CAPT. IVON HEATON, 7TH BATTN. QUEEN'S OWN (ROYAL WEST KENT REGT.). DIED, OCTOBER 14TH, 1917, OF WOUNDS RECEIVED IN ACTION NEAR POELCAPPELLE ON THE 12TH. AGED 21. At the School 1910—14 (Manor House). Capt. Ivon Heaton was the only child of Dr. Charles James Heaton, and Mrs. Heaton, of Verulam, Westgate-on-Sea. His father served from June, 1916, to the end of the War with a temporary commission in the R.A.M.C, being engaged mainly in surgical and electric therapy work for six months in France, and then for some eighteen months in Egypt and Palestine. Entering the Classical side of the School in September, 1910, he subsequently went over to the Science side preparatory to entering the medical profession. He was in the Science Sixth from September, 1913, passed the London Matriculation in 1914, and was entered for Pembroke College, Cambridge. In September, 1914, he was appointed a House Praepostor and a Lance-Corporal in the O.T.C, but determined to throw up everything in order to serve his country and, receiving a temporary commission, dated November 5th, 1914, in the Royal West Kent Regt., he left before the end of Term, when only a little over eighteen. His O.T.C. training stood him in good stead during the early days of his training, and he went out to the Front in the summer of 1916, and served on the Somme until he was severely wounded by a shell before Montauban, on July 1st, in the great battle that commenced that day. He had a marvellous escape, as all the others who were near were killed, and he was all but completely buried by the shell, and moreover said that he owed his life to his steel helmet. His condition was so serious that he was not quite conscious when he reached a London Hospital a week later. His recovery was naturally slow, and then for a time he was on light duty with his Regiment at Rochester, whence he was able to visit the School, and it was not till the spring of 1917 that he was allowed to rejoin his Battalion at the Front. After this he saw much fighting in different parts of the line, and on one occasion, whilst lying in a shell-hole near Cherisy in the midst of a fierce barrage, wrote the verses on " A Bird's Song under Shell Fire," published in THE TONBRIDGIAN of December, 1917. As Intelligence Officer and as Scout trainer he did excellent work and was selected for Divisional Intelligence Officer, the report of the Army School being, " Will make an excellent Intelligence Officer : quite the best all-round student in the course." His promotion to Acting Captain (additional) was dated July 20th, 1917. At the capture of Poelcappelle on October 12th, he was pushing forward with his scouts, when he was severely wounded in the right arm, but though in considerable pain carried on until compelled to give in and return. By a terrible mischance he fell a victim to a gas shell when nearing the dressing station and, the delayed action of this showing itself on the journey, died on October 14th, 1917, just after reaching the base hospital. He was " mentioned " in Sir Douglas Haig's Despatch dated November 7th, 1917. Naturally of a retiring character, he was keen and thorough in all he undertook, and won the love and honour of all who knew him. His men, we are told, adored him, and would follow " Boy Heaton," as he was called, anywhere with absolute confidence. One brother officer wrote :— " Every officer in the Battalion had the greatest admiration for his courage, devotion to duty, keenness and self-sacrifice." Another wrote :— " What a loss he is to us personally and to the whole Battalion and Brigade I can't tell you. I was talking to the Brigadier yesterday and he is especially cut up about it. He wanted to make him a Staff Officer, as he had shown such exceptional ability as Intelligence Officer." Another:— " He was simply splendid at his work. He was of the greatest use to the CO., who, I know, thought tremendously highly of him. I have never known any one who went more thoroughly into his work or showed more keenness." The Adjutant wrote :— "He was a wonderful boy, so gentle and attractive, but with the spirit of a true hero. I know what he went through when up in the line after that bang on his head, but he never showed excitement or strain, and was a source of confidence to every one." The CO. himself wrote :— " He was one of my best officers, and both as a soldier and a comrade his loss is more to us than I can express. . . . He died doing his duty like the gallant gentleman that he has always shown himself to be. . . . I should like you to know what a deep personal affection I had for your boy: he was always so cheery and took such a keen interest in his work and had such a charming personality. He has done much good work and was a most brilliant and brave and thoroughly reliable offcer in every way."