GREAT WAR SERVICE

Evening Star, Issue 21711, 4 May 1934, Page 7

GREAT WAR SERVICE

THREE GENERATIONS : The remarkable war service of three generations of a family was described at a meeting of the Society of Genealogists in London recently. Lieutenant-colonel •!. H. Leslie, formerly honorary editor of the * Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research,’ stated that in the audience was Brigadier-general' R. T. H. ■ Law, who possessed the medals of his grandfather and his father, in addition to hia ■ own; • The ‘ medals represented among others the battles and ftm< paigns of Corunna, Waterloo, Crimea, India, Zululand. Soiith Africa, and the Great'War.. ... Brigadier-general Law, who is 78 years of age. in response to requests from the audience, told something ‘of his- family- history. “Some of the happiest recollections of my boyhood days are those of sitting on ray grandfather’s knee and listening to his stories of the Peninsular ' War,” he said; . “, In those days the fighting only hook place in the summer time. My, . grandfather • -told nie ■ that’ when they retired to - their winter quarters the troops used to draw, a line of sentries along the riverside. The .French were on the • other side of the river. The English, having more provisions and tobacco, used to throw snacks- and plugs of tobacco across to them, and, in exchange, the French threw over ■ bottles of wine. “ That is rather different from what' happened in the, last war, although in *■ the first Christmas, some of the German regiments - fraternised with our men on the outposts.' This was stopped at once, however, because it was considered to be not altogether war.” ' The speaker said that, his grandfather was badly wounded in the Battlle of Waterloo He was a brigade major, arid a round shot took a piece out of the calf of his leg. “What was thrilling to me.” said Brigadier-general Law, “ was, when I • went out in the Great War, to go through some of the towns and villages of .Belgium through which my grandfather had passed in the Army a hundred years before.” , A Voice: Facing the other way, \Laughter.) ] Brigadier-general Law: Yes; luckily’ we did face the other way, and stood our ground. (Applause.)