and a steady worker. When he was killed he was only nineteen. We offer to Mr Fishwick, the faithful treasurer of the Ampleforth Society, the heartfelt sympathy of all at Ampleforth on the loss of his son.
HALL, George
Lieutenant, Royal Berkshire Regiment.
George Hall was reported seriously wounded and missing on September 28th. He had been in France since the end of June. His Commanding Officer, in writing of the action in which he was wounded, says, 'We had an advance and attacked a very strong German position about 2 a.m. on the morning of the 28th of September, and after getting so far we had to return about a hundred yards. As we advanced he was seen badly wounded in the body by two men, who dressed his wounds and then had to continue their advance, as it was impossible to remove him. He was lying on the ground from which we had to retire. During the next two nights we had large search parties under officers looking for our wounded and missing. Our Medical Officer went to the very place described by the men, but although they were searching about for hours they could not find him.' A few weeks later a Lance-Corporal who had been wounded at the same time, and was in England, gave the following account of what took place: 'Mr Hall was in command of C Company when he fell, and we were both wounded at the same time. He was wounded in two places, the leg and thigh, and he said that it was the second wound that knocked him over. Our wounds were dressed where we fell, and they tried to carry us to the dressing station, but the fighting was too severe. So they put us in an empty German dug-out, where we lay for twenty-four hours. He talked a little, but in the night his mind wandered, and in the morning when I looked at him he was dead. He had turned over a little and had a beautiful smile on his face. I dragged myself out, when I heard the Germans coming,
[GAP?]
To his mother, Mrs Hall, we offer our deepest sympathy in her great sorrow.
HEFFERNAN, William Patrick
2nd Lt W.P.Heffernan was killed on May 9th, in the same action as K. R. Dennys who, though not an Ampleforth boy, had become so well known to us all. The Munster Fusiliers had charged, but were compelled to retire before a concentrated fire from the enemy’s maxims. The 1st Gloucestershire Regiment, to which Heffernan was attached, renewed the charge but met with no better success. It was in this charge, at the head of his men, that Heffernan fell. He was one of eight hundred officers and men who had received Holy Communion a few days before. A private in the Gloucesters refers to him in the following extract: 'The priest belonging to the Munster Fusiliers gave us Communion on Saturday night before the Brigade went into action. We lost two Irish officers, and the last thing they did was to kiss the Crucifix. They died peacefully. One of them was such a nice chap and a good ‘sport'. He put on the boxing gloves with me and the other chaps only a few days ago!' Father Gleeson, Chaplain to 3rd Brigade, writes, 'He was a devoted, loyal and practical Catholic, and availed himself of every chance he got to receive the Sacraments.' [AJ 21:1 (1915) 72-86]
Heffernan came to Ampleforth in May, 1900, and left in July, 1903. He then went up to Trinity College, Dublin, where he distinguished himself both at his work and at athletics. Not only did he carry off two mathematical exhibitions, but he was the winner of the Viceroy’s prize for the quarter-mile, which he ran in fifty-one seconds, and at his favourite sport, boxÂing, he won the heavy-weight amateur championship of Ireland. Latterly, he was a well known figure in the Tipperary Hunt and at point-to-point races in Ireland. He joined the army in August at the outbreak of war, and was gazetted to the 3rd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment. He was only 29 when he was killed. His old school-fellows will recall a boy with a keen sense of humour and much native wit which, coupled with a kindly disposition, gained for him a large measure of popularity. Of considerable ability as he afterwards proved, it was the lighter side of school life with all its sport and its occasional rag for which he had a special relish. May he rest in peace. To Dr and Mrs Heffernan all at Ampleforth offer their sincerest sympathy on their sad loss.
HINES, Austin
Austin Hines came to Ampleforth in September, 1900, and left three years later. He was a quiet boy and left before he was old enough to take a leading part in the School. But his companions had a high estimate of his intellectual abilities, an estimate amply borne out by the fact that he was consistently head boy in his form, and passed through the Lower and Higher Third Forms in one year. Though gifted he could hardly be called a scholar, his mind being of a practical bent. He was fond of both cricket and football, and played for the Second XI in the winter of 1903. A genial companion, he had many friends. As an Old Boy he several times visited the college for the annual retreat, and many will recall his genuine happiness on these occasions and his enthusiasm for his old School. When the war broke out he was practising as a solicitor in Sunderland and East Boldon, where he had passed most of his life with his mother. Last April he joined the Artists Rifles and went shortly after to the Front to train with that corps. He was given a commission in the 10th Durham Light Infantry at the beginning of December. He was home on short furlough till December 2nd, when he joined his regiment at the Front and was fatally wounded and died on December 15th. He was a brother of Major Charles Hines, whose death was recorded in the last Journal. With the death of these two brothers Ampleforth has lost two loyal friends who were ever ready to give practical demonstration of their affection for their old School. We offer to Mrs Hines and her family the assurances of our heartfelt sympathy in this double calamity and in the sorrow which we share with them.
