TOOBRAVETOLIVE,

TOOYOUNGTODIE

TEENAGEHEROESFROMWORLDWARI

NIGELCAWTHORNE

Contents

TITLEPAGEROLLOFHONOURINTRODUCTIONDRIVERJOBDRAIN,18,ANDDRIVERFREDERICKLUKE,18

GOBARSINGNEGI,19PRIVATEEDWARDDWYER,19MIDSHIPMANWILFREDMALLESON,18SECONDLIEUTENANTGEORGEMOOR,18SECONDLIEUTENANTSIDNEYWOODROFFE,19PRIVATEJOHNHAMILTON,19PRIVATEGEORGEPEACHMENT,18TEMPORARYLIEUTENANTRICHARDJONES,19FIRSTCLASSBOYJOHN‘JACK’CORNWELL,16PRIVATEWILLIAM(BORNJOHN)JACKSON,18PRIVATEJOHNCUNNINGHAM,19SECONDLIEUTENANTTHOMASMAUFE,19SECONDLIEUTENANTDENNISHEWITT,19PRIVATEHARRYBROWN,19CORPORALERNESTEGERTON,19PRIVATETHOMASHOLMES,19

LANCE-CORPORALROBERTMCBEATH,19SECONDLIEUTENANTALAN‘BABE’MCLEOD,18RIFLEMANKARANBAHADURRANA,19PRIVATEJACKTHOMASCOUNTER,19ABLESEAMANALBERTMCKENZIE,19SERGEANTJOHNMEIKLE,19LANCE-SERGEANTEDWARDSMITH,19PRIVATETHOMASRICKETTS,17ACTINGCORPORALROLANDELCOCK,19PRIVATENORMANHARVEY,19COPYRIGHT

ROLLOFHONOUR

1.DriverJobDrainVC,18,RoyalFieldArtillery,LeCateau,France,26August1914

2.DriverFrederickLukeVC,18,RoyalFieldArtillery,LeCateau,France,26August1914

3.GobarSingNegiVC,19,39thGarhwalRifles,NeuveChapelle,France,10March1915*

4.PrivateEdwardDwyerVC,19,EastSurreyRegiment,Hill60,Zwarteleen,Belgium,20April1915

5.MidshipmanWilfredMallesonVC,18,HMSRiverClyde,Gallipoli,Turkey,25April1915

6.SecondLieutenantGeorgeMoorVC,18,HampshireRegiment,Krithia,Gallipoli,Turkey,5June1915*

7.SecondLieutenantSidneyWoodroffeVC,19,PrinceConsort’sOwn(RifleBrigade),Hooge,Belgium,30July1915*

8.PrivateJohnHamiltonVC,19,3rdBattalion,AustralianImperialForce,‘LonePine’,Gallipoli,Turkey,9August1915

9.PrivateGeorgePeachmentVC,18,King’sRoyalRifleCorps,Loos,France,25September1915*

10.TemporaryLieutenantRichardJonesVC,19,LoyalNorthLancashireRegiment,‘BroadmarshCrater’,Vimy,France,21May1916*

11.FirstClassBoyJohn‘Jack’CornwellVC,16,HMSChester,Jutland,Denmark,31May1916*

12.PrivateWilliam(bornJohn)JacksonVC,18,17thBattalion,AustralianImperialForce,Armentières,France,25June1916

13.PrivateJohnCunninghamVC,19,EastYorkshireRegiment,Ancre,HebuterneSector,France,13November1916

14.SecondLieutenantThomasMaufeVC,19,RoyalGarrison

14.SecondLieutenantThomasMaufeVC,19,RoyalGarrisonArtillery,Feuchy,France,4June1917

15.SecondLieutenantDennisHewittVC,19,HampshireRegiment,Ypres,Belgium,31July1917*

16.PrivateHarryBrownVC,19,10thBattalion,CanadianExpeditionaryForce,Hill70,Loos,France,16August1917*

17.CorporalErnestEgertonVC,19,SherwoodForesters,BulgarWood,Ypres,Belgium,20September1917

18.PrivateThomasHolmesVC,19,2ndBattalion,CanadianExpeditionaryForce,Passchendaele,Belgium,26October1917

19.LanceCorporalRobertMcBeathVC,19,SeaforthHighlanders,Ribecourt,nearCambrai,France,20November1917

