War Letters of a Public-School BoyJones, Henry Paul Mainwaring
History
War Letters of a Public-School Boy
Jones, Henry Paul Mainwaring
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, British
I was horrified to see in a recent casualty list among the killed
the name of Second Lieutenant H. O. Beer. I remember him as a
rather clever, quiet, inoffensive, distinctly popular fellow in
Doulton's House. He left at the end of July, 1914, without
getting any colours, but after doing quite well in all games. He
won a Junior Scholarship, but failed to get a Senior. He was made
a School Prefect in September, 1913, and you will see him in the
very middle of the back row of the photo of the Prefects that we
have--a markedly good-looking fellow, with light hair brushed
across his forehead. What a wealth of tragedy and yet also of
honour is expressed in the last line of his obituary notice in
_The Times_--"He fell leading his platoon, aged twenty years."
Only yesterday, as it were, we were at school together--I
remember handing him off with great vigour on the football
field--and now! It was just the same with poor Reynolds[2] and
Bray.[3] But I mustn't go on in this strain.
[Footnote 2: James Reynolds, head of the Modern Side for two
years. The first Dulwich boy to take the London B.A. degree
while still at school. Born, 1893. Killed in action in
Belgium, May 2nd, 1915, while serving with the London Rifle
Brigade.]
[Footnote 3: Frederick W. Bray, only son of Mr. W. Bray, West
Norwood. One of the keenest members of the O.A.F.C. Quitting
his engineering studies, he joined the 1st Surrey Rifles at
the outbreak of war. Born, August 26th, 1895. Killed, May
25th, 1915.]
_October 15th, 1915._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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