HINES, Charles
Major Charles Hines was killed on Whit-Monday. May 24th. He had been previously wounded, but returned from the dressing station to his post in the firing line. His death is thus described by his Colonel in words which require no embellishment from us: 'You may have heard by this that poor Hines was killed and buried. One of my men helped. I have lost an awful lot of men and officers, but can only speak of Major Hines... He always loved soldiering, and died one of the bravest men who have lost their lives here. He would not retire. He could have left his post, but his duty was to stay, and the last anyone saw of him he was firing away at the enemy. His loss is very hard for the regiment. Since he came out here Hines had proved himself to be one of the finest officers it is possible to have.' In a letter dated May 15th Colonel Vaux spoke of his work on a previous occasion: 'The officers are well and working splendidly. Five hundred men under Major Hines went out to dig last night, right up to within fifty yards of the enemy, and got away without drawing fire. That says something for training and luck.'
Charles Hines came to Ampleforth in 1886 at the age of twelve, and left in 1892. Eldest of several brothers who have been in the school, he was a boy of very decided character and of pronounced views. He was a fine footballer and an enthusiastic cricketer. After he left, by the death of his father he early became head of the firm of solicitors, Messrs. Hines & Sons, with which his family had been associated for many generations. To him also, while still very young, was entrusted the care of his father’s large family. In the old days of the Volunteers he was an enthusiastic volunteer, and of late years no one who talked to him for long could fail to discover his great interest in the territorial movement and in soldiering in general. His visits to Ampleforth were frequent and regular. For twenty years he is said once only to have missed the Easter Retreat. He was also an unfailing visitor at the Exhibition, and for several years had brought a cricket team against the School. By his death we have lost a loyal friend, and an Old Boy of whom we were justly proud. To his mother, Mrs. Hines and her family, we offer our deepest sympathy.
MARTIN, Eldred
Lieutenant Eldred J. Martin was killed on July 1st, about 10.30 a.m., from the effect of a bullet wound in or near his right lung. At the beginning of the great attack his battalion was in reserve, and while his company were in the assembly trenches he looked over two or three times to see the attack, and while so doing was hit. 'I was about ten yards away,' writes a brother officer, 'and suddenly heard a cry and saw Eldred lying on the ground being bandaged up by a platoon sergeant. He was unconscious and died a few minutes later. I can’t tell you how sorry we all are. Some of his company nearly cried when they heard the news, for they were very fond of him. He did his duty; he could do no more. He had a Christian burial and his grave is roughly in a spot about eight hundred yards SSE of Mametz.'
Eldred Martin came to Ampleforth in September 1905, at the age of ten, and left in July, 1914. As a small boy he was impetuous and wilful, and his struggles when in a refractory mood made him a notable figure among his fellows. Indeed he was on occasion a popular hero by reason of the mettle he displayed. To all who understood these fireworks it was evident that they had only to be controlled to convert them into a power for good. This was all the more evident because they were only part of a disposition full of rollicking fun, boyish humour, practical jokes and general merriment which will make it impossible for us to forget his outbursts of uncontrollable laughter and the constant twinkling of his eyes — themselves the best indication of his strong sense of humour. His studies, though during his last years taken seriously, were not in the least remarkable, and his work was only average, but a force behind everything else he did made him a powerful and popular leader when he found his metier in the School, first as an N.C.O. in the O.T.C., and afterwards as a monitor. It was then that he displayed those qualities, which must have proved invaluable to him as an officer, of being able to get things done by reason of his own enthusiasm, public spirit, and# character without the necessity of making himself disagreeable. This was particularly noticeable at camp. He was a fine Rugger forward, and played for the cricket eleven. He obtained Certificate A just before the outbreak of war, and passed into Sandhurst at the September Examination in 1914, out of which he passed some months later, obtaining a commission in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He went to the front, and it is with the keenest sense of loss, joined with the most heartfelt sympathy for Mr and Mrs Martin, that we here record his death. We are sure that all those who remember his manly piety and genial, forcible character will now remember him in their prayers. R.I.P.
