Loyola College - Review Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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MAJOR TEMPLE MACDONALD Killed in Action

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24 LOYOLA COLLEGE REVIEW MAJOR TEMPLE MACDONALD Major Temple MacDonald comes of a family well known in Prince Edward Island. He followed the English Course at St. Mary’s and afterwards became a very successful merchant in Georgetown, P.E.I. He left Canada in 1915 as Lieutenant in the 2nd Canadian Siege Battery, was pro- moted to Captain and later to Major when he was transferred to the 5th Siege Battery. He fell mortally wounded at Souchez Cross Roads, March 29th, 1918, and died the 2nd of April of the same year. Loyola extends sincere sympathy to his bereaved ones at home. LETTER FROM J. A. FLETCHER Obercassel am Rhein, M. Bonn, Dec. 15th, 1919. We are now, however, at our objective and are en- joying a well earned rest although there are considerable guards, etc., as we are part of the Rhine bridgehead guard. We left Mons on Nov. 18th and after cross- ing the industrial provinces of Hainault and Namur we passed through the agricultural districts of Marche and Luxenburg and reached the frontier on Dec. 4th. Since then the hike has been over the Eiffelwald Mountains, a chain of hills rising from the Rhine Valley very wild and sparsely settled and it was only the last day or two that the going was anyways easy. We (the whole Brigade) entered into Bonn on the 12th. with the bands playing the “Marseillaise” and “О Canada and were regarded by the crowds with curious indifference. We were very well housed in the Kaiserin Augusta Artillery Barracks and spent two days there before moving on to here. Bonn is a very fine city and the university town of Germany. It has an up-to-date electric tram service and several of us availed ourselves of this to go sight- seeing. The University Buildings have very magni- ;fieent grounds. Conditions in Germany are not as bad as we were led to believe. The food is of, course, dear and nasty, substitutes being used for nearly everything, but nobody looks very starved and other- wise life is even more normal than in London. The people are, of course, heartily glad the war is over, but they are agreeably surprised that we are so meek and mild in our occupation of their country. Wego and come as we please, always armed, of course, and preferably in couples and go freely into shops and beer gardens and theatres. Some of the boys went to the movies this afternoon in Obercassel and found same excellent. Yesterday we left Bonn and marched (the whole 2nd Canadian Division) through Bonn and over the Rhine Bridge in the centre of which Gen. Currie took the salute. Some swank, what? We marched with fixed bayonets and with all our transport, the pro- cession being about eight miles long, which not only held up all traffic in Bonn for half a day, but also gave the worthy burghers a wholesome respect for their conquerors. I do not know how long We will be here but every- опе is anxious to get home. Already a feeling of demobilization is in the air and certain arrangements are being made for education of skilled men during that period. In my platoon 90 per cent. of the men have put themselves down for courses in either agricul- ture, engineering or motor mechanics. Your affectionate nephew, (Signed) J. A. FLETCHER. We

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26 LOYOLA COLLEGE REVIEW LIEUTENANT REGINALD BASIL HINGSTON Lieutenant Reginald Basil Hingston, who was killed in action at Marcelcave, near Amiens, on August 8th, 1918, at the age of thirty-three, was the third son of the late Sir William Hingston, M.D., and Lady Hingston. Basil Hingston was one of the original Loyola College boys. He began his course in September 1896, and left after his year of Humanities in 1901, when he was sent for a year to Mount St. Mary’s College, Derby- shire, England. On his return, instead of continuing his course, he went at once into business, a mistake he afterwards regretted. After a year’s training in а wholesale house he took up brokerage. In May, 1913, he was married in West- minster Cathedral, London, to Miss Berthe La Rocque, of Montreal. In the winter of 1915-1916, when the ardour for recruiting had slackened and our military situation looked anything but prom- ising, Basil Hingston made up his mind where his duty lay and enlisted. He had long desired to take this step, but hesitated because he had a wife and two small children to support, and the fact that of his three brothers, two had already enlisted and the third was soon after due to don khaki, made him pause. He went without any illusions and made his sacrifice long in advance. LETTER OF FATHER FORTIER Aug. 9th, 1918, On the Battlefield. Dear Lady Hingston, I come to you as a messenger of your dear departed son Basil. His last words were the following: “Те all at home that I die happy! And as I helped him to repeat the sacred prayer; Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me! he lapsed into unconsciousness and passed away after a short agony of five minutes. He had then received Holy Vaiticum. I had heard his confession and given him the general Absolution, while Father Tompkins had annointed him. What а happy death! I am perfectly convinced the Almighty will be merciful unto such Christian heroes. Father Tompkins and I had been following the attack on the 8th, that is yesterday, and we came to Basil some five minutes after he had been struck by a bullet some few inches below the heart. I think that God had directed our steps, as we had proposed His military career was a short one. Joins ing the 244th Bn. as a Lieutenant, he wa- later transferred to the 24th Battalion, V.R.C. He was killed on the morning of August 8th, 1918, when the Canadians broke through the German lines beyond Amiens, and pene- trated to a depth of twelve and a half miles. Lieutenant Basil Hingston is buried not far from where he fell as he led his men to their objective at Marcelcave. R.I.P. Basil’s memory lingers in Loyola and amongst his former schoolmates as that of a very clever and popular boy, of lovable disposition and unusual charm of manner. He was fond of athletic sports and excelled in them. He excelled in studies also when- ever he chose to apply himself. What he was in college he remained in after-life. Few were more popular than he. Few deaths more regretted than his. A deep but unobtrusive piety, the fruit of his early training, remained with him always, but shone forth with unsuspected intensity in his last letters home and sustained him in his last moments, which were particularly edifying. To his much tried mother, to Mrs. Basil Hingston, and to all his family the Review begs leave to extend the sympathy of all boys. going in another direction. As he saw me, his beau- tiful smile convinced me that he feared not death, and never have I been more conscious of a priest’s power at such moments. Basil did not suffer and the sacrifice of his life he offered most heroically. i I shall say Mass for the repose of his soul at th e first opportunity. The great battle is still going on, still raging on rather, and the possibility of saying Mass will not come until our Division is withdrawn for a rest. I have in my possession a few articles found in Basil’s pockets, which I shall mail to you at the first oppor- tunity; his ring, a scapular medal, a small note-book. I pray you, idear Lady Hingston, to accept the sincere expression of my condolence and sympathy. Will you kindly extend the same to Rev. Father ' Hingston and the other members of the family. May God come to your help in this hour of bereave- ment. Yours sincerely, (Signed) J. A. Fortier, Major-Chaplain, H. Q. 2nd Can. Div. Artillery, France.