| Long | Walter | | Captain | LONG, WALTER, Captain, was born 26 July 1879, eldest son of the Right Honourable Walter Long, PC, JP, DL, FRS, LLD, MP, First Lord of the Admiralty, and Lady Doreen, fourth daughter of the 9th Earl of Cork and Orrery. He was educated at Harrow (Moretons, March 1893 to February 1898); was commissioned in the Scots Greys, 20 May 1899, from the Militia; became Lieutenant 10 July 1900, and Captain 23 April 1902. He served in the South African War, 1899-1902, and was severely wounded after the Relief of Kimberley, having taken part in the famous ride of Sir John French; part of the time he served as ADC to Sir John French. He was present during the operations in the Transvaal, May 1901 to May 1902; on the Zululand Frontier of Natal in September and October 1901, also in Cape Colony in May 1902. He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 29 August 1902]; received the Queen's Medal with two clasps; the King's Medal with two clasps, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 31 October 1902]: "Walter Long, Captain, 2nd Dragoons. In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa". He was ADC to Major General Scobell, 1st Cavalry Brigade, Aldershot, 1 April to 30 September 1903, and 1 October 1903 to 31 March 1906; Adjutant, Scots Greys, 11 October 1906 to 1909; ADC to the Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief, Dominion of Canada, 6 October 1911 to 5 October 1913. He was for a time ADC to Sir O'Moore Creagh, Commander-in-Chief in India: specially employed at the War Office 24 April to 31 May 1912; Staff Captain, War Office, 1 June 1912 to 25 January 1915; DAAG 26 January to 13 July 1915; AAG 14 July 1915. He went to France in August 1914, being then Captain in charge of a Squadron, and was shortly afterwards promoted Major (1 April 1915), then Lieutenant Colonel Commanding the 6th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment (from 14 December 1915), and received the CMG. He was several times mentioned in Despatches, and promoted to Brigadier General Commanding 56th Brigade, 19th Division, and made a Brevet Lieutenant Colonel. He was killed in action when in the trenches at Hebuterne on 28 January 1917. His Majesty the King wrote: "The Queen and I are deeply grieved to hear that your son has been killed in action after such a distinguished career, and in the prime of youth. I regret that my Army has lost one of its promising young Generals". HRH the Duke of Connaught wrote: "In Toby the Army and the Scots Greys have lost a splendid officer, who has always set the finest example and whose name will long be remembered. His has been a glorious death, falling in action in command of his Brigade". Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig wrote: "As the General under whom he was directly serving will have told you, his death deprives the Army of one of our best Brigadiers. As a soldier he was so practical, and thoroughly up to his work. I always felt he was sure to attain high rank, and, as a man, he was loved and admired by us all for his manly straightforward ways". At a meeting held in furtherance of the War Loan in the City Town Hall, Mr Walter Long was the chief speaker. "The Colonial Secretary, who had a very sympathetic reception, said it was no secret that an event, which had occurred this week in his domestic circle would in ordinary circumstances have led him to choose seclusion rather than appearance on a public platform; but he felt that it was his duty to come to the meeting in order to spread the lesson that they must all put their backs into the war in order to bring it to a triumphal conclusion. He had this further incentive that his wife and daughter-in-law desired him to come in order to say that their one thought was that the people of this country should not hesitate to do their duty. A still stronger incentive was the knowledge that there had come to him from the son whose loss he should deplore as long as he lived a message, silently given, that nothing should prevent him doing his duty. Until we at home realized the issue of this war, depended on ourselves and on the sacrifices that we were prepared to make, we should not have the determination that was necessary to make our cause triumphant. It was pitiful and almost incredible that at a time like the present men should have to be searched for and dug out in order to obtain their services. It was not because they were not patriotic or ready to serve, but because of the widespread prevalence of the idea that everything that was necessary was being done. Since he had been at the Colonial Office he had been very much struck by the liberality and spontaneity of the contributions from various parts of the Empire where money was none too plentiful. Recently separate contributions of £800, £200 and £20 had been received from three native treasury chests in Northern Nigeria, accompanied by expressions of fervent hope for our victory over Germany. With such examples before us, surely we, who had taken real liberty and real freedom into the countries over which we ruled, would give our last penny in order that the priceless assets might not only remain with us, but might be handed down unimpaired to those who came after. We were profiting by what our forefathers had done. Let us take care that our children should profit by what we were doing to-day. It was the duty of all to give to the Government every penny they could possibly spare, in order that our sailors and soldiers might have the reward they so much desired, namely, the winning of this war speedily. In talking matters over with a dear old friend, he had come to the conclusion that he might help those whom he was addressing to realize what duty really was if he referred to the example of the son whom he had lost. He was a very true Knight, sans peur et sans reproche; he lived his whole life for one thing, and one thing alone—duty—and he died as he had lived. The General Officer Commanding his son's division had written of him: "And now he is gone to join that gallant band to which we have all contributed, and will contribute without fear. They are never far from us out here—the gallant dead—they watch our progress keenly and cheer us by their memory and example". A fine thought for all of us to-day! That as the gallant dead are not gone but are cheering on their comrades to victory, so must they be cheering us on here to still greater effort, not blaming us, not reproaching us, but telling us, in voices to which our ears cannot be deaf, that it is our bounden and sacred duty to do our utmost to help our country in her time of difficulty and trial". Lieutenant Colonel Long was Champion Light Weight Boxer, and twice won the Middle Weight Boxing Championship of the British Army. He married, in 1910, the Honourable Sibell Johnstone, eldest daughter of Lord Derwent and Ethel (who died in 1901), eldest daughter of Captain H Strickland, late of the Life Guards, and they had one son.
Source: DSO recipients (VC and DSO Book) | 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) |
