BARON AS PRIVATE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 24 March 1917, Page 6

BARON AS PRIVATE.

GALLANT SOLDIi.II KILLED AFTER HEROIC DEEDS. News has been received of the death in action while serving as a private in the Black Watch of Baron Hubert de Reuter, only son of the late Baron de Reuter. H e fell on 13th November at Beaumont Hamel. “He would have carried a very high decoration had he lived,” writes his colonel. “He Avas Avith his platoon in the attack, and through his courage and resource they captured ninety-seven Germans. The Avhole of the platoon went ever the first line of the German trenches Into the second. De Reuter went doAvn a tAventy-foot dug-out and shouted cut in German asking if any men were there. There was no answer, so he fhreAv tAvo bombs. He then again shouted, ‘Anybody there?’ and the answer came, ‘One officer and 35 men.” These he made file out past bim. He then found that some Germans had been passed over in the first line and Avere shooting from behind and from the right rear, so he put the German officer on the parapet, threatening him with his bayonet, and made him order the men to surrender. Sixty-two men came over. .He then carried in three badly-Avounded men to cover under heavy machinegun fire, and Avent back over ‘No Man’s Land’ for the stretcher-bearers. He aa t ss hit on the way back and AA r as buried.” At the beginning of 1915 he received a second-lieutenancy in the Essex Regiment, hut it was not long before he resigned his comm Dsion and enlisted as a private in the Black Watch.