*CAPT. EDWARD NOTTIDGE, O.C. D/79TH BDE. R.F.A. KILLED IN ACTION AT THIEPVAL, NOVEMBER 8TH, 1916. AGED 25. At the School 1905—10 (Day Boy). Capt. Edward, Nottidge was the youngest son of the late Albert James Nottidge (O.T., 1849—59), who died in 1906, and of Mrs. Nottidge, of Yardley Lodge, Tonbridge. He came of an old and well-known Tonbridge family. His father was a Judd Exhibitioner, and also an Ash Exhibitioner of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and practised as a Solicitor in Tonbridge. Four of his uncles were also at the School. One died whilst quite young, the eldest, the Rev. G. S. Nottidge (1845—50), died in 1903, and the third, the Rev. W. Nottidge (1845— 67), died in 1865. The second, Thomas Nottidge, J.P., lived at Ashford, Kent. He was at the School 1845—54, was Captain of the XI., and a Judd Exhibitioner and, going up to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, took a 1st Class in the Natural Science Tripos. In 1900 he was President of the Old Tonbridgian Society, and subsequently was a Vice- President from 1901 to 1912. He died in 1918. His eldest brother. Major George Nottidge, O.B.E. (D.B. 1897—1901), was elected to a Foundation Scholarship in 1897. He was in the Shooting VIII. in 1900, became a School Praepostor in 1901, and was C.S.M. in the Cadet Corps. Passing into the R.M.A., Woolwich, in that year, he was gazetted to the R.E. and promoted Major in July, 1918. He served in India throughout the War, was mentioned and was awarded the O.B.E. in June, 1919. The second son, Capt. Thomas Nottidge (D.B. 1899—1903), was in the VIII., 1902 and 1903, and a Corporal in the Cadet Corps, and is a Solicitor, but on September 12th, 1914, was gazetted as Temporary 2nd Lieutenant in the 5th Reserve Regiment of Cavalry, and was attached to the 1st Life Guards, with whom he served in France. He was transferred to the 3rd Berks. (Hungerford) Yeomanry, June 20th, 1915, with whom he went to Mersa Matru in November, 1915, and he also served as Machine Gun Officer with the Imperial Camel Corps in Egypt. He became a Temporary Captain, and was in August, 1916, seconded for duty as Governor of a Military Prison in the Field. The third son, Capt. William Rolfe Nottidge (D.B. 1903—8), was elected to a Foundation Scholarship in 1904, became a School Praepostor in 1908, and was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Cadet Corps, 1907—8. He gained a Judd Exhibition and a Classical Exhibition at St. John's College, Oxford, and is a Barrister, but was gazetted to the Special Reserve of the Bedfordshire Regt., August 15th, 1914. He went out to France in May, 1915, with the 1st Battn., and was Acting Captain from September till he was promoted to his Captaincy on February 4th,1916. He was wounded, severe shell concussion, at Delville Wood on July 29th, 1916, and was mentioned for his services in France in the Despatch dated November 13th, 1916. From February, 1917, to November, 1918, he was a Staff Captain in command of a Company of an Officer Cadet Battalion, and was again mentioned for his services in this capacity. For three months, from November, 1918. he served in Belgium with the 4th Battn. of his Regiment. All the brothers had been previously at the Castle School, Tonbridge. Entering the School in May, 1905, Edward Nottidge was elected to a Foundation Scholarship in the following June, and left from the Army Class in July, 1910, having passed, like his eldest brother, into the R.M.A. He became a House Praepostor in September, 1908, and a Scbool Praepostor and Captain of his House in September, 1909, and gained his XV. colours as full-back in the same Term. In the O.T.C. he became a Sergeant in January, 1909, and a Cadet Officer in the following September, and was in the Shooting VIII. of 1910, who won the Schools of the Empire Cup with a record score of 517. He and S. E. Johnson headed the scores with 67's. Of that VIII. he was the third to give his life, the others being Lieut. A. E C. T. Dooner, Adjt. 1st Welsh Fusiliers, killed in action, October 30th, 1914, and the Captain of the VIII., Capt. G.C. Freeman, R. Berks. Regt., killed in action, October Ist, 1916. A fourth, Lieut. H. C. Langdale, R. Sussex Regt., was killed in action September 26th, 1917. At Woolwich he played full-back for the R M.A. XV., and he was commissioned to the R.G.A., November 6th, 1912. He was stationed first at Plymouth, but exchanged into the R.F.A. and served at Kildare and afterwards at Athlone with the 121st Battery. On August 14th, 1914, he left Ireland with the 5th Division in the original Expeditionary Force and was promoted to Lieutenant, December 23rd, 1914, and to Temporary Captain, December 2nd, 1915. He had come safely through much stern fighting with the 27th Brigade, R.F.A., from the Battle of Mons to the Battles of Ypres, 1915, and he was mentioned in Field Marshal Sir John French's Despatch, dealing with operations in France up to October, 1915. In that month he became second in command of the 52nd Battery, 15th Brigade, R.F.A., and then from July 6th, 1916, commanded a 4'5 Howitzer Battery, which became D/79th Brigade, R.F.A. With this Battery he took part in much fighting in the Battles of the Somme, 1916, in the Battle of Albert, and at Pozieres, High Wood, Hebuterne and Thiepval. He and a brother officer were instantaneously killed by shell concussion on November 8th, 1916, at the farm of Le Mouquet, near Thiepval, and their burial in the cemetery at Albert presented by the French nation for British soldiers was attended by every available officer of the Division, as well as by the officers and men of his Battery. " The whole Battery," wrote a brother officer, " is stunned by his death. He was a good officer, always brave in a tight place. Although I have only known him for three months, I have learned to look on him as one of my best friends. He will be greatly missed in the Battery." His groom, a gunner who was with him in Ireland and remained with him all through till the time of his death, wrote : " I cannot yet realise that my master and Commanding Officer is gone. He was a fine soldier and gentleman, and was held in high esteem in the Battery, by all from the Colonel to the youngest driver. . . . " " We all," wrote his Colonel, " deplore his death. He was a good officer and will be a great loss to the Army."