20.SecondLieutenantAlan‘Babe’McLeodVC,18,No.2Squadron,RoyalFlyingCorps,Arras,France,27March1918

21.RiflemanKaranbahadurRanaVC,19,3rdQueenAlexandra’sOwnGurkhaRifles,ElKefir,Egypt,10April1918

22.PrivateJackThomasCounterVC,19,King’sRegiment(Liverpool),BoisleuxStMarc,France,16April1918

23.AbleSeamanAlbertMcKenzieVC,19,HMSVindictive,Zeebrugge,Belgium,22–23April1918

24.SergeantJohnMeikleVC,19,SeaforthHighlanders,Marfaux,France,20July1918*

25.LanceSergeantEdwardSmithVC,19,LancashireFusiliers,Serre,France,21–23August1918

26.PrivateThomasRickettsVC,17,RoyalNewfoundlandRegiment,Ledegem,Belgium,14October1918

27.ActingCorporalRolandElcockVC,19,RoyalScots(LothianRegiment),CapelleStCatherine,France,15October1918

28.PrivateNormanHarveyVC,19,RoyalInniskillingFusiliers,Ingoyghem,Belgium,25October1918

*Awardedposthumously

T

INTRODUCTION

heriverofpoppiesoutsidetheTowerofLondonwasavividreminder of those who had sacrificed their lives in the

BritisharmedforcesduringtheFirstWorldWar.Mostofthosewholosttheirliveswereveryyoung–byandlargeitisyoungmenwhogo,oraresent,tofight.Allofthemwereverybrave,simplytohavegoneintothehellofcombat.Someofthemwerebraver still because they were so young that their lives hadbarelybegun.PrivateSidneyLewiswasonlytwelveyearsandfivemonths

whenheenlistedintheEastSurreyRegimentinAugust1915.At thirteen, he fought for sixweeks in theFirstBattle of theSomme as a machine-gunner, only to be sent home anddischarged in August 1916 when his mother sent his birthcertificatetotheWarOffice.Undaunted,hereturnedtoservicebefore the end of the war and worked in bomb disposal inWorldWarII.Thousandsofboys,likeLewis,liedabouttheiragetosignup

– and not just at the beginning of the war when it was stillthought to be a big adventure. Brave youngsters were stillenlisting when it was plain that the fighting was purelymechanised slaughter and no one could figure outwhat theyweredyingfor.Someoftheseyoungmenwonmedalsforgallantryfordeeds

so daring that they scarcely seem credible. All the teenageheroesinthisbookwonthehighestdecorationforvalour–theVictoriaCross.Instituted at the end of the Crimean War in 1956, the

Victoria Cross was awarded for conspicuous courage in thefaceof theenemy.DuringWorldWar I, itwas conferred628

timeson627 recipients.CaptainNoelChavassewon it twice,oneofonlythreepeopletodoso.Hewasadoctor intheRoyalArmyMedicalCorpsandwon

his firstVC forhisactionson9August1916during theFirstBattle of the Somme. The citation appeared in The LondonGazetteon24October1916andread:

CaptainNoelGodfreyChavasse,M.C.,M.B., Royal ArmyMedicalCorps.Formostconspicuousbraveryanddevotiontoduty.

Duringanattackhe tended thewounded in theopenallday, under heavy fire, frequently in view of the enemy.Duringtheensuingnighthesearchedforwoundedonthegroundinfrontoftheenemy’slinesforfourhours.Nextdayhetookonestretcher-bearertotheadvanced

trenches, and under heavy shell fire carried an urgentcasefor500yardsintosafety,beingwoundedinthesidebyashellsplinterduringthejourney.Thesamenighthetook up a party of twenty volunteers, rescued threewoundedmenfromashellholetwenty-fiveyardsfromtheenemy’s trench, buried the bodies of two Officers, andcollectedmanyidentitydiscs,althoughfiredonbybombsandmachineguns.Altogether he saved the lives of some twenty badly

wounded men, besides the ordinary cases which passedthrough his hands. His courage and self-sacrifice werebeyondpraise.

