JAMES LUSK
B.A. (CANTAB).;
CHEVALIER DE LA LÉGION D'HONNEUR;
CAPTAIN AND ADJUTANT
6TH BATTALION THE CAMERONIANS
(SCOTTISH RIFLES)
LETTERS & MEMORIES
OXFORD
PRINTED FOR B. H. BLACKWELL
BROAD STREET
MCMXVI
This little book has been written, in thefirst instance, because some of those whoknew James have asked for it. And,secondly, it has been written for the sakeof the Children whom he loved—the childrenof his Sister and of his Brother—whomay ask for it one day, though they willnever know how much they are the poorerfor his passing. And, finally, it has beenwritten to the greater glory of God, Whoso wondrously fashioned his life, that itseems to us, as we look back upon it now,to have been 'a swift and shining trackstraight to the Goal.'
M.T.L.
OXFORD,
December, 1916.
CONTENTS
I. Falkirk, August, 1914—March, 1915
II. Early Weeks in France, March—June, 1915
III. Festubert, June—November, 1915
IV. The Last Weeks, November and December, 1915
NOTE
Most of the letters which compose thisbook were written by Captain Lusk to hisMother. Grateful acknowledgement isdue to those who have allowed us to useother letters and Magazine Articles. Inmany cases it has not been possible toask for this permission, but we ventureto believe that, could we have done so,it would have been granted. We areespecially indebted for encouragementand help to Lieut.-Colonel T. Martin Kay,lately commanding the 6th Cameronians.
PROLOGUE
PROLOGUE
James Lusk was the elder son of the lateJohn Lusk, Dunavon, Strathaven, Lanarkshire,his mother being a daughter of thelate David Colville, Motherwell. He wasborn at Broomhouse, Lanarkshire, September19th, 1878, and received his earlyeducation at Uddingston School and theWest of Scotland Technical College,Glasgow. He entered St. John's College,Cambridge, in 1903, and took his degreein the Mechanical Sciences Tripos in 1905.He rowed in several Lady Margaret Crews.
After taking his degree he returned toScotland, and entered the Firm of Messrs. DavidColville and Sons, Ltd., of the DalzellSteel Works, Motherwell. At first heoccupied the position of Assistant WorksManager, and later became one of theDirectors of the Firm. Those associatedwith him in a business capacity havecharacterized him as 'an exceptionally able andclear-headed man of business.' Incollaboration with Professor Barr, he carriedout an important and valuable series oftests on High Tensile Steel in the GlasgowUniversity Engineering Laboratory. Hedesigned a Slide Rule for the calculation ofweights and areas of steel, which is ofgreat assistance to those employed inRolling Mills. In the designing of new Planth