# Colonel Hesmon — Memoirs of a Foxhunting Man character guide

> Colonel Hesmon in Memoirs of a Foxhunting Man by Siegfried Sassoon.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** the Colonel, Colonel, The dear old Colonel, old Colonel Hesmon, Col. C. M. F. Hesmon, Lieut.-Col. C. M. F. Hesmon

**First appearance:** 0004-ii

## Snapshot

A retired officer whose conversational repertoire barely extends beyond hunting, yet whose distant fame as a horseman opens doors for the narrator in France.

## Who they are

Colonel Hesmon belongs to the Ringwell Hunt world, a figure of local prestige whose exploits are still recounted by relatives and strangers alike. His one topic is hunting, and his name carries such weight that a new commanding officer in Bethune already knows the narrator won the Colonel's Cup. That small social currency matters enormously: it shows how thoroughly the hunting life has prepared the narrator for the trenches, and how the two worlds keep bleeding into each other.

## Relationships

### [Stephen Colwood](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_foxhunting_man_se/characters/stephen_colwood)

_professional_

A senior officer and hunting figure who also mentors Stephen, linking the two men through shared pursuits.

### [Stephen Colwood](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_foxhunting_man_se/characters/stephen_colwood)

_professional_

A senior officer and hunting figure who also mentors Stephen, linking the two men through shared pursuits.

### [Stephen Colwood](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_foxhunting_man_se/characters/stephen_colwood)

_professional_

A senior officer and hunting figure who also mentors Stephen, linking the two men through shared pursuits.

## In the story

### [A Fresh Start](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_foxhunting_man_se/chapters/iii-a-fresh-start)

Presents the cup to Stephen Colwood and expresses delight at giving the horse to him.

### [Arrival at Hoadley Rectory](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_foxhunting_man_se/chapters/i)

Mentioned as having invited George and Stephen to lunch; gave Stephen the horse Jerry.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_foxhunting_man_se/chapters/ii)

Hosts luncheon, shows off his collection of twenty-seven pairs of top-boots and a parrot, reads the First Lesson at church.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_foxhunting_man_se/chapters/iv)

Hunt member who asks George about future meets, reflecting George's insider status.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_foxhunting_man_se/chapters/i)

An old colonel who patted George on the back after he enlisted, remembered during a cricket match.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_foxhunting_man_se/chapters/iv)

Not directly present but referenced as 'old man Barton' in context.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_foxhunting_man_se/characters/colonel_hesmon
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_foxhunting_man_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/memoirs_of_a_foxhunting_man_se/characters