LISTON, William
Captain William Liston was killed on April 12th in the Battle of Arras. He was shot while leading his company into action at Souchez. Liston left the school in August 1914, and obtained his commission in February 1915, in the 5th Battalion of the Leinsters. He held first-class certificates for bombing, bayonet fighting, sniping, musketry, gymnastics and as a machine gun officer. We can well understand that his commanding officer described him as a very capable officer. He left for the front in December 1915, after recovering from pleurisy, and fought in the Somme battle. On January 21st 1917, he was gazetted Lieutenant, and on March 12th Captain. Latterly he was attached to the 2nd Battalion of the Leinsters, and one of his brother officers in that battalion writes of him: 'He was one of the finest fellows that ever came to our battalion, and was loved by officers and men alike.'
William Liston entered the school in April 1912. His fine athletic build marked him as a gamester. In 1913 he occasionally found a place in the Rugger XV, and in 1914 was a regular member. He played half back for the Hockey XI and was in the Second XI at cricket. In the O.T.C. contingent he was a Lance-Corporal and a member of the band. In 1913 he was the winner of the Marwood Golf Prize. His love of athletics he retained to the end, and while at the front was laid up in hospital with a sprained ankle — a result of ‘ Rugger ’ while playing for his company. Among strangers shy and retiring and very sensitive to a harsh word, Liston was popular and lively among his fellows, and although no student and no real lover of school life, he was attached to his old school. Only recently he wrote to one, who was never at Ampleforth, 'I hope to spend some of my next leave at Ampleforth, my Alma Mater, to thank them all for what they have done for me.' Need we say how sorry we are that he never lived to enjoy that leave so shortly due. Liston was a sincere and devoted Catholic. His brother writes: 'He wrote to me from France lately and repeated what he had often written. I thank God I was brought up a Catholic, for therein lies all peace and contentment.' He received Holy Communion at the hands of Father Maloney C.F., immediately before the action in which he was killed, and was buried in No-Man’s land near Souchez. May he rest in peace. To Mr and Mrs Liston, and to all relatives, we offer our sincerest sympathy.
LONG, Francis
[AJ22:2 (1917Jan) 179-189] Second Lt Francis W. Long, as recorded in our last number, was wounded in the attack made by the Germans at Ypres on June 2nd, while in the front trenches on observation duty for his battery, and was afterwards taken prisoner. He wrote from Iseghem to Mrs Long very cheerfully though acknowledging that his wounds were bad. 'Everyone is most kind to me. I am wounded in the legs and suffer rather, but do not worry.' And in a later letter, 'I was wounded rather badly — one wound in the right shin and seven small pieces of bomb in my right knee and also a few splinters in my back — I was operated on about a week ago (June 6th), and some pieces removed from my knee and am now going on fairly well, thank God. I cannot get sleep at night, although I get morphia every night. I would give anything for a really good sleep! They are most awfully kind and good to me, and I have absolutely everything I want. I don’t know whether you could send out some English novels, but if you could they would be a great blessing.' Then came a silence, and Mrs Long received this sad note from the priest who attended him: 'Your son Lt F.W.Long sends you his last greetings through me. Three weeks ago he was handed over to the Military Hospital here with a shattered knee. The knee healed up well. Then after a few days tetanus set in suddenly. The invalid bore it very patiently. He received several times Holy Communion, and then the last Sacraments while still conscious. Doctors and nurses did all in their power to save his life and ease his pain. Unfortunately it was impossible, and on the afternoon of June 28th he passed away by the will of God — dying an edifying death. R.I.P.'
Long came to Ampleforth in September, 1905, at the age of eight, and spent nine years and one term here, very nearly half his short life. He left in December, 1913, having passed twenty-first into Sandhurst. But at the last moment he decided against the army. In less than a year however he was holding a commission in the Royal Field Artillery, and went to the front in April 1915. Three days of his last leave he spent here making a retreat in Holy Week. As a small boy he was delicate in appearance but wonderfully vivacious and frank. This vivacity he maintained throughout his school career and it increased rather than diminished. At times he was quite reckless of its consequences. He was always supremely funny on the stage even as a small boy, when he had a good voice, and was for some time first treble. His histrionic powers were not confined to the stage, but were a source of intense amusement to his fellows, if at times a little disconcerting to his masters. Not that he had not his serious moments, and at times numerous serious interests. No one was more severe on what he considered conceit or affectation. On the other hand no one had a greater charm of manner or was more sympathetic with anyone in a difficulty. It was not possible to say from his conversation who were his friends, as these were often the subjects of his greatest jests. His knowledge of nature, whether of birds or of flowers, was unique in the school, and he passed the Higher Certificate in botany, a subject he picked up in his leisure hours. But he had to be in the right mood to do his work. While he had certain literary tastes, his real ability was mathematical and scientific, and no one doubted that had he sustained these interests and set his mind on their mastery, he might have done brilliantly. As he grew stronger in body his interests in the general school life and in athletics increased, and he became in his last term Head Monitor. He gained his cricket colours, and was a fast bowler with a good style. He also played forward for the Rugger XV. Had he lived, we should have followed his career with more than usual interest, but as it is, may he rest in peace. To Mrs Long we offer our sincerest sympathy.