His second VC was won at the Battle of Passchendaele, alsoknownastheThirdBattleofYpres,forhisactionsbetween31Julyand2August1917.ThecitationpublishedinTheLondonGazetteof14September1917read:

WarOffice,September,1917.His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased toapprove of the award of a Bar to the Victoria Cross toCapt. Noel Godfrey Chavasse, V.C., M.C., late K.A.M.C.,

attd.L’poolR.For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty

wheninaction.Though severely wounded early in the action while

carryingawoundedsoldiertotheDressingStation,Capt.Chavasserefused to leavehispost,and for twodaysnotonlycontinuedtoperformhisduties,butinadditionwentout repeatedlyunderheavy fire to search forandattendtothewoundedwhowerelyingout.During these searches, although practically without

foodduring thisperiod,wornwith fatigueand faintwithhis wound, he assisted to carry in a number of badlywoundedmen,overheavyanddifficultground.By his extraordinary energy and inspiring example he

was instrumental in rescuingmanywoundedwhowouldhave otherwise undoubtedly succumbed under the badweatherconditions.This devoted and gallant officer subsequently died of

hiswounds.

CaptainChavassewasburiedinthewarcemeteryatthesmallvillage of Brandhoek in Belgium. He was just thirty-two.However, the men remembered in this book were muchyounger. They all won the Victoria Cross before the age oftwenty.Theyoungestwassixteen-year-oldFirstClassBoyJohn‘Jack’Cornwell ofHMSChester,whodidnot survivehis firstaction.He was not the youngest ever to have won the VC. That

honourissharedbyAndrewFitzgibbonandThomasFlinn,whowere both just fifteen years and threemonths oldwhen theyshowed great bravery respectively in the Third ChinaWar in1860andtheIndianMutiny–alsoknownastheSepoyMutinyortheIndianRebellion–in1857.TheexactdayonwhichFlinnwas born is not known, only the month, so it cannot bedeterminedwhetherhewasa fewdaysolderoryoungerthanFitzgibbon.Their citations were brief. Fitzgibbon’s appeared in The

LondonGazetteof13August1861andread:

HospitalApprenticeArthurFitzgibbonFor having behaved with great coolness and courage atthecaptureoftheNorthTakuFort,onthe21stofAugust,1860.Onthemorningofthatdayheaccompaniedawingof the 67th Regiment,when it took up a positionwithin500 yards of the Fort. Having quitted cover, heproceeded,underaveryheavyfire,toattendtoaDhoolie-bearer, whose wound he had been directed to bind up;and, while the Regiment was advancing under theEnemy’sfire,heranacrosstheopentoattendtoanotherwounded man, in doing which he was himself severelywounded.

FitzgibbonwaswiththeIndianMedicalEstablishmentanditisthought that he had theVCwith himwhen hewas buried in1883,havingdiedattheageofthirty-eight.Drummer Thomas Flinn was with the 64th Regiment.

Gazettedon12April1859,hiscitationread:

DrummerThomasFlinnDateofActofBravery,28thNovember,1857Forconspicuousgallantry, in thechargeon theEnemy’sguns on the 28th November, 1857, when, being himselfwounded,heengagedinahandtohandencountertwooftheRebelArtillerymen.

He,too,survivedtheactionandlivedtotherelativelyripeoldageoffifty.None of theVCwinners in this book are quite that young.

Theywere teenagers. Somediedduring the action theyweredecoratedfor.OthersdiedlaterintheslaughterofWorldWarIor, weakened by their injuries, in a pandemic of Spanish fluthatfollowedit.SomediedseeingactionagaininWorldWarII,still comparatively young then.A few evendied of old age inthecomfortoftheirownbed.

Evenso, intheactionthatwonthemtheirVCs,theyriskedalmostcertaindeath,exhibitingabraverythat,hopefully,noneof uswill ever be called upon tomatch.Wewill never knowwhether we would be able to find the valour that they soeffortlessly plucked fromwithin themselves. For these boys –whoprovedthemselvestobemen–weretoobravetolive,tooyoungtodie.

