CAPT. ALBERT CLAUDE QUEEN'S OWN (ROYAL WEST KENT REGT.), ATTD. 12TH BATTN. DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE'S OWN (MIDDLESEX REGT.). DIED JULY 27TH, 1916, AT ROUEN, OF WOUNDS RECEIVED IN TRONES WOOD, JULY 14TH. AGED 25. At the School 1904—8 (Day Boy). Capt. A. C. Dennis was the eldest son of Councillor Albert Dennis and Mrs. Dennis, of Mount Pleasant Road, Tunbridge Wells. Coming to the School in May, 1904, from the Skinners' School, Tunbridge Wells, he left in July, 1908, when he was only seventeen. His younger brother, B. W. Dennis (D.B. 1911—15) joined the Artists Rifles in December, 1915, and served in France from March, 1916, with that Corps till he received a temporary commission in the Rifle Brigade, dated November 22nd, 1916. His promotion to Lieutenant was dated May 22nd, 1918, and he served with the 1st Battn. of the Rifle Brigade from November, 1916, till he was wounded in the left side and arm and taken Prisoner of War at Bouchavesnes on January 29th, 1917. Claude Dennis adopted a business career and was for three years in Bedford, and subsequently in London. First at Bedford in connection with the Sunday School and as Secretary of the Young People's Society, and then in London in connection with Whitefield's Mission in the Tottenham Court Road district, he devoted all his spare time to earnest social work. He also gave interesting lectures on literary topics, being specially devoted to Robert Browning's Poems. The following are extracts from the testimony of those under whom he worked:— " His life was rapidly fulfilling the promise of high and splendid character. He was one of the naturally biggest men I have ever known." "Everywhere he rejoiced in service, and his example led others to work too. He was a natural leader among his juniors and, short though his life has been, many other lives will bear the impression of his own awakening." " Some men have been roused by the call of the war out of slack and ignoble lives, out of indulgence and luxury. It has needed the stern insistency of war to put iron into their blood and to ripen their latent manhood. But that is not true of Claude Dennis. He was a soldier before he wore the uniform of his country, and was enlisted under a greater banner than even the dear flag of England." On the outbreak of war Claude Dennis  helped to raise a special contingent of business and professional men in Tunbridge Wells, and with them enlisted in the 7th Queen's Own Royal West Kents early in September, 1914. Thanks to his O.T.C. training he was at once made an N.C.O., and soon became Sergeant. He received a commission in the same Battalion on November 24th, 1914, and they went out to France in July, 1915, and were in the fighting line for six or eight months. In March, 1916, he was appointed an Instructor in a Divisional Training School, and in recognition of his services there was specially promoted to Temporary Captain and given the command of a Company in the Middlesex Regt. on the recommendation of his Divisional Commander, who said to him, " You have done splendid work here and I am very grateful to you." This promotion, dated June 20th, 1916, appeared in The Gazette on October 16th. Capt. Dennis took part in the Battle of the Somme from July 1st, and came through unscathed till the 14th, when he was wounded whilst going to the relief of his own Battalion of the West Kents, who were surrounded in Trones Wood. He had successfully led his Company in artillery formation across the barraged ground and dispositions were being made preliminary to an attack on " a strong point." In order to select a good position for one of the Company Lewis guns, he ventured into the open and, when returning, was shot by a sniper. His C.S.M. was with him and, aided by Pte. Lee, most gallantly got him under cover. Here, though badly wounded, Capt. Dennis gave instructions as to the placing of the gun, and gave orders to the Sergeant who, with Pte. Benlam, got the gun into position. The whole incident reflected the greatest credit on all concerned, and Ptes. Lee and Benlam received the Military Medal for their share in it. He was taken to a Base Red Cross Hospital, and till the 25th was making good progress, but on that day meningitis set in and, though his parents were at once summoned, he passed away on July 27th before they arrived. His CO., writing of him, said: " He is a very great loss to the Regiment and the Service, and a personal one to me, for he was the most engaging, soldierly personality I have known for a long, long time." He was " mentioned " in Sir Douglas Haig's Despatch, dated November 13th, 1916, and had he lived, would probably have received the M.C., for which he had been recommended as the result of his work in Trones Wood. His former Company Commander in the West Kents wrote of him, when he only knew that he was wounded, and apparently not dangerously so:— " As to his qualities as an officer, facts speak for themselves, and, when he left us, it was a great blow to the whole Battalion. Yet we were all very glad to think that he had been singled out for such rapid promotion." A brother officer in his West Kent Battalion, who enlisted with him and was commissioned on the same day, wrote of  his tremendous keenness." " I am," he said, " peculiarly able to bear testimony to his unfailing cheeriness under all circumstances, both in the ranks and as an officer." Many others have added their testimony, and an old schoolfellow who had been in his Platoon wrote:— " A better officer I never hope to meet. When in the trenches with him, the trenches lost their terrors, as he always inspired confidence. He loved his men and his men loved him and would have followed him anywhere."