LIEUT. JOHN ARCHIBALD DICKINSON, 4TH BATTN. THE QUEEN'S (ROYAL WEST SURREY REGT.) (T.F.), ATTD. 1ST BATTN. KILLED IN ACTION NEAR METEREN, APRIL 13TH, 1918. AGED 34. At the School 1898—1901 (Manor House). Lieut. J. A. Dickinson was the second son of Mr. and Mrs. John Dickinson, of 5, Sunnyside, Wimbledon, S.W. One of his brothers, Capt. A. F. Dickinson, M.C., with Bar, R.E., an old Rossalian, was wounded later in April, 1918, and was mentioned in Despatches. Another, Lieut. C. O'B. Dickinson, M.C., R.G.A., an old Carthusian, was wounded and awarded his M.C. in Palestine, and subsequently served in the R.A.F. Joining the School in January, 1898, from Mr. Mullins, Warden House, Upper Deal, J. A. Dickinson left in July, 1901, to go for a year to a school in Germany. In the autumn of 1902 he went to Cape Town and in 1903 entered the Cape Colony Civil Service, gaining first place in the examination. In 1907 he was third in the Law Examination of the Union of South Africa Civil Service, and, becoming Chief Clerk to the Solicitor-General for the Cape Colony in 1910, at Grahamstown, and subsequently a J.P. for King Willamstown, he served in the Law Department in various parts of South Africa till August, 1915. Then he obtained leave to come home and serve, and joining the Inns of Court O.T.C. was promoted Lance-Corporal, and was gazetted to the 4th Battalion of The Queen's, Royal West Surrey Regiment (T.F.), January 19th, 1916. In the following autumn he went out to the 3/4th Battalion in France, and being severely wounded with a bullet through the thigh, near Irles, February 26th, 1917, whilst following up the German retreat to the " Hindenburg Line," was for six months in hospital. He was promoted to Lieutenant July 19th, 1917, and returning to France in November was posted to the 7th (Service) Battn. of The Queen's, with which he served till he was transferred to the 1st Battn. He was killed in action near Meteren, on April 13th, 1918, during the German offensive on the Lys. His Division, the 33rd, was specially mentioned in Sir D. Haig's Despatch dealing with these operations, and his CO. wrote :— " I was so very pleased when he joined the Battalion, very soon after I got command of it, as he had served under me in 1917 with the 7th Battn., and I knew his great worth. He was killed in very gallant circumstances. The Battalion was sent in to occupy a position to stop an enemy break-through at a very critical moment. Your son's Company, owing to the troops on their right being driven back, were forced to evacuate a farm, a point of much importance. Your son and another officer at once led a counter-attack and retook the farm. They were again driven out, and in leading a second counter-attack your son was killed. A very gallant episode on a day in which the whole Battalion did wonderfully well, and got much credit. Your son's Company fought splendidly for three days ; the inspiration of the spirit of their officers doing much to keep them in good heart in very trying circumstances. . . We all very greatly regret the loss of a very charming comrade and fine soldier."