“In offering you all my deepest sympathy in your loss, I should like to add that his loss will be most keenly felt in the Regiment, and by many outside of it. If his brother officers loved him for his kindness and simplicity of character, his men adored him for the same qualities and for his justness, and I personally mourn the loss of a true friend; but he died the death of a gallant soldier fighting sword in hand against superior odds, a death that few Cavalry officers can ever hope to meet--to so few is it given,--an end that will live long in the history of the Regiment, if not in the history of the Army. R.I.P.” [Illustration: Sergt. JOHN GRAY (_Killed at Tekrit, 5th November 1917_)] [Illustration: Lieut. D. J. E. NORTON, M.C.] [Illustration: Capt. F. NORMAN PAYNE (_Died of cholera in Baghdad, 14th November 1917_)] [Illustration: Sergt. A. S. NEWMAN (_Killed at Tekrit, 5th November 1917_)] [Illustration: Pte. WM. THOMSON (_Killed at Tekrit, 5th November 1917_)] _From Captain Chrystall, 14th November 1917._ “I herewith send you a short account of the part of the battle of Tekrit, Nov. 5th, 1917, which deals with the Cavalry, and showing how co-operation with the Infantry can be carried out even in a flat country. “Our troops consisted of-- 1 Cav. Div. of 2 Brgds. 1 Inf. Div. 1 Inf. Brgde. The usual division of corps artillery. “The enemy had-- 2 Inf. Div. in trenches round Tekrit. 250 sabres. 1 Inf. Div. in reserve, some 12 miles to the north. The usual artillery and heavy guns, and 5.9’s and heavy howitzers. “The Cav. Div. had the task of protecting the W. flank, and early in the morning of the 5th had gained touch with the whole of the enemy’s entrenched flank, a distance of some 6 miles. The Infantry, meanwhile, were marching into position for an assault on the line Z-X. Owing to the heat, and telephone wires being continually cut, this attack had not reached farther than the first line of trenches. “However, at 4.30 P.M., Nth Div., Nth Bde. leading, attacked, under a heavy barrage by our guns, the trenches Z-X, 2nd and 3rd lines. Immediately, on Infantry’s left, was the Cav. Div.--2 Regiments of Nth Bde. at point B in position of readiness (Point B was a deep water-course, with a bluff on the N. side), and 1 Regt. slightly N.W. on the left, with the Nth Bde. to the N. “On the right of these two Regiments was a subsection of M.G.’s, ‘R,’ and on the left one section ‘L.’ These M.G.’s were, until the Infantry attack came off, firing on enemy’s trench-line X-Y, and covering the advance of dismounted Cavalry patrols, enabling the latter to approach to within 800 yds.--1000 yds. of enemy’s trench. During the whole day the Turkish gunners were busy ranging on the Cavalry with heavy field-guns, and a number of casualties resulted both in men and horses.