A thread for Christmas was lucky enough to be given a 1914 Christmas tin virtually complete. You can still smell the woody scent of the tobacco. However, this particular tin belonged to Major Warren CO 81 Siege Battery and along with the tin. I was given a book 1/

...it is called Battery Action the Diary of a Gunner 1916 - 19 by Paul Cobb. It comes highly recommended and in it I was able to find out what happened to Major Warren. He had seen action in South Africa and had been part of the BEF in 1914. He was a much respected officer 2/

On 28 March 1918 the battery was in Hannescamps and were ordered to come into position in front of Hannescamps. Warren asked to defer putting the guns into action immediately on grounds of the strain imposed on men and horses. His request was agreed. At 8am the next morning 3/

The gun teams returned with Major Warren leading. However the enemy opened fire and Major Warren was observed to reel and would have fallen from his horse but for his groom Gunner Wheeler seeing what had happened galloped up and caught him - a remarkable piece of horsemanship 4/

Warren was lifted from his horse with terrible chest wounds. Whilst dying he passed his orders on to Capt Fletcher. With Gunner Wheeler galloping on ahead he was lifted onto a GS wagon and taken to an aid post but having lost a lot of blood it was all a question of time 5/

He made it to a CCS but despite being given blood transfusion he died the same day. He is buried a Gezaincourt Comm Cem Extension. When travel permits I shall visit him & take his 1914 Christmas tin & let him know it is in safe hands & his memory will live on via my words.