MACDONALD, Donald
Lieutenant Donald P. McDonald is reported missing. The following extract from a letter of an officer of his squadron gives all that we know: He was sent over the lines with two other experienced pilots to get some photographs. The three machines were busy taking photographs when they were set on by six or eight Huns—as far as I can make out —and only one of them got back. He did not see either of the others go down as he was too busy himself. Donald had a very good observer with him, and I think there is a very good chance of both getting down safely. He was not out here many days, but from what we saw of him he seemed to be a very good pilot and everyone here thought a lot of him.
McDonald came to Ampleforth in September, 1909, and left in October, 1915, when only seventeen years old. From the outbreak of the war he had longed to join the army, and eventually did so a year before he normally would have been called up. In the year previous he had played for the Hockey XI, and was in the Second XV at Rugger. Throughout his school career he gave promise of being a good athlete, though he left too soon to have been really outstanding. He was always a popular boy, despite a certain reserve, which however he was capable of throwing off and of showing some of those qualities which afterwards served him so well. To Mr and Mrs McDonald and all his family we offer our heartfelt sympathy.
NAREY, Vincent
Lieutenant Vincent G. Narey was wounded on September 30th, after only a fortnight at the front, and died on October 15th at Rouen. From the first it was evident that the wounds were most serious. Mrs Narey, his mother, was summoned by wire and was with him for the last week of his life. We are told that he was wonderfully brave about his sufferings and quite resigned to die. He received the last Sacraments, and the priest who attended him said, 'I have never attended a more Christian or better death.' At the outbreak of war, Narey failed to pass the eyesight test, but, restlessly anxious to do his bit, he succeeded in July 1915 in obtaining a commission in the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment. He came to Ampleforth at Easter 1905, and left in July, 1911, after winning in the previous December an open History Scholarship at Trinity College, Oxford. Always at the head of his form he showed remarkable all-round ability. Indeed at one time he thought of trying for a mathematical scholarship, but fearing the drudgery chose History. His interests were really literary and artistic. He read widely and wrote a good essay. He was the life of the Senior Debating Society, and very often wrote several speeches from many different points of view for distribution among its less gifted members. A certain fondness for argument in private life made him often the centre of an animated conversation. One who was both in the School and at Oxford with him, writes, 'He had a way of throwing out clever and almost unanswerable remarks upon any subject in discussion.' But he was always a little perverse in his point of view and ever inclined to question accepted tradition. He liked to pose as the bad boy and often affected a light cynicism which with his easy conversation and elegant appearance (dress was always rather a foible with him) tended rather to give the impression of flippancy. If sometimes he turned heroes into villains and villains into heroes it was only an affectation which did not touch the true depths of his nature. In reality he had a very great appreciation of nobility and honesty which was easily discoverable by anticipating his praise of the villain or his indifference to an accepted hero. When he worked seriously, which was often, he showed wonderful power of endurance in following up an interesting subject and good powers of reasoning. His love of literature never made him a prig. In point of fact he was always keenly alive to the present and to the practical and pleasurable side of life. He was a good actor in a comic role, and he was a popular pianist. Indeed for two years before he left he led the musical talent of the School. The writer from whose letter we have so often quoted already, says of his music, ' what he lacked in inspiration, he compensated for by execution. Those of us who knew him at Oxford remember that the most conspicuous object in his old oak rooms at Trinity was his piano surrounded by sheaves of music like the offerings round the shrine of a pagan idol. He was one of the leading spirits in the Folksong movement. I can still picture him sitting at the piano playing and singing some old-world song. Unfortunately at Oxford Narey suffered from ill health and was once at least very unwell. But he made a name for himself as a good speaker both at the Union and in his own College, and on one occasion at least sustained the reputation he had gained here as an actor. The artistic side of his nature made him very sensitive to praise and blame, and this sensitiveness played a great part in his relations with others. But even those who were less intimate with him accorded to him a high place among the school leaders. Athletic powers helped him not at all. He played games and enjoyed them, and was a member of the Soccer XI, but they were to him only secondary interests. Shortly after the war broke out he went up to Wren’s to prepare for the Civil Service Examination. Had this been his destinvy, we do not doubt that he would have made a career for himself, of which we at Ampleforth would have been proud. We shall all remember his frequent visits to his old school — the last in February 1916 — and the keen interest he took in everything. His father, William Narey, who was devotedly attached to him, died of grief only a few days after his son’s death. May they rest in peace. To Mrs Narey all at Ampleforth offer their heartfelt sympathy in this double bereavement.
