BYNG, SIR Julian Hedworth George, K.C.B., KC.M.A., M.V.O., English soldier, the 7th son of the 2d Earl of Stafford: b. 11 Sept. 1862. He passed through the Staff College and became lieutenant in the 10th Royal Hussars in 1883. He saw his first service in the Sudan campaign 1884, was present at El Teb and Tamai, and received the Khedive's Star for gallant conduct. He rose to captain in 1890, major in 1898, served through the South Afri can War 1899-1902, during which he com manded the South African Light Horse and several flying columns in various parts of Cape Colony and Orange Free State. He was °men tioned in despatches" five times, received the Queen's and King's medals with six clasps and was brevetted colonel in 1902. For the next two years he commanded his old regiment ; was in charge of the Cavalry School at Netheravon 1904-05; commanded the 2d Cavalry Brigade 1905-07; the 1st Cavalry Brigade in 1909; pro moted major-general in that year and placed in command of the East Anglian Division, 1910 12. In the latter year he was appointed com mander-in-chief of the Egyptian army under the administration of Lord Kitchener, who undoubtedly influenced the appointment. At the outbreak of the European War he was recalled from Egypt and given the command of the 3d Cavalry Division, which was attached to the 7th Division of the 4th Army Corps. The Byng family history now repeated itself. Gen eral Byng's grandfather, General Sir John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford, had served as a youth in the disastrous campaigns in Flanders under Colonel Wellesley (afterward Duke of Wellington) in 1793-95. Over 120 years later Sir Julian Byng stood on the same battlefields, but at the side of his grandfather's enemies, the French. The troops under his command cov
ered the Belgian retreat, checked the German onslaught at the first battle of Ypres, and "were repeatedly called upon to restore the situation at critical points, and to fill gaps in the line caused by the tremendous losses which oc (Sir John French, 4th dispatch, 20 Nov. 1914). General Byng commanded the 9th Army Corps in the Gallipoli campaign of 1915, and at the end of May 1916 he succeeded Lieut.-Gen. Sir Edwin Alderson in the command of the Canadian corps on the western front. Under his lead the Canadian troops performed prod igies of valor in the great Somme battles (q.v.), and again in the dashing capture of the German stronghold, Vimy Ridge. In June 1917 General Byng was placed in command of the 3d Army in succession to General Allenby, and on 20 Nov. 1917 his army opened what has been described as the most dramatic episode on the western front since the battle of the Marne, namely, the great drive on Cambrai (q.v.). Be fore the enemy realized what had happened, the so-called impregnable "Hindenburg Line had been shattered and thousands of prisoners cap tured. The distinguishing feature of this bril liant exploit was the utter absence of the cus tomary "artillery preparation.* Accompanied by the formidable "tanks,'" the. British infantry advanced at dawn and stormed the enemy's trenches with remarkably few losses. See WAR, EUROPEAN, WESTERN FRONT.