PRIVATE A SEARLE
THE LOYAL NORTH LANCASHIRE REGIMENT
29TH SEPTEMBER 1915 AGE 35
BURIED: LAPUGNOY MILITARY CEMETERY, BETHUNE, FRANCE
At one time the words 'quit ye like men' were familiar in the English speaking world but 'quit' did not mean give up it meant 'act', in other words, act like a man, be brave. It's a quote from the New Testament, I Corinthians 16:13:
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
Private A Searle, whose Christian name I have not been able to discover, died of wounds following the Battle of Loos on 25 September 1915 when the 1st Battalion, in which Searle was serving, were in the front of the attack. The British army intended to launch the attack with a gas attack, which they had to keep delaying because of the weather. Eventually, at 6.34 am, they released the gas but unfortunately the wind changed and it blew back into the British trenches causing many casualties. More were caused by the uncut German wire as well as by their machine guns etc leaving the days' total casualties for the 1st Battalion as 505 killed, wounded and missing.