Part 44 (2/2)

He died As one that had been studied in his death To throay the dearest thing he own'd

As 'twere a careless trifle

--MACBETH, Act I, sc iv

Our second son, Herbert, began his career as a lawyer He had a sweet and gentle nature andsoh which he served from the first day to the last:

THE VOLUNTEER

[Footnote: Reprinted from The Volunteer and other Poewick & Jackson]

Here lies a clerk who half his life had spent Toiling at ledgers in a city grey, Thinking that so his days would drift away With no lance broken in life's tournalea under phanto past beneath the orifla dreaht to the halls of dawn he went; His lance is broken--but he lies content With that high hour, he wants no recompense, Who found his battle in the last resort, Nor needs he any hearse to bear hiincourt

He wrote this when he was in Flanders in the war:

THE FALLEN SPIRE (A Flee)

[Footnote: Reprinted from The Volunteer and other Poewick & Jackson]

That spire is gone that slept for centuries, Mirrored a the lilies, calh which the rivers of the thunder flow

The church lies broken near the fallen spire, For here, a the street with feet of fire, And goes upon his ithherds fleeces of the shells are rolled; Above the Saints a village Christ forlorn, Wounded again, looks down upon His fold

And silence follows fast: no evening peace, But leaden stillness, when the thunder wanes, Haunting the slender branches of the trees, And settling low upon the listless plains

”Beb,” as we called him, married Lady Cynthia Charteris, a lovely niece of Lady de Vesci and daughter of another beloved and interesting friend of mine, the present Countess of Wereat soldiers of the war He reatest friend, Lady Manners, a woman who has never failed me in affection and loyalty

Arthur Asquith joined the Royal Naval Division on its formation in September, 1914, and was attached at first to the ”Anson,” and during the greater part of his service to the ”Hood” Battalion In the early days of October, 1914, he took part in the operations at Antwerp and, after further training at home in the camp at Blandford, went in February, 1915, with his battalion to the Dardanelles, where they forade

He was in all the fighting on the Gallipoli peninsula and ounded, but returned to duty and was one of the last to embark on the final evacuation of helles, in January, 1916

In the following May the Naval Division joined the ar the 63rd Division, and the ”Hood” Battalion (now co, V C) forade

In the Battle of the Ancre (February, 1917) Arthur Asquith was severely wounded and arded the DSO

In the following April, Coadier, Arthur Asquith took over the co part in the operations against Gavrelle, taking the mayor's house (which was the key to the position) by assault and capturing the Gerely due to him that Gavrelle was taken; and he arded a bar to his DSO

In October, 1917, in the Battle of Passchendaele the Naval Division were heavily engaged The following account of what happened near Poelcappelle (October 26th) is taken from the ”History of the Royal Naval Division,” by Sub-Lieutenants Fry and McMillan:

On account of the serious losses in officers, the four battalions were getting out of hand when Cohter that he is, came forward and saved the situation He placed his battalion in the eous positions to ht develop That done, in spite of heavy artillery and un fire, he passed fro and superintended the consolidation of our gains In addition, he established liaison with the Canadians on our right, and thus closed a breach which ht have caused us infinite trouble and been the source of our undoing

Arthur Asquith was recommended for the VC (he, in fact, received a second bar to his DSO); and these are the terms of the official reco the operations of October 26th-27th, 1917, Coreatest bravery, initiative and splendid leadershi+p, and by his reconnaissance of the front line made under heavy fire, contributed much valuable information which made the successful continuance of the operations possible During theof the position of the attacking troops, Coh heavy fire, round the front positions, and heedless of personal danger, found out our dispositions, got into touch with the troops on the right, and returned after soht of the saht and explored the ground in the vicinity of Varlet Farm, where the situation was not clear He was observed by the eneun fire directed at hi to the awful state of the ground, he approached Varlet Far a concrete building alone he found it occupied by a sarrison, ere exhausted and almost without a the ground thoroughly he returned and led up three platoons of a coarrison

He superintended the disposal of the troops, putting one platoon in the building as garrison and placing the other two platoons on each flank A very important position was therefore kept entirely in our hands, owing to ard of his own personal safety This exahout the operations by Coreater efforts, and kept up their moral His valuable reconnaissance, the manner in which he led his ained, contributed very largely to the success of the operations