2nd not 1st: Essex 1899-1914 (6th ed)

At the beginning the war Douglas enlisted in the Honourable Artillery Company, and owing to his modesty it was not until 30 November 1914 he could be induced to take his commission as a lieutenant in the 8th Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment 3 . He went to France on 8 August 1915 and fought at Loos where he was wounded but continued to lead his men, thus earning the Military Cross. He also fought at the Somme and at Passchendaele. He was second in command of the battalion when he was killed on the first day of the German Spring Offensive, which almost won the war for them. His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Pozières Memorial on the Somme. This excellent account of his last actions and military life was from the Reading Mercury : MAJOR D. TOSETTI, M.C. The deepest regret is felt in the Royal Berks Regiment at the death of Major Tosetti, M.C. His colonel (who has since been killed) wrote to Mr. Tosetti: Douglas was killed on March 21st. He was with in the front line when the Boches’ attack started, and did most gallant work in the reserve trench which we were occupying. When we were eventually forced to evacuate the trench he moved with others along communication trench. The enemy were close behind us, and had to stop and fire to hold him every few yards. Your son was hit as he was firing at the enemy over the parapet of the trench. He must have died immediately, as he was quite dead when I came along very soon afterwards. He was literally worshipped by all the men in the battalion, especially as he had been with them so long, and knew so many them personally. His first thoughts have always been for the men, and he was never happier than when he was with them. One of the battalion runners wrote: It was the morning of the 21st March when our battalion was attacked, and we were holding trench successfully for about three hours, when we found we were cut off and surrounded, and it was necessary to fight our way back to a reserve trench. So Major Tosetti took command of some men to fight their way through, while the C.O. took command the men that were holding them back from the front of us. All was going well until they got a machine-gun trained on us; then the major sacrificed his life to locate the gun and put the gunners out of action. He was shot through the head and chest, and was killed instantly. If it had not been for his bravery in locating that gun hardly any of us would have got away. It was a great loss to the battalion, undoubtedly he was one of the finest and bravest officers serving his country. Group photograph Sandhill Camp Wiltshire, 1915, researched by Douglas’s descendant Andrew Tatham The Rev. Arthur Longden, who was with the battalion from September 1915 speaks of the deceased officer as being loved by everyone who knew him, both officers and men. A brother officer writes: I really think that he was one of the bravest men I have ever met; he did not know what danger was. During a battle he was always seen at his best; he was always cool and collected, and set an example to officers, N.C.O.s and men which was invaluable. He was respected by all ranks, and I really think 3 Written as part of the HLF funded project ‘War Through Our Windows’ at Swaffham Prior Primary School.