NigelCawthorneBloomsburyNovember2015www.nigel-cawthorne.com

B

DRIVERJOBDRAIN,18,ANDDRIVERFREDERICKLUKE,18

ROYALFIELDARTILLERYLeCateauFrance,26August1914

arkinginEssexisextremelyproudofitsyoungVCwinner.His house at 42Greatfields Road, Barking, carries a blue

plaqueand, inNovember2009, theborougherectedabronzestatue of Driver Job Drain in his army uniform outside theBroadway Theatre in the town centre. A commemorativepaving stone – one of those to commemorate all VC winnersfromWorldWarI–waslaidinfrontofthestatueon27August2014.TheceremonywasattendedbyLance-SergeantJohnsonBeharryVC,whowonhisVictoriaCrossinIraqin2004,agedtwenty-four.Itwasawardedfor ‘two individualactsofgreatheroismby

whichhesavedthe livesofhiscomrades.Bothwere indirectfaceoftheenemy,underintensefire,atgreatpersonalrisktohimself(oneleadingtohimsustainingveryseriousinjuries)…’The full citation ismuch too long to includehere,but canberead atwww.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/57587/supplement/3369.Bornon15October1895,JobHenryCharlesDrainattended

Barking Church of England School before he enlisted in theregular army in Stratford on 27 August 1912 to escapeunemployment.Hewasjustseventeen.WhenBritaindeclaredwar onGermanyon4August 1914,

he was in Ireland with the 37th Howitzer (H) Battery of theRoyal Field Artillery. Two weeks later, on 17 August, his

batterysailedfromDublin,arrivingatLeHavretwodayslater.Onthe21st,theyheadedforthefront.BritainhadgonetowarnotbecauseshewasalliedtoFrance

but to defend the neutrality of Belgium, guaranteed by theTreatyofLondonof1839.BythetimeDrain’sbatteryarrived,the British Expeditionary Force had moved up to Mons insouth-westBelgium.Theretheyweretodefendtheleftflankofthe French 5th Army and took up positions along the Mons-Condé canal. That day, aBritish bicycle reconnaissance teammetaGermanunitatthevillageofObourg,wherePrivateJohnParrofthe4thBattalionoftheMiddlesexregimentbecamethefirstBritishsoldiertobekilledinthewar.Havingliedabouthisage,ParrhadjoinedtheArmyin1912

when he was only fourteen. He was just seventeen when hedied.Thecircumstancesofhisdeathremainamystery.Inlateryears, aBelgiumwomanwhowaseight yearsoldat the timesaid that she had seen him holding off a German patrol,allowingotherAlliedforcesoldierstoescape.Buthemayhavebeenkilledbyfriendlyfire.The military records still listed him as serving with his

battalion on27 January1915, thoughhis commandingofficerlistedhimasmissingaftertheBattleofMonson23August.HismotheronlydiscoveredhewasdeadwhenshereceivedaletterfromBerlin,fromoneofhischumswhowasaprisonerofwar,saying he had been shot. He was buried in St Symphorienmilitarycemetery,eastofMons.Hisheadstonegiveshisageastwenty.The BEF under Marshal Sir John French held the line at

Mons against a superior force in the first major actions thatearned them the nickname ‘TheOld Contemptibles’ after theKaiserwasthoughttohavegivenanorderon19August1914for German forces to ‘exterminate… the treacherous EnglishandwalkoverGeneralFrench’scontemptiblelittlearmy’.Thismayhavebeenpropaganda.On 23 August, the French retreated, exposing the British

right flankand forcing themtopullback too.Soonafter theyarrived, Drain and 37th (H) battery found themselves caught

upintheretreatfromMons.At 02.00 hours on 26 August, there was a meeting of the

seniorcommandersatBertry, inFrance, thirtymiles southofMons. The army was in disarray. Major General EdmundAllenbyreportedthatcavalrywerescatteredandnolongeraneffective fighting force and Major General Hubert Hamilton,commandingthe3rdDivision,saidhecouldnotgethismenoutofharm’swayuntil09.00hours.The5thDivisionwerealsoinno position to beat a hasty retreat. So Brigadier General SirHoraceSmith-DorriendecidedthattheywouldhavetohalttheGermanadvancewithashortstoppingblowatLeCateau,justfourmilesaway.Thatwouldgivetherestof thearmytimetogetawayingoodorder.Unfortunately,Smith-Dorrienwasdependingonthesupport

of I Corps underGeneral SirDouglasHaig.He did not knowuntil 05.30 hours thatHaigwas already in full retreat, but itwastoolatetochangehisplans.Onthefieldwerefiftythousandmenofthe3rd,4thand5th

