CAPT. CLAUDE JEFFERY KEEPING, 8TH BATTN. DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE'S OWN (MIDDLESEX REGT.) (T.F.). KILLED IN ACTION NEAR CROISILLES, AUGUST 24TH, 1918. AGED 34. At the School 1898—1902 (Parkside). Capt. C. J. Keeping was the elder son of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Jeffery Keeping, formerly of Staines and now of Trinity Mansions Hotel, Eastbourne, and married in January, 1915, Marjorie, third daughter of Dr. Pater de la Motte, of Staines. His younger brother, Harold Balfour Keeping (P.S. 1901—4), received a temporary commission as Lieutenant in the A.S.C on January 1st, 1915, was promoted Captain September 23rd, 1915, and was mentioned in March, 1918, and awarded the M.B.E. in June, 1919, for valuable services rendered in connection with the War. Entering the School in September, 1898, from Dulwich College, where he had been since 1895, Claude J. Keeping left from the Modern Sixth at Christmas, 1902, having been appointed a House Praepostor in the previous January, and having been in the Shooting VIII. in 1899 and in 1901. He became a member of the Stock Exchange, and enlisting in the Artists Rifles on the outbreak of war received a commission dated December 10th, 1914, in the 8th Battn. of the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) (T.F.), and going out to Gibraltar early in 1915, proceeded with the 2/8th in the following autumn to Egypt, where he took part in the Senussi Campaign and served on General Peyton's Staff as Assistant Provost-Marshal, graded as Staff Lieutenant, 1st Class, from December 10th, 1915. In the following May he returned to England, and on rejoining his Regiment he went out to France to the 12th Battn., but became attached to a Trench Mortar Battery and was wounded at Courcellette on October 26th, 1916. On recovery he was transferred in March, 1917, to the 4/8th, in which he was promoted Acting Captain, as a Company Commander, from August 21st to October 11th, 1917. In November, 1917, he returned to France to the l/8th, in which he once more became Acting Captain, as a Company Commander, on December 15th, 1917. His promotion to Lieutenant in his Regiment was dated May 4th, 1917. His Major tells how on August 7th, by presence of mind and courage and at great personal risk, he saved the lives of several men who had been out on patrol with him, when they were mistaken for the enemy by their own machine gunners and one man had already been killed. On August 24th, 1918, he was instantaneously killed while leading his Company in an attack near Croisilles. The Chaplain of the Battalion wrote :— " Since he joined us out here Captain Keeping and I have been friends, and he was always ready to help me in every way he could. It is a great loss to me personally." His Major:— "In the 2/8th we all looked up to him, and he was a friend of us all, but in the 1 /8th he was reported as being a really brave soldier and a kind, sympathetic and painstaking officer." His CO. in the 2/8th :— " He was one of my best officers in the dear old 2/8th, and was always reliable and conscientious in the performance of his duty. Every one liked and trusted him, and to me he was a loyal friend and helper." His CO. in the l/8th :— " He was killed in action gallantly leading his men. We shall miss him very much. He was a universal favourite. Personally I can ill afford to lose a good officer like him, hard-working and very loyal. He was such a pleasant companion, always considerate to every one and untiring in his efforts for the good of his men. Had he lived he would have had further reason to be proud of his Battalion. Our Corps Commander said the sacrifice he and others made paved the way for one of our most brilliant victories."