OBERHOFFER, George
18th Battalion (Public Schools) Royal Fusiliers.
George Oberhoffer was mortally wounded early in the morning of February 18th while on duty in the trenches near Bethune. The following account was received by Mr R.W.Oberhoffer from one of his son’s comrades, 'I was present when your splendid son fell, and except for the other sentry there was no one else near. On February 17th we had a long fatiguing march to the trenches, from 3.30 to 8.30p.m. We were in the firing line, and so had to mount guard over the parapet at night. George relieved one of our men at 1 a.m., he being one of the third relief. There were very few dug-outs, so I was dozing on the firestep, when I heard him hit, and with a moan he fell back into the trench. I jumped up and called along the line for the stretcher bearers, and went to poor George. He lay quite still with a bullet-hole in his head. He was quite unconscious from the first. I did what I could to stop the flow of blood, assisted by Mr Hutchinson, one of our officers. The stretcher bearers were very quietly attending to him, and bound his head, and propped him up on the firestep. He suffered no pain. They got him down to the dressing station where his head was rebandaged, and he was taken by car to the hospital. He died about twenty-four hours afterwards, and is buried in the English cemetery at Bethune. He was firing at the flashes of the enemy’s rifles when he was hit. An empty cartridge case was in the breech, and I surmise that he was just about to take it out, and to do so had turned to the right, but before he could eject the empty case the fatal bullet came.'
George Oberhoffer was at Ampleforth from January, 1894, to the summer of 1902. He was a boy of unquenchable spirits. Probably he did many things badly, for except in one respect his ability was not above the average, but he never, so it seems in retrospect, did anything half-heartedly. A seemingly inexhaustible well of enthusiasm within him found an outlet in each subject of his studies and in every kind of activity during his free time. The most trivial enterprise called forth his whole energy, and if some blase or phlegmatic child among his companions ridiculed his zest, it left him, after a quick look of disgust, unaffected. It is characteristic of him that he probably never merely walked or ran down the fields; he must also have some projectile to kick or hit or throw. With this vitality he combined a lack of assertiveness that perhaps amounted to a fault, and quite extraordinary unselfishness and desire to help others. Having a powerful and athletic frame and a good eye he could have taken a prominent part in games if he had given the usual time to them. As it was, he was a good fast bowler and played regularly for the School in 1902. He bowled as he did everything else. He seemed to put his whole heart into each delivery and to enjoy it intensely. On a hard wicket he used to bump in fearsome fashion, though quite benevolently, and how cheery and cordial were his consolations while the batsman tended the bruise! But his study and his recreation were mainly devoted to that which his name suggests. His early attempts at composition showed that he was fitted to follow his father’s profession. During his life here his talent developed under his father’s care. When he left school he studied the piano under Karl Voss and Van der Sandt at the Cologne Conservatoire of Music, and Steinbach, the famous conductor, took him as his companion for five years. Refusing an offer of a six months course at the Leipsig Conservatoire under Max Regel, he held the post of Professor of Music at the Dusseldorf Conservatoire for two years. He then returned home, and soon afterwards became organist and choirmaster at Longford Cathedral, and Professor at the Leinster School of Music. In 1912 he went to Uppingham School as Music Master and remained there until he joined the Royal Fusiliers in January, 1915. Uppingham appreciated him, as the following extracts from the Uppingham School Magazine show: 'If ever there was a man of peace it was George Oberhoffer. A passionate lover of nature, enthusiastic over his work, he did the small things of this life as if they were of the greatest importance, infusing an atmosphere of cheery optimism wherever he went. His personality carried us away: we felt things were worth doing. He was a thorough, all-round musician — composer, organist, pianist - and loved teaching for its own sake. He was always a lover of the beautiful in any form. He knew for miles around Uppingham every little peep and vista of country which would probably have been passed by unnoticed by most of us. It was with no surprise that we read of him as being the life and soul of his regiment.’ After his return from Germany he visited us several times, and once with Mr R.W.Oberhoffer held the School enthralled by a pianoforte recital. The choir often sing a Benediction Service specially composed for them by him. We offer our sincere sympathy to his father and mother, and pray for him that he may rest in peace.
