[79] On the 9th April D.H.Q. were at Etrun; they moved forward to St Nicholas only on the 12th April.
[80] General Lukin on 18th April suggested that the South African Brigade should be withdrawn from the Division on account of its weakness and its lack of reinforcements.
[81] While this chapter was being written, news came of the cold-blooded murder of this officer in the County Club, Cork, on the 17th July 1920 by a dozen so-called patriots.
If ever a man lived who deserved a fair field and a fair fight it was Colonel Smyth. A more gallant and honourable gentleman never lived. As a captain in the Royal Engineers he commanded the 90th Field Coy. R.E. in the Ninth Division till October 1916, when he was promoted to the command of the 6th K.O.S.B. In October 1918 he commanded the 93rd Brigade in the Thirty-first Division as a Brig.-General.
Major-General H. H. Tudor, when given command of the Police Forces in Ireland in June 1920, found Colonel Smyth in command again of a Field Coy. R.E. in Ireland, and, knowing his worth, secured his appointment as one of his deputy commissioners.
[82] Major Macpherson was wounded in the action of the 12th April, and the command of the battalion was taken over by Lieut.-Colonel Ritson.
[83] Commanded since the 3rd May by Major A. R. Innes Browne.
[84] These were the 3/10th Royal West Surrey Regiment, 3/10th Royal West Kent Regiment, 3/10th Middlesex Regiment.
[85] Commanded by Lieut.-General Sir E. A. Fanshawe.
[86] Now commanded by Lieut.-Colonel H. D. M. Maclean, the original C.O. of the battalion, who returned to France in August.