Divisions of II Corps. Opposing them were five divisions ofGerman cavalry. But the Battle of Le Cateau was to beprincipallyanartillerybattle.TheBritishhad225guns,whiletheGermanshadsixhundred.The37th (H)Batterywerewith the5thDivisionwhenthey

withdrewfromMons.AtBavay,eighteenmilesnorth-eastofLeCateau, the battery stopped to provide a rearguard. ThedivisionarrivedatLeCateauandsetupitsheadquartersinthevillage ofReumont, threemiles to the south-west.Meanwhilethe infantry deployed on the gently sloping fields betweenReumontandLeCateautothewestoftheRiverSelle.The artillery from XV Brigade was moved up as close as

possible to the infantry to give them maximum support. Butthis left themexposed. The 37th (H)Batterywerewith threeotherbatteries,with twenty-fourguns inall,betweenthe2ndSuffolks, who made up the front line to the north-east, andtheirsupportinginfantry.Thebatteryitselfstraddledtheroadthat ran from Le Cateau to Reumont. They camouflagedthemselvesasbesttheycouldanddugintothesoftsoilofthe

recently harvested fields. To their right flank was a smallstream and twomachine gunsmanned by B Company of the2ndKing’sOwnYorkshireLightInfantry.OntopofasmallrisetheXVthArtilleryBrigadehadanobservationpost.When theGermans arrived, they occupied thehighground

to thewestofLeCateau.Approachingdownthevalleyof theRiverSelle, they tookLeCateauat 06.00hours.At the sametime,Germangunsattheforesttothenorth-eastofLeCateaubeganpoundingthepositionsofthe5thDivision.Inresponse,the 37th (H)Battery and the other guns of theXVthBrigadefiredattheirmuzzleflashes,withsomesuccess.TheHowitzersquicklysilencedtwoGermanguns,butitwasdifficultforthemtooperatesoclosetotheinfantry.Drainwroteinthediaryof37th(H)Battery:‘Therewaslittle

coverorhidingplaceandwhenthebattlebegantherewere18-pounder batteries on either side, with a siege battery to therear of themandhundreds of infantrymenwere goingup tomeetupwiththeenemy.Terribleshellscameoverinsixesandwereburstingallovertheplaceandoverthetopsofourgunsandwagonlineswithplentyofbullets flyingabout.Manaftermanwasbecomingwoundedandhorseswerebeingkilledandbatteriessmashedtopieces.Ijustdon’tthinktherewasamanon the field who did not say his prayers for a generalretirementtobeordered.’Shells intended to hit the battery fell short and the 2nd

Suffolks sufferedheavy losses. Then, just before07.00hours,Major E.H. Jones commanding the 37th (H) Battery waswounded.At10.00hours,theGermaninfantrybegantoattackthe2nd

Suffolks and 2ndManchesters to their flank in small groups.The XVth Brigade turned their fire on them, inflicting heavycasualties. Soon they were running short of ammunition. Ataround13.30hours, the order came to retrieve theguns andleavethebattlefield,buttheartillerycontinuedfiringuntiltheywerealmostoutofshells.The 37th (H) Batterywere still firing at 13.45 hourswhen

otherartilleryunitswereleavingthefield.Itwasclearthatthe

British were going to have to withdraw and the 37th (H)Batterybegantakingtheirgunsout.On the other side of the Reumont road, 52, 123 and 124

batteries foundthemselvessoclose to the front line that theydecided to abandon their guns, first taking out their breechblocksandsmashing their sights.Fourteenof the twenty-fourguns of XV Brigadewere pulled out, but the teams from the37th(H)and80thwerethelasttoleaveastheyweretryingtorescuethelastfourHowitzersandfivefieldguns,ratherthanabandonthem.Douglas Reynolds, a thirty-one-year-old captain with the

battery, was searching for spare gun-carriage teams to haulanother two howitzers away. He did not find them, so hedisabled the guns and withdrew towards Reumont with hismen.Therehefoundtwogun-carriageteams,whovolunteeredtogobackforanotherattempttorescuetheguns.Oneofthemcomprised Lieutenant E.G. Earle, who was already wounded,and LieutenantW.D.Morgan, along with Drivers Ben Cobey,JobDrainandFrederickLuke.Born on 29 September 1895, Frederick Luke was from

