MAJOR ROBERT GEORGE RAPER, 8TH BATTN. SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE REGT. KILLED IN ACTION AT THE CAPTURE OF FRICOURT, JULY 2ND, 1916. AGED 39. At the School 1891—94 (Judde House). Major R. G. Raper was the third and elder surviving son of Mr. and Mrs. William Augustus Raper, of Battle, Sussex. His younger brother, Capt. G. C. Raper, R.A.S.C. (J.H. 1897—99), first enlisted in the Middlesex Hussars in December, 1914, but obtaining a temporary commission in the R.A.S.C. Horse Transport in May, 1915, served in France from February, 1916, to February, 1920, and was twice mentioned in Despatches. R. G. Raper came to Tonbridge in 1891, and joined the Cadet Corps when it was instituted. He was a very useful member of the Choir, and had on several occasions in recent years sung at the O.T.C. Concert. On leaving in 1894 to become a solicitor, he served his articles in his father's office and then, on passing his Final Law Examination, became managing clerk to Mr. T. V. Pearse, of Wiveliscombe, in Somerset. In 1905 he returned to Battle, and went into partnership with his father. He took a prominent part in Conservative electioneering campaigns in the Eye Division of Sussex, being a speaker on Tariff Reform, amongst other subjects. He married in 1911 Ida Jean, youngest daughter of Mr. W. Macadam Smith, of Abbotsfield, Wiveliscombe, Somerset, and leaves two sons and a daughter. Soon after leaving School he joined the Volunteers, with a commission in the 5th (Cinque Ports) Battn. of the Royal Sussex Regt. In the Boer War he volunteered for foreign service, but was attached to the 8rd (Militia) Battn. of the Royal Sussex Regt. for garrison duty at Shorncliffe, where he remained during the whole of the war, and was promoted to his Captaincy. After the war he returned to command B Company of the Cinque Forts Battn. and, when the Territorial scheme was introduced and they became a Territorial Battalion, he remained with them as a Captain. He had resigned his commission in the 5th Sussex in about 1912, and on the outbreak of war wished to rejoin his old regiment, but as there was some delay he accepted a commission as Temporary Captain, dated November 25th, 1914, in the 8th (Service) Battn. of the South Staffordshire Regt., and was promoted Major, May 81st, 1915. The Battalion, which formed part of the 51st Brigade, went out to France on July 14th, 1916, and on July 27th took over trenches at St. Eloi and then worked up the salient to Hooge. They remained in various parts of the salient until March 6th, 1916, and during this time their casualties amounted to 24 officers (6 killed) and 600 men. On one occasion the enemy succeeded in taking over 300 yards of our front line trenches, a part of which was held by the 51st Brigade, the South Staffords retaining all but a very small portion of their trenches, though their casualties in this fight alone amounted to 11 officers and 160 men. They were also in support of the counter-attack a fortnight later, in which all lost ground was re-taken and some additional German trenches gained. Major Raper was twice invalided home early in 1916, but finally rejoined his Regiment at the Front at the end of February. On February 4th, 1916, their Commanding Officer, Lieut.-Colonel G. N. Going, was promoted to Brigadier, and Major Raper became second in command. The Brigade was then moved to Armentieres, from March 16th to June 14th, where they had a comparatively quiet time. From there they went to Albert, and on July 2nd, on the second day of what one of the Staff Officers of the Brigade, writing on the 6th about Major Raper's death, described as " probably the biggest battle in the history of the world," they attacked and captured Fricourt. The battle so described is officially termed " The Battles of the Somme, 1916," of which " The Battle of Albert," July 1st to 13th, was the first. As the Commanding Officer stated, Major Raper " was gallantly superintending an operation by two companies and had just succeeded in carrying out hie object, when a machine gun swept the whole front and he was killed instantaneously. Earlier in the day," he added. " I had occasion to notice several pieces of excellent work that he did, and I intend sending in his name to the higher authorities." Major Raper was mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig's Despatch dated November 13th, 1916. His old Commanding Officer, then in command of another Brigade, said :— " I always looked on him as a man of the highest character and principles, absolutely brave himself and inspiring courage in others. It win indeed be hard to replace him in the Regiment." The Brigadier of the 51st Brigade also wrote to Major Raper's widow as follows:— " I know all the Brigade joins me in offering you my deep sympathy in your great loss. I know it will be a comfort to you to know that he sufiered no pain at all, and that he knew that his countrymen were winning and thai his own gallant Regiment was covering itself with glory."