PUNCH Sidney
Sidney Punch, Surgeon R.N., was one of those who lost their lives on H.M.S. Indefatigable in the recent naval battle [Jutland, May 1916]. After leaving Ampleforth in 1901 he spent five years in his father’s office. He then studied medicine at University College, Cork, and in Dublin, qualified at the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians, and entered the Navy in 1912. He was on the Indefatigable for two years and a half. He entered the School with his elder brother in 1898, and was widely popular. His keen and joyous perception of the ludicrous, and his capacity for caricature, made him exceeding good company, and his unfailing good nature forbade him to use these gifts hurtfully, and even led him to be content to be target when he might have been marksman. In studies games he missed marked proficiency, but avoided and lamentable failure; private hobbies received his closer interest, but he managed to combine the pursuit of them with full tribute to the claims of public spirit. Beneath, and not far beneath, his humour there lay a serious mind. His companions set a high value on his opinions, and they noted that besides the wit of his race he had its piety. He was in his thirty-first year when he lost his life. We offer his relatives our sincere sympathy in their grief. R.I.P.
SHARP, William
It was in January 1901 that a frail delicate boy, William Stowe Sharp, aged thirteen, first came to Ampleforth. But his companions soon found out that in spite of his not unfrequent visits to the sick room he was possessed of a keen and able mind. Smart at his studies his interests were never really in his class books. He looked at all things in a most practical way and was never happier than when occupied with some mechanical art. But it was during his last year here that Sharp, a member of the Fifth Form, began to play a prominent part in the school world. His class-mates will remember his ever ready wit which so enlivened the
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July 9th, 1915. The matron of the Gwanda Hospital reports that he was unconscious from the beginning of the relapse from which he died, and that his last intelligible words were a prayer. From his letters home it is clear that he lost no opportunity of practising his religion, and his worn rosary-beads that have been returned are a striking testimony to his faithfulness in a country where he had few opportunities of receiving the Sacraments. One of his friends in South Africa wrote, 'All who knew him fully realise that we have lost a genuine comrade, a sportsman, a smart soldier.' Though he spent most of his after-school years so far from Ampleforth he always remembered his old School, and among the important personal effects that he particularly desired to be sent home were some Ampleforth photographs and his Ampleforth colours. We offer our sincere sympathy to his family in their sad loss, and trust that all who read this and especially those who remember his bright and cheerful disposition in the School will remember in their prayers one, who through the vicissitudes and dangers of varied experiences, never forgot Ampleforth. He died in his 25th year. R.I.P.
SMITH, Basil
2nd Lt Basil Smith was hit when leading his platoon in the storming of the Grand Couronne and the Pip Ridge on September 18th by our Salonika Army. 'Every man who went up,' says the Bishop of London of this assault, in his letter to The Times, 'went up, humanly speaking, to certain death.' He was buried on the ground covered by the advance on the Pip Ridge. Smith came to Ampleforth in September, 1907, and left in July, 1913. He then entered Faraday House for a special course of electrical engineering, and when the war broke out he was at the works of Messrs. Willans & Robinson, at Rugby, for a period of practical work. He was twice refused by the medical authorities for the army, but at the third attempt he was accepted, and joined the Motor Transport as a driver in August, 1916. Within a few weeks he was sent to France. He was then offered a commission, and returned home to join the 18th O.C.B., stationed at Prior Park. In February, 1918, he was gazetted to the 3rd Battalion South Lancashire Regiment, which was stationed at Barrow. He left England for Salonika on May 1st.
Basil Smith was a boy with a very high sense of duty and a strong religious character. Though not distinguished either at games or work, he possessed certain characteristics which in a greater world would have served him well. He was determined, meticulously careful — his neat handwriting was here indicative of his character — and regarded things with the eye of a scientist. His chief interests at Ampleforth lav in the science laboratories, to which he has bequeathed a generous gift. His fellows liked him well, not onlv because he was always patently honest, and had nothing [GAP]
WHITTAM, Francis.
