LIEUT. MAURICE HEMMANT, 5TH BATTN. RIFLE BRIGADE (PRINCE CONSORT'S OWN) (S.R.), ATTD. 10TH BATTN. KILLED IN ACTION ON THE STEENBEEK, NEAR LANGEMARCK, AUGUST 14TH, 1917. AGED 29. At the School 1898—1906 (Day Boy). Lieut. Maurice Hemmant was the eighth and youngest son of the late William Hemmant, J.P., of Bulimba, Sevenoaks. Three of his elder brothers are O.T.'s. The fifth son, George Hemmant (D.B. 1896—99; Ho. Prae. 1899), was awarded a Judd Leaving Exhibition of £80, the Parcel Gilt Pen for Mathematics and the Silver Medal in July, 1899. He had also won an Open Mathematical Scholarship at Pembroke College, Cambridge, took his degree in 1902 as 21st Wrangler in the Mathematical Tripos, and is in the Straits Settlements Civil Service. He was not able to come home to serve till 1918, when he became an B.G.A. Officer Cadet. The sixth, Edward Vincent Hemmant, O.B.E. (D.B. and P.H. 1898—1903 ; Ho. Prae. 1903), was also awarded a Judd Leaving Exhibition of £80, the Parcel Gilt Pen and the Silver Medal for Mathematics, and going up to Pembroke College, Cambridge, took his degree in 1906, as a Senior Optime in the Mathematical Tripos. Having entered the E. African Civil Service he was District Commissioner at Kisii, B.E. Africa, and was only able to serve in the B.E.A. Volunteers; but he was awarded the O.B.E. (Civil) in June, 1919, for General Administrative Services and the supply of recruits and carriers. He died in E. Africa of blackwater fever, on July 28th, 1919. The seventh, Frank Hemmant (D.B. 1898—1900), was in the Straits Settlements. Maurice Hemmant entered the School in May, 1898, became a House Praepostor in September, 1904, and a School Praepostor in January, 1906, was in the XI. and XV. in 1905 and left at Easter, 1906. He, too, went up to Pembroke College, Cambridge, and took his degree with Mathematical honours, being a Junior Optime in the Mathematical Tripos of 1909. He represented Cambridge at Golf in 1908, and was in his College XV. On leaving the University he went out to the Straits Settlements, took up rubber planting, and was subsequently appointed manager of an estate. Soon after the outbreak of war he came home to serve, and received a commission dated May 15th, 1915, in the Special Reserve of the Rifle Brigade, though he was then, and had been for some time, suffering from the effects of a dislocated shoulder. He went to the Front in the following November, but after a few months was invalided home. On recovery he returned to light duty with the Special Reserve, and did excellent work as Brigade Bombing Officer, and was gazetted Temporary Captain November 7th, 1916, whilst holding this appointment. He was subsequently posted to a Service Battalion and gazetted a Temporary Lieutenant March 10th, 1917, and in April returned to the Front. On August 14th, 1917, in the absence on leave of his Company Commander, he was in command of the Company when he was instantaneously killed in action. He had crossed the Steenbeek, in front of Langemarck, and with two or three of his men was considerably in advance of the rest, when he was shot by a sniper. The CO. of his own Battalion at the Depot wrote :— " He had been with us some time, as he was bombing officer, and was kept here rather longer than he liked, I am afraid. He was an excellent officer in every way, and absolutely flrst-rate at his particular business of bombing, and took endless pains, and spent all his time in seeing that men were thoroughly trained in this before going to the Front. He certainly obtained excellent results and no men were better trained than those he sent out. It was reported to me on one occasion that a bomb having been badly thrown rolled back into the trench, whereupon he ran to it and threw it out again an instant before it exploded. . . . He was a most delightful companion, always cheery, and was a great help in the mess and beloved by all his brother officers. I had heard how well he was doing." A Major wrote :— " I am so sad that dear old Maisie has been killed. A clever man, a good soldier, a thorough sportsman, the most genial and delightful of companions, he was a very good friend to me and I regret his death more almost than any one I know who has been killed in this war." A subaltern wrote that he was splendid, loved by the men, and could not be replaced; and his CO. wrote :— " He was gallantly leading his Company to the attack when he fell, killed instantaneously, I cannot tell you how sorry I am to lose him ; he was such a splendid officer, loved by us all. He seemed to have no idea of danger. I have never seen a pluckier fellow, and I know I cannot replace him."