Tommy Agar-Robartes, a charming, successful man
The eldest of five brothers, who went to No Man’s Land.
But why was this his fate?
He was the son of Lord and Lady Robartes, of the Lanhydrock Estate.
Due to his political status, he was not required to fight
But he was not one to stay back when his fellow Cornishmen died.
First stationed here in England,
Where he joined the Coldstream Guards
Was the Second Lieutenant of the Royal Bucks Hussars
But he left for France in February 1915
The hero that he was,
Recommended first for the Victoria Cross
After rescuing a wounded comrade
Under heavy fire, was shot by a sniper
At the Battle of Loos in September 1915.
He was shot in action, rescuing a local friend
And died later of his injuries.
His bedroom at Lanhydrock now lies cold and empty
The toy spider he had remains in the bath
His face, immortalised in Truro Cathedral
Where he represents his fellow comrades
Who died in the ‘War to end all wars’.
He was one of many Cornishmen to die in World War One.
The War needs remembering, it has to be done,
So its importance can be shared
With generations to come.
by Shannon Rowe