Lt Francis J. Whittam was killed in the battle of July 1st. Mrs Whittam has kindly sent to us a copy of the letter she received from Lieutenant-Colonel Magniac commanding the 1st Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers, which tells us all we know of his death, and is an eloquent tribute to his work: 'I must write to you to express my own and the battalion’s sympathy with you in your loss. Your husband was in charge of his men on the right flank of my battalion. He led them forward nobly, and was hit when close up to the German trenches. All his men were killed or wounded, too, and it is impossible to get at details. I know his servant went out to him as soon as he heard he was hit, but he never got back. Our battlefield was large, and although we tried for three nights to find your husband, we never succeeded, and we think he was killed outright. I can only give you my deepest sympathy, and tell you that I have lost one of my very best officers, and a great personal friend. He was one of the finest fellows we had, and was beloved by his men, who would follow him anywhere. The work he did for this battalion was enormous. He was one of the bravest men I ever saw, always cheery in the difficult times, and his example helped us all. So many gallant men fell that morning it is hard to and impossible to get details, and the wounded passed through before we could see them. If I ever can find out anything further, I will at once let you know.' The regimental padre writes of him, 'He was a good, conscientious soldier, as brave as a lion, and a good, kind-hearted comrade, especially beloved by his men whom he thoroughly understood.'
Francis Whittam came to Ampleforth in 1886, and left in 1893. His contemporaries remember him as a gentle, high spirited boy, full of fun and public spirit, and in consequence always popular. He was the second son of Major James Whittam, of Prestwick Park, Manchester. On leaving School he went into a shipping business, but after a few years he joined his elder brother, Lewis Whittam, who was grain-farming in Manitoba. When war broke out he returned home, and on April 10th, 1915, was gazetted a 2nd Lieutenant in the special reserve of officers, being attached to the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Lancashire Fusiliers. A few months later he got his second star, and became attached in Gallipoli to the 1st Battalion, to which he became adjutant. He took part in the Suvla Bay evacuation, and went with his battalion to Egypt, whence they were sent to France. In April he was home on leave for six days, returning to France on April 15th. Of his work as a soldier the letter from his commanding officer printed above says all that any good soldier could possibly desire. We recommend his soul to the good prayers of our readers.
WILLIAMS, Leonard
Lieutenant, 1st South Wales Borderers. Leonard Williams was killed in Northern France about midnight, September 12th. He was out with a working party of the South Wales Borderers, and was shot through the head. He only lived about three-quarters of an hour after being hit. He was in charge of a party digging a new communication trench, and having to supervise the work and men had necessarily to get up out of the trench and walk from one part to another. It was while thus walking in the open that a stray bullet caught him. It penetrated the lower part of the jaw and entered his skull. He was at once placed upon a stretcher and borne to the advanced ambulance station. This took about half an hour or forty minutes. A motor ambulance arrived and just as he was being placed in it he died. Fr Gleeson, Chaplain to the 3rd Brigade, wrote, 'Everybody is so sorry for him. He was intensely loved by his battalion. He was as innocent as a child and was so true and loyal to the Church. He often served my Mass, very often was at daily Mass and always received Holy Communion. I had a long chat with him a few hours before his death. His last words to a Catholic N.C.O. when leaving for the trench area were, 'Sergeant-Major, see that all your men attend Mass in the morning.’ His last words to me were, ‘Good-bye, father, I’ll see you at Mass in the morning.’
It is not easy to realise here at Ampleforth, even in this vear of death, that Leonard Williams is dead. His nature and presence were so significant of life and of all that is best in life. He came to Ampleforth quite a small boy in January, 1905 ; and left in July, 1914, when Head of the School. He will be remembered by those who knew him at Ampleforth as a light-hearted boy with a fine, even noble, presence and an exceptional power of command over his fellows. He distinguished himself as an athlete, played three-quarter in the Fifteen, went in first for the Eleven, and at his last Sports here, in a competition that was exceptionally keen, became the champion athlete of his year and won the Bisgood Challenge Cup. And yet his success in games and sports did not seem to connote natural proficiency so much as determination and character. It was the same in his studies. He had little interest in imaginative work and probably a lack of talent in this direction. Literature never seemed to him a part of life and made no intense appeal to him, and the purely romantic for him had no lure. But once he decided to go up to New College and a definite goal was presented to him he worked hard and with his invariable success, for failure found no place in this short life. He was Head Monitor during his last year at School and the responsibility rapidly matured his character. For during this year he passed from a state of boyhood, wholly delightful and careless and impulsive, to that of a man sensible, conscientious and firm. Superficial popularity he despised, but he won the respect and admiration of all who knew him. He saw sooner than most boys what were the claims of duty, and he developed in his character the fear of God that has in it no trace of servility, but is the beginning of wisdom. When the war broke out he was with the O.T.C. in the Public Schools Camp. He had always looked rather longingly towards the Army as a career, but the apparent idleness of an officer’s life in peace time had put him off. But when war broke out he at once went to Sandhurst and passed out in three months to a commission in the South Wales Borderers. He went to the front in March 1915. He was home on short leave in July. For Tommy as a fighter he had conceived an unbounded admiration but he deplored the lack of religion and almost complete absence of spirituality in the army, and always asked for prayers for them. But what he chiefly loved to talk of was of Ampleforth, of which he was passionately fond, and he spoke of being a priest should he be alive after the war. He was confident of England’s success, but had only occasional bursts of his old impulsive hope that he would live to see it. He returned to France in the beginning of August, where he devoted himself punctiliously to his duties and to helping his fellows until he was killed in September. 'He was so gentle, dutiful and loyal,' wrote one who knew him at the Front. He died in his 21st year — a life so short but yet so complete. 'No one who has come out here was more prepared to die', is the entry Major Williams made in his diary on hearing of the death of his brother. Those who knew Leonard Williams at home or at School or with his regiment know that the testimony is true.
