THE YPRES TIMES
229
Lord Home landed in France in August, 1914, with the Headquarters of the
I Corps, as Brigadier-General, Royal Artillery, under his old friend and brother-
Scot, Sir Douglas Haig. From Mons onwards he showed himself a bold and
experienced commander of artillery, and never were guns handled with greater
skill, or fought more bravely, than were those of the I Corps throughout the
momentous First Battle of Ypres, under his direction.
It was not surprising, therefore, that in October, 1914, he was promoted
Major-General for distinguished service in the field," and later given command
of the 2nd Division.
Outside the Royal Regiment of Artillery, Lord Home is, however, best known
as the Commander of the First Army, to which he succeeded in September, 1916,
following his success in command of the XV Corps in the initial stages of the
Battle of the Somme. His achievements in France and Flanders from this date
until the end of the war are a matter of history, and in view of his long-standing
and close friendship with, and intense loyalty towards Sir Douglas Haig, the
historic words of the latter, in thanking the Commanders who served under him,
had their specially appropriate application: No Commander," he said, has ever
had, or ever could wish for, more loyal assistance given more ungrudgingly, or
with a more complete devotion to the noble cause for which we have worked in
common."
It was a tribute which was known to Home's men who served under him, and
none will mourn his loss more deeply and more sincerely. Combining an inflexible
insistence on efficiency with the greatest kindness and courtesy to all ranks, he was
quick to detect any kind of humbug and gave short shrift to the scrimshanker,"
the schemer, or anyone who was obviously not playing the game." At the
same time no one was more ready to appreciate sound work and true merit, and
those who were fortunate enough to have had the chance of profiting by his
influence and experience know his great qualities as a man and a soldier.
A cautious and even-tempered Scot, unassuming, never seeking self-advance
ment, upright, little given to loquacity, possessing the true tact that comes from a
heart of gold and wholly absorbed in his profession, Lord Home belonged to the
best type of officer that the British Army produces. And with it all he was a
broad-minded Christian gentleman who, holding clear convictions as to the value
of religion and its bearing on life, never thrust those convictions on anyone
unasked.
From the time of his relinquishing active employment his life was essentially
one of Service," and the number of public and private organizations in which he
took a prominent part was very large, especially so in the case of those which in
any respect involved the welfare of the ex-soldier. Time after time his friends,
knowing the state of his health, urged him to reduce the number, but he invariably
answered No. It's up to me to do it." He was a most popular landlord, and
the public activities of his county of Caithnessof which he was a Deputy
Lieutenant, and where for many generations his family had been one of the best
knownclaimed much of his time.
By his own express wish there was no military ceremonial of any sort at his
funeral, which was one of impressive simplicity in the nature of the burial of a
Scottish laird. His body lay over the week-end in a public hall near Stirkoke
House, which was visited by throngs of people from all the district round. Over
the coffin was draped a Union Jack, and on it lay his General's cap, sword, and
decorations. At the head of the coffin was hung the flag of the First Army.
The funeral took place on August 19th. The coffin was taken out of the public
hall and placed in front of the entrance to Stirkoke House, and there in the open,
in the presence of relatives, friends, and representatives of all classes, a short and