Lockerley inHampshire, where his fatherwas amill worker.Hewasoneofafamilyoffiveboysandeightgirls,twoofwhomhaddied in infancy.Afterschool,heworkedbrieflyona localfarm before enlisting at Winchester in January 1913. Atseventeen,hewasstillunderagewhenBritaindeclaredwaronGermanyon4Augustthefollowingyear.Lukewas another driverwith 37th (H) Battery. The job of

thesesoldierswastohandletheteamsofhorsesthatpulledtheguncarriages.Theequineswereharnessed inpairs,withonedriverperpair.Under the command of Captain Reynolds, they headed up

theroadataslowtrot.Then,whentheyapproachedtheguns,theybrokeintoagallop.Astheguncarriagesbouncedacrossthe rough ground, the crew leaned forward in an attempt tosteadythemselves.TheadvancingGermaninfantryweretakenby surprise by the sight of the gun carriage racing towardsthem.Theywerenowonthreesidesofthebattery,finishingoff

thoseofthe2ndSuffolks,whowerestillputtingupresistance.XVBrigadewerestillfiringattheadvancingGermansasthe

gun-carriage team approached the wall of shrapnel ahead ofthem.Theartillerycommanderorderedabriefceasefire.Thisallowed the Germans, who were just a hundred yards away,freerein.While Luke and LieutenantMorganwere bringing out one

gun, Cobey was shot dead. His whip flew up in the air, butCaptainReynolds,whowasridingalongside,managedtocatchit and urge the horses on. Drain, who had been runningalongside, jumpedon to thehorseand spurred it on.CaptainReynolds and Driver Drain then sped to safety past theastonished Germans, stunned by the audacity of themanoeuvre.ThewoundedLieutenantEarledidnotfaresowell.Histeam

hooked up the second Howitzer, but only made it fifty yardsbefore two horses were shot and killed. Earle and SergeantBowerwereunhookingthem,whentwoofhisothermenwereshot dead. They abandoned the gun and, with SergeantBower’shelp,Earle,whohadbeenwoundedagain in theeyeand forehead, made it back to Reumont. Only four of theeighteenofficersinthebrigadewereleftunscathedandMajorJonesof37th(H)batteryhadbeenwoundedandalsocaptured.Captain Reynolds and Drivers Drain and Luke were all

awarded theVC. Reynolds’s citation appeared inThe LondonGazetteon16November.Itread:

AtLeCateau,on26thAugust,hetookuptwoteamsandlimberedup twogunsunderheavyArtilleryand Infantryfire, and though theenemywaswithin100yardshegotonegunawaysafely.AtPisseloup,on9thSeptember,hereconnoitred at close range, discovered a battery whichwas holding up the advance and silenced it. He wasseverelywoundedon15thSeptember,1914.

Thetwodrivers’awardsweregazettedon25November.Theirjointcitationread:

At Le Cateau on 26th August, as volunteers, helping tosavegunsunder fire fromhostile infantrywhowere100yardsaway.

Five VCs were awarded at the Battle of Le Cateau. Somethought thatDriverCobey should have been awarded theVCposthumouslyandheappearsinaheroicposeindepictionsoftheaction.LieutenantEarlewasrecommendedfortheVC,buttheWar

Office turned down the award on the grounds that he wasundertheordersofasuperiorofficer,ratherthanactingonhisowninitiative.HegottheDistinguishedServiceOrderinstead.Sergeant Bowerwas given theDistinguished ConductMedal.ThiswasalsoawardedtoTrumpeterS.F.G.Waldron,whowaswoundedbringinguphorsesunderheavyfire.Later, the37thHowitzerBatterywasgiventhehonorarytitleof‘LeCateau’.Forthesebraveyoungmenthewarwasfarfromover.They

continuedtheretreatdeepintoFranceforthenexttendays.Inthe summer heat, the horses sometimes collapsed withexhaustion.Thosethatbecamelamewereshotattheroadside.Menwerealsoovercomewiththeheatandfellbythewayside.The Germans were just twenty miles from Paris when theywerefinallyhaltedalongtheRiverMarne.ThentheFrenchandtheBritishExpeditionaryForcebegantopushthemback.On9September,thefourthdayoftheBattleoftheMarne,

Captain Reynolds ordered the 37th (H) Battery to take out aGermanbatterythatwasholdinguptheadvance,reconnoitringitatclosequarters.ThisincidentwasalsomentionedinhisVCcitation.During theensuingBattleofAisne, thebatterycrossed the

riveronapontoonbridgeandthemenwerebilletedatafarmnearSoissons.Onthe14th,theseconddayofthebattle,Drainrecordedthatthegunsfiredallday.Reynoldswaswounded in thechestbyapieceofshrapnel.

