Three Company Commanders, Major Tupper (“A” Company), Major Brooks (“D” Company), and Capt. John Stairs (“C” Company), were killed, and the O.C. “B” Company, Major Flowers, was severely wounded. The Adjutant, Captain Dicky, Lieutenants Hobkirk, Howson, Craig and Doane were killed. The wounded included Capt. J. D. McNeil, Major Nutter, Lieutenants Wetmore, Ryan, DeYoung and Dennis Stairs.
Before I pass from the doings of the Battalion on the Somme, it is necessary, in order to do justice to the narrative, to record the loss of one of the bravest and most capable officers of the Battalion and one who gave great promise as a fearless and resourceful fighter for high ideals. I refer to Lieut. L. H. Johnstone, who led the 25th Battalion in the fruitless and bloody attack on Regina Trench, October 1st, 1916. While gallantly leading those men into a veritable hell of machine gun and shell fire, the “Iron Duke,” as he was nicknamed by the gallant men he was leading, fell to rise no more.
CAPT. L. H. JOHNSTONE.
MAJOR J. H. TUPPER.
LIEUT. CHAS. H. HOBKIRK.
LIEUT. C. E. HOWSON.