WILLIAMS, Oswald
Major, 1st Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment.
Major Williams was killed on October 13th, in the Hohenzollern Redoubt. The fighting there on that day was so severe and confused that we have not been able to obtain a clear and undoubted account of what happened. It seems, however, that early in the day he was supervising the reconstruction of newly captured trenches, while an attempt was made to push the advance further. That attempt failed. Major Williams saw the attackers retreating, learnt that they were without officers, and went forward to steady them and lead them himself. In the fighting that followed he was killed. Of the honour in which he was held in his regiment many letters to his relatives and to the Press have given testimony. The following is a portion of a letter to the South Wales Argus, not the most eloquent tribute, nor the most laudatory, but typical: 'It was my great honour and pleasure to serve under so distinguished an officer, and I can endorse your remarks that he was undoubtedly one of the best and most efficient officers that the battalion has ever had. He was sympathetic and took an interest in each individual... During the bombardment which preceded the attack, Major Williams went along the trenches speaking words of encouragement to the men, seeing that each lacked nothing. The mere fact that he was to lead our company gave us extra confidence, and to a certain extent the success of the Mons on that terrible day was due entirely to him. He died as he lived, a gentleman of the highest type, and his loss to the battalion is great.' In our last issue we recorded that when on May 8th his regiment was partially surrounded and almost destroyed, he was one of the two officers who remained unscathed. He secured the safe retreat of a handful of survivors and won warm praise for his gallantry and skill.
Oswald Williams came to Ampleforth in 1896 and left in 1902. He had the chief qualities of a leader, but he also suffered from a certain excess of sensitiveness which caused him to shun prominence, so that until near the end of his school life he was little noticed by any but his close companions. But they had for him a particular liking and respect. For he had the peculiar charm of the unselfish, and his delicate appearance, quiet ways, superficial timidity even, veiled uncommon courage. He had a natural refinement which showed itself, intellectually in an appreciative fondness for literature, practically in a seemingly instinctive choice of the nobler of alternative courses; he had, too, a power of judgement mature beyond his years, and even as a small boy could coolly consider and impartially decide, where others of his age would unhesitatingly yield to bias. Consequently his friends felt him to be one whose judgement was more sure than theirs, one whose opinion they were particularly pleased to find in agreement with their own. He had a natural aptitude for games and developed it with characteristic courage and thoroughness, despite an early lack of weight and muscle. During his last winter here he was a regular member of the Football XI and in the following summer he had, if our memory serves us rightly, the best bowling average and the second highest batting average in the School matches. He owed his success in studies to the same tenacity, for though he had ability of a high order he had a weak memory and little of that superficial sharpness which often helps quite commonplace minds in examinations; yet he was always one of the first three in his class. So, too, in work of other kinds; he had to fight a long battle against a too great sensitiveness, but he won at last, and was then seen to be well endowed with capacity for enterprise and organization. For this he found scope when he left School in work with the Boy Scouts (he was their Organizing Secretary for Wales), and with the Territorials, and it seemed likely that he would soon wield a wide-spread influence. But we are disposed now to think rather of the qualities that underlay these activities,—his gentle unselfish disposition, his nobility — there is no other word for it — and the deep piety that animated him. We have been privileged to see the letter which he wrote to be sent in the event of his death. We would not, of course, print it, but it must ever be a consolation to those who mourn him as a son or a brother. To them we offer our sincere sympathy and for him we pray that he may rest in peace
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