Promoted to major, he was given a new Howitzer battery tocommand.DrainandLukeonlyheardthattheyhadbeenawardedthe

Victoria Cross when they were fighting together in thetrenches near Bethune and a field officer told them that theKing,whowasinFrance,wantedtoseethem.Givennotimetocleanup,DrainandLukeweredecoratedinthefieldbyGeorgeVatLoconon1December1914.Hewarnedthemnotto losetheirmedalsinthemud.Instead,hetoldthemthattheyshouldgive them to their commanding officer, who would see thattheyweresenthome.Reynolds received his VC at Buckingham Palace on 13

January1915.Meanwhile,the37th(H)Batterywassentnorthto Flanders, where its soldiers fought with distinction in theFirstandSecondBattlesofYpresinNovember1914andApril–May1915.JustbeforeChristmas1915,Reynoldswasgassedafterbeing

mentioned in despatches another two times. He died ofsepticaemia in hospital in Le Touquet on 23 February, agedthirty-three,shortlyafterhissonwasbornbackinEngland.When Drain returned to Barking, there was a ceremony

wherehewaspresentedwithapurseofgold,awatchandanilluminated copy of the formal address (a calligrapheddocument on special paper, presented either as a scroll or apanel,withofficialwording).Hewent through the restof thewar without being wounded. In 1920, he was one of the VCwinnerswhoformedtheguardofhonourattheinternmentoftheUnknownWarriorinWestminsterAbbey.Hewentintothereservesin1919andwasdischargedwiththerankofsergeantin1924.Drain’sfatheralsoservedintheFirstWorldWar.DrainhimselfmarriedPatriciaMurrayin1919andtheyhad

two children. But he found the transition back to civilian lifedifficult. He found a job as aWhitehallmessenger. Later, hebecame a Billingsgate fish porter and thenwas a bus driver.Untilhisdeathon26July1975,hecontinuedlivinginBarking.HewasburiedinRipplesdaleCemetery.For the rest of his life he remained close friends with

FrederickLuke,whoalsoservedintheArmyfortheremainderoftheFirstWorldWar.Buthewaswoundedandspenttimeinhospital in Todmorden, where he met his future wife, Jenny

Husband.Theyhadthreesonsandadaughter.Discharged from hospital, Luke was transferred to D180

Batteryof the16thDivision.He left the reserve in1929withthe rank of sergeant and became a janitor at Glasgow HighSchool forBoys.During theSecondWorldWar,he joined theRAFandservedasagroundgunner.Backincivvystreetagain,hebecameastoremaninanengineeringfirm.In 1962, he returned to Le Cateau with Brigadier Earle,

wherehewasgiventhefreedomofthetown.Hereturnedthefollowing year to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the battlewith the successor to the 37th (H) Battery, 93 (Le Cateau)Battery.In1981,hevisitedthebatteryinPaderborn,Germany,wherehewasgivenachampagne lunch in theofficers’mess,sittingunderapaintingofthethreeholdersoftheVCrescuingthe gun at Le Cateau. The commanding officer of the 4thDivision, Major General Richard Vickers, said that he hopedtheywouldnevergotowaragain.‘Well,ifyoudo,’saidLuke,‘andyouneedanyhelp,justgive

meacall.’Forseveralyearsbeforehedied,Lukewastheoldestliving

recipientoftheVictoriaCrossandheheldtherecordforbeingthe longest holder of the medal, clocking up over sixty-nineyears.He died on 12March 1983 at the age of eighty-seven.He

was cremated in Linn Crematorium, Glasgow, and his asheswerescatteredinthecrematoriumgardensthere.AlongwithDrainandReynolds,hisnameappearsontheVC

memorialintheRoyalArtilleryChapelinWoolwich,south-eastLondon.BothDrain’sandLuke’sVCsareondisplayintheLordAshcroftGalleryattheImperialWarMuseum,London.

