The Dill Family Go to War

The last dinner menu for first-class passengers on the Titanic, including Arthur Rowe,comprised oysters, filet mignon, poached salmon, chicken Lyonnaise, foie gras, roasted pigeon, lamb with mint sauce and Punch Romaine, a palate-cleansing ice flavored with oranges and drenched in champagne.

For Agnes Rowe, the years following the loss of her twin brother on the Titanic were not to get any easier. Whilst her husband, the Reverend Samuel Marcus Dill attended to matters spiritual as Moderator of the Church of Scotland, at least two of her sons embarked on military careers, which took them in the first instance to India, there to experience first hand the glories of the British Raj. 

Once war broke out in Europe however, it was not long before the overstretched British army felt the need to call on the forces from distant parts of the empire to reinforce their frontlines in France and elsewhere. And so they did, to be joined in due course by more of the Dill children. 

In uncovering the story of the Dill sons, military records have been of some help, but the main source is from a discussion forum about the Duke of Connaught's Baluchis where the activities and fate of the Dill brothers has been pieced together by a number of contributors, using newspaper archives of the time. Further information is also available on the OurHeroes website.