{"id":57,"date":"2018-10-20T14:45:39","date_gmt":"2018-10-20T14:45:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/civilserviceriflemanww1.uk\/?page_id=57"},"modified":"2018-11-06T10:53:34","modified_gmt":"2018-11-06T10:53:34","slug":"eulogies-from-those-who-knew-him","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/civilserviceriflemanww1.uk\/?page_id=57","title":{"rendered":"Eulogies from those who knew him & his medal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mervyn\u2019s medal<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 1814-15 Star<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Unfortunately the inscription is<\/p>\n

L.CPL.M.REACH,15-LONDON.R<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A friend and colleague named only as R.W.S. [presumably 2154 Pte Softy, Raymond W. also of the Post Office Secretary’s Office] wrote the following appreciation of Mervyn which was published in the North Devon Journal three weeks after his death. \u201c<\/em><\/p>\n

IN MEMORIAM – Eulogy written by a colleague R.W.S<\/p>\n

I first met him when he came to our office, seven years ago.\u00a0 He was quiet and did not intrude at all into any of the little circles that we belonged to, but if I remember rightly he first came forward to do me a service.\u00a0 It was characteristic of him that he was there, to help, when wanted; and we soon came to know him well \u2013 and to know him was to love him.
\nHe did not change as time went on. He was always kind and straight. If a new man, rather awkward, came to us, it was Mervyn who put him at ease. If a refractory messenger had to be dealt with, Mervyn, again, was the man to do it \u2013 not by bullying, but by a subtle something that made everybody in the place ready to do anything for \u201cMr Roach\u201d.
\nSo it was that when war broke out he was the first of them all to volunteer for foreign service. He deemed it his duty, and that was sufficient. Training in England, fighting in France, he always steadfastly followed the light of duty, not noisily nor ostentatiously, but quietly and instinctively, in a way that encouraged the weak and shamed the shirker.<\/p>\n

His wonderful unselfishness never failed. I have known him to cheer others far less wet and weary than himself, and many and many a time he has sacrificed his comfort for that of some newcomer.
\nHe was finer than ever in danger; and the night he was chosen for the post of honour and danger in the bayonet charge, he answered his name cheerfully and at once set about the necessary precautions. I know this \u2013 that not one of the men with him would have wished for any other leader. They trusted Mervyn.
\nHe bore his agony as only a brave man could. As we carried him out he spoke cheeringly and hid his pain, and when he died, in the prime of young manhood, as fine and unstained a soul went to God as ever dwelt on Earth.<\/p>\n

For his dear ones, the bitterness must surely be mixed with solemn pride at his noble life; for his comrades, there will be empty longings for the kind voice and the strong hand of him they loved and trusted; but for them, as for all, there is his shining example. A nation that produces such men is immortal.\u00a0 Let us be worthy of it, and of him.<\/p>\n

His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in him, that nature might stand up and say to all the world –<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a man\u201d.<\/p>\n

\n

15.2.1916<\/em><\/p>\n

Extract from a letter received by Mr R. Barrett, Head Master of the Higher Council School Ilfracombe:-<\/em><\/p>\n

Dear Mr Barrett:-
\nI have been in Flanders and Belgium for the last nine months and constantly on themove as I am in the Motor Transport ——–
\nI cannot tell you how extremely sorry I was to hear of the death of my old school chum Mervyn Roach, and you also must feel it losing one of your \u201cPopular Boys\u201d. I remember those good time we had together in our old school as if it was only yesterday.——
\nI have enclosed a poem written by one of Mervyn\u2019s regiment and it will give you a little idea of what the many others have done and are doing for their dear old country and those they love so well.
\nYours sincerely<\/p>\n

L.STEPHENS<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOn Parade- get your spade,
\nFall in the Shovel and Pick Brigade\u201d
\nThere\u2019s a Carry Fatigue for half a league, and a trench to dig with a spade.
\nThrough the dust and ruins of Ypres town
\nThe \u201cSeventeen Inch\u201d still battering down
\nSpewing death with its fiery breath
\nOn the red, red road to Hooge<\/p>\n

Who is the one whose time has come,
\nWho won\u2019t return when the work is done,
\nWho will leave his bones on the blood \u2013stained stones
\nOn the red, red road to Hooge?<\/p>\n

Onward the \u201cLondons\u201d- never a stop
\nTo the Sand-bagged Trench and over the top.
\nOver the top- if a \u201cpacket\u201d you stop
\nOn the red, red road to Hooge.<\/p>\n

The burst and the roar of a Hand Grenade
\nWelcome us onto the death Parade,
\nThe Pit of Gloom- The Valley of Doom,
\nThe Crater- down at Hooge,<\/p>\n

Full many a soldier from the Rhine
\nMust sleep tonight in a bed of Lime,
\n\u2018Tis a pitiless grave for a Brave or Knave
\nIs the Crater-down at Hooge?<\/p>\n

Hark to the stand to Fusillade,
\nSling your Rifle, bring your spade,
\nAnd fade away-ere break of day,
\nOr a hole you\u2019ll fill at Hooge,<\/p>\n

Call the roll-and another name
\nIs sent to swell the roll of Fame-
\nSo we carved a cross to mark the loss<\/p>\n

Not a deed for the paper man to write,
\nNo glorious charge in the dawning light,
\nThe \u201cDaily Mail\u201d won\u2019t tell the tale
\nOf the nightwork out at Hooge.<\/p>\n

But our General knows it- and his praise we have won,
\nHe\u2019s pleased with the work the \u201cLondoner done
\nIn the shot and shell at the gate of Hell,
\nOn the red, red road to Hooge.<\/p>\n

Corporal G.E.Attwood
\n2nd<\/sup> London Regt.<\/p>\n

———————————————–<\/p>\n

And finally an extract from a letter home (to Mr Geoorge Mogridge, 47 High Street, Ilfracombe- a butcher) written by Cam Wood and dated 30th May)<\/em><\/p>\n

We haven\u2019t had our boots off or washed or shaved for a week or so \u2013you can realise what we feel like\u2026\u2026\u2026. I passed Mervyn in the trench yesterday, and he was looking very fit.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mervyn\u2019s medal The 1814-15 Star Unfortunately the inscription is L.CPL.M.REACH,15-LONDON.R. A friend and colleague named only as R.W.S. [presumably 2154 Pte Softy, Raymond W. also of the Post Office Secretary’s Office] wrote the following appreciation of Mervyn which was published in the North Devon Journal three weeks after his death. \u201c IN MEMORIAM – Eulogy … Continue reading Eulogies from those who knew him & his medal<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/civilserviceriflemanww1.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/57"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/civilserviceriflemanww1.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/civilserviceriflemanww1.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civilserviceriflemanww1.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civilserviceriflemanww1.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=57"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/civilserviceriflemanww1.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/57\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":119,"href":"https:\/\/civilserviceriflemanww1.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/57\/revisions\/119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/civilserviceriflemanww1.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=57"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}