W

GOBARSINGNEGI,19

39THGARHWALRIFLESNeuveChapelle,France,10March1915

ehaveaproblemwithRiflemanGobarSingNegiVC.DuetopoorrecordkeepinginUttarakhand,northernIndia,his

dateofbirthisvariouslygivenas21April1895–whichwouldhave made him nineteen when he won his VC – or 21 April1893–whichwouldhavemadehimtwenty-one.Andhisnameisgivenvariously asGobarSingNegi,GabarSinghNegi andGabbarSinghNegi.SourcesgenerallyagreethathewasbornatManjoodvillage

nearChamba,TehriintheGarhwaldistrictofUttarakhandandjoined the Garhwal Rifles in October 1913. He was with the2ndBattalionofthe39thGarhwalRifles.When World War I broke out, both the 1st and 2nd

Battalions were sent to France. On 13 October 1914 theyarrived at Marseilles as part of the Garhwal Brigade. Theymustered at Orleans and entered the front-line trenches atRicheburgonthenightof29–30October.Thetrencheswerealready under heavy shellfire. On the night of 4 November,about eightyGermans advanced on the trenches occupied bythe1stBattalion.Apartyofsixteenriflemenchargedandputthemtoflight.By the night of 9–10 November, a German trench had

extendedtowithinfiftyyardsofthe2ndBattalion,whodecidedthat they had better attack it. Some fifty riflemen crawled totheGermanparapetwithoutbeing seen.Once the signalwasgiven, they jumped down into the trench and captured six

prisoners.Therestfled.Afewdayslatertheydecidedtocarryoutanothernightraid,

but on a larger scale. Fiftymen from the 2ndBattalionweredetailed, alongwith 250 from the 2nd/3rdQueenAlexandra’sOwn Gurkha Rifles on their right. A party of sappers andminers and two more platoons of riflemen were to follow inordertooccupytheGermantrenchonceithadbeencaptured.However, since the last raid, the Germans had been

improving their trenchesandhadalso installeda searchlight.Theraidwasalsoprecededbyashortartillerybombardment,sotheGermansknewthatanattackwascoming.Theadvancewasmetwithheavyfire.ThoughmanyofthemenreachedtheGerman trench, they found it impossible to capture it. Therewere heavy casualties. TwoBritish officers and oneGarhwaliofficerwerekilled.After three weeks in the trenches both the 1st and 2nd

Battalions were relieved. Then on 23 November, the 1stBattalion was sent to reinforce the Ferozepur Brigade in thePas-de-Calais.TheSikhstherehadlostapartoftheirtrenchesto the Germans and, despite repeated counter-attacks, hadfailedtoretakeit.When the 1st Battalion, Garhwal Rifles arrived, it was

decidedtoattacktheGermanflank.Theraidwastobeledbyapartyofsevenbombersborrowedfromthe57thRifles.Severaltraverses – right-angled bends in the trench to preventenfilading fire (a volley of gunfire directed along a line fromend to end) –were taken at the point of a bayonet, after thebombers had done their work. Between thirty and fortyprisonerswere taken.When the bombs ran out, the riflemencharged, killing or taking prisoner any Germans who stoodtheir ground. They captured the rest of the trench and, bydawn,theoriginallinehadbeenrestored.During the action Naik Darwan Sing Negi, thought to be

thirty-three, waswounded twice in the head and once in thearm,yetherefusedtogivein.Hecontinuedtoheadtheparty,pushing round each successive traverse in the face of heavyfire.HewasawardedtheVC.Thecitation,whichappearedon

the front page of the supplement to The London Gazettepublishedon7December1914,read:

His Majesty the KING-EMPEROR has been graciouslypleased to approve of the grant of the Victoria Cross tothe undermentioned soldier of the Indian Army forconspicuous braverywhile servingwith the Indian ArmyCorps,BritishExpeditionaryForce:1909, Naik Darwan Sing Negi, 1st Battalion, 39th

GarhwalRifles.For great gallantry on the night of the 23rd–24th

November, near Festubert, France, when the regimentwas engaged in retaking and clearing the enemy out ofourtrenches,and,althoughwoundedintwoplacesinthehead,andalso in thearm,beingoneof the