First World War.- Raper (Robert George, Major) War Diary..., duplicated typescript, n.d. [c. 1920].

First World War.- Raper (Robert George, Major, 8th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment, solicitor in Battle, East Sussex, killed in action at Fricourt 1916, 1877-1916) War Diary..., duplicated typescript, title and 183pp., marked as "Copy" on title, slightly browned, some creasing, original half calf, gilt spine, edges and spine slightly rubbed, 4to, n.d. [c. 1920].

⁂ ?Unpublished. "We decided to die like gentlemen." - Raper.

"15 November [1915] It was miserable work going the rounds as the water in the trenches was icy cold and in some places one sank in the mud and water well over the knees. The men were wretched and the ground was white with frost. 16 November [1915] A curious incident occurred in the early hours. Sergt Wolling... was in a trench on my right towards a crater between the lines. Suddenly one of the bombers... shouted out 'they are coming' and Wolling felt himself seized... . He wrenched his leg free [and] threw one bomb between his legs at the man behind him which exploded and the man, he thought, said 'Have mercy'... . 15 April [1916] I saw Colonel Winston Churchill riding in the town the other afternoon. He is in command of a Scotch Fusilier Regiment which holds the line a mile or two North of us. He was wearing a steel helmet and looked a truculent fellow." - Raper.

On February 4th, 1916, Major Raper became second in command of the brigade. They Brigade then moved to Armentieres, and then to Albert, and on July 2nd they attacked and captured Fricourt. As the Commanding Officer stated, Major Raper "was gallantly superintending an operation by two companies and had just succeeded in carrying out his object, when a machine gun swept the whole front and he was killed instantaneously. Earlier in the day" he added, "I had occasion to notice several pieces of excellent work that he did, and I intend sending in his name to the higher authorities." Major Raper was mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig's Despatch dated November 13th, 1916.