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

HISTORISCHE KRANTEN

The Ypres Times (1921-1936) | 1929 | | pagina 7