LIEUT.-COLONEL THEODORE EARDLEY-WILMOT, D.S.O., YORK AND LANCASTER REGT. O.C. 12TH BATTN. SUFFOLK REGT., KILLED IN ACTION, NEAR ST. LEGER, MARCH 22ND 1918. AGED 38. At the School 1891-97 (School House). Lieut. - Colonel T. Eardley-Wilmot, D.S.O., was the younger son of Robert Eardley-Wilmot, J.P., of Petworth, Sussex, and nephew of Mr. H. O. Whitby, Assistant Master at Tonbridge School 1890-1919. His elder brother, E. G. Eardley-Wilmot (Sc. 1890-95, Capt. of the School, 1894-95; Judd Exhib. and Class Schol. Oriel Coll. Oxf., 1895; 1st CI. Class. Mods. 1897; 1st CI. Lit. Hum. 1899), is now a Barrister, but was for years a Master at Harrow. He became a Captain in the 7th Battn. Royal Welch Fusiliers (T.F.), and was twice mentioned in War Office Lists for valuable services. He is a Governor of the School and was Master of the Skinners' Company in 1922. Both brothers were for a time under Dr. Wood, at Leamington, before coming to Tonbridge. Entering the School quite young in September 1891, Odo Eardley-Wiimot lived for a year with his uncle, Mr. Whitby, who had not yet taken over Judde House. He then joined School House and left from the Army Class at Christmas 1897, to go to Sandhurst. From the R.M.C. he was gazetted to the 1st Battn. East Surrey Regiment, August 12th 1899, and joined his Battalion at Lucknow in October of that year. He was promoted Lieutenant on January 1st 1901, and in the following June transferred to the Indian Army. After attachment to various units he was gazetted to the 39th Garhwal Rifles at Lansdowne. He was unfortunate in seeing no active service while in India, but had the interesting experience of a year on outpost garrison in Chitral. A fine rifle and game shot, he was awarded a special certificate at the School of Musketry at Pachmarhi. He was also recommended for the Indian Staff College, but preferred to remain with his Battalion. On July 29th 1908, he was promoted Captain and in that year married Mildred Clare, eldest daughter of the late William Francis Reynolds, of Woodland Grange, Leamington, and his wife survives him, with a son and a daughter. His son, Anthony Revell, born in 1910, went to Downside in 1923. Having exchanged into the British Army he was gazetted as Captain to the York and Lancaster Regt. on March 16th 1909. He served with the 2nd Battn. of the Regiment at Aldershot till 1911, when he was appointed Adjutant of the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battn. at the Regimental Depot at Pontefract. He was still holding this appointment when war broke out and, consequently, was not permitted, as he desired, to rejoin his Battalion, which had gone to France. Early in 1915, however, he successfully applied to be sent out as an Observer attached to the R.F.C., and was flying at the Front for about six weeks. Those were the early days when the air was far safer than the trenches, and though, as he wrote, he learned to realise what are the sensations of an old cock-pheasant, his one wish was to return to his Regiment. At last he obtained his desire and was posted to the 1st Battn., then in reserve near Ypres. Almost immediately the second battle of Ypres began, and the Battalion was one of the units ordered to counter-attack north-east of Ypres, with the object of pushing back the enemy, who were beginning to advance in great force through the gap effected by the unforeseen use of poison gas, and had to be opposed by hastily gathered formations of such units as were near at hand. The object was attained, but at the cost of heavy casualties to the battalions engaged. Capt. Eardley-Wilmot (as he then was) was severely wounded during the advance on April 23rd, 1915, and for a period his condition was very serious. After a lengthy convalescence, however, he was again pronounced fit for duty, and rejoined the 3rd Battn. in the autumn of 1915. He had been gazetted Major on September 1st 1915, and early in 1916 he accepted the post of Second in Command of the 12th Battn. of the Suffolk Regiment, and succeeded to the Command soon after the Battalion went to France as part of the 40th Division. He was gazetted Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel, August 15th 1916, was "mentioned" in Sir Douglas Haig's Despatch dated November 13th 1916, and was awarded the D.S.O., January 1st 1917. The 40th Division, however, was not very seriously engaged till November 1917, when the battle of Cambrai began, and then it was specially commended by the Field- Marshal Commanding-in-Chief for the part it played in these operations. The Suffolks were involved in the fierce fighting which took place in Bourlon Village and Bourlon Wood, and Colonel Eardley-Wilmot was once more "mentioned," in Sir Douglas Haig's Despatch, dated November 7th 1917. None will forget the stand of the Third Army in the great battle which began on March 21st 1918, and Sir Douglas Haig's special reference to the 40th Division is on record. The Suffolks were in the thick of the fighting. They lost their Colonel early on the 22nd, but were not put out of action for eight days, and avenged his death (so writes one of the few surviving combatant officers) a thousand times. On the night of March 21st-22nd, the Division was holding the line near St. Leger, and the position was somewhat obscure after the heavy fighting of the previous day. Colonel Eardley-Wilmot left Battalion H.Q. at Morthomme about 6 a.m. on March 22nd to go round the front line, and since the Battalion had been unable during the night to get into touch with the 13th Yorkshires on its left, decided to clear the situation up himself. With this object, he went forward from the front line, bearing to the left, taking an officer, a corporal and three men with him, and giving orders for a Platoon to follow him. There was a heavy mist at the time, and he evidently walked directly on to a party of the enemy who had crept up under cover of darkness. This party opened fire with a machine gun. The other officer was killed at once, the Colonel fell immediately afterwards, and two of the men were wounded. The Corporal and the remaining man dragged the Colonel back to a shallow trench, remaining with him several minutes, and only leaving him to warn the Platoon Commander of the presence and position of the enemy. The enemy advanced, and it was impossible to bring the Colonel back, though several attempts were made and considerable casualties incurred thereby. The Corporal had no doubt that the Colonel was killed, as he was hit in the chest, and never spoke or moved afterwards. With this characteristic act of devotion to duty ended the career of a born soldier. His whole heart was in his profession, and he possessed in a high degree the qualities of courage, coolness and confidence, together with the determination and power of quick decision essential in meeting sudden emergencies. He had been recommended for the command of a brigade, and, had he lived, was doubtless destined to rise high. He had no illusions. He hoped, but hardly expected, to return, and was content to die in a great cause. The Assistant-Adjutant of the Battalion wrote: -  "The Colonel made this Battalion entirely. Its spirit was his spirit-given it by him. In morale and fighting qualities it was unsurpassed, and it was all his work. He went west with his regiment, of which he was, in his undemonstrative way, extraordinarily proud and fond. If it had to be, it is just as he would have chosen." Another officer of the Battalion wrote: - "Colonel Eardley-Wilmot never went out of his way to court popularity - rather the reverse - but in spite of this (or perhaps partly because of it) I don't suppose there was a CO. in France who was more beloved by his officers and men. We always felt that here was a man, and he proved it over and over again." His Brigadier-General wrote: - "I cannot tell you how much I shall miss him, for he was the last of the C.O.'s or Seconds-in-Command who came out with the Brigade nearly two years ago. I had got to know him very well and to appreciate his many good qualities. He was an exceedingly fine Commanding Officer, and had brought his Battalion, of which he was justly proud and fond, to a high state of discipline and efficiency which had frequently earned the approval of Divisional and senior officers. He was most cool and gallant in action, and I always felt absolute confidence that any task which was entrusted to him would be well and successfully accomplished."