It is with great sadness that on 1925-05-22 00:00:00 UTC, John French, 1st Earl of Ypres, passed away at the age of 72. Born in London on 1852-09-28, French was a British Field Marshal and commander of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in 1914 at the outbreak of World War I. He remained in command for most of the first year of the war and had a major influence on British military aspects of the war. As a reward for his services during the war, French was created Earl of Ypres in 1922 – the first time a British military figure had been granted such an honour since the Napoleonic wars. French will be fondly remembered for the legacy he left behind, including his role in the revitalisation of the British Army after the Boer War. His core tenet of placing the welfare of the troops at the heart of military operations lives on. May he be remembered respectfully and his memory never forgotten.