DEATH OF WAR LEADER

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 7 June 1935, Page 7

DEATH OF WAR LEADER

VISCOUNT BING OF VIMY. CANADIAN CORPS COMMANDER. ■ United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph Copyright! LONDON, June G. The death of Field-Marshal Viscount" By rig of A iniy, G.C.8., G.C.M.G., occurred to-day. Ho was 71 years of ago. ■ Viscount Byng, who was the son of the Earl of Strafford, joined the Army in 1883 and served in Sudan and South Africa. Following this ho commanded British forces in Egypt till at the outbreak of war he was appointed commander of the Canadian Corps and later the Cavalry Corps. He was promoted to General in 1017, following the'brilliant advance towards Cambrai. He was knighted in 1015 as General Sir Julian Byng and in 1010 was raised to the peerage and given a grant of £30,000. • He retired from the Army in 1010 and two years later succeeded the Duke of Devonshire as GovernorGeneral of Canada. His term of office concluded in 192 G when he was created a viscount. ' Shortly after his return to England, he succeeded Sir W. Norwood as Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Force. He resigned in 1031 and the following year was made a. fieldmarshal.

Viscount Byng. in addition to being thanked by the British Parliament for his wartime services, was decorated by the Belgian, Rlussian, French, Serbian and American Governments. He was several times mentioned in despatches. His wife is a. well-known writer, her works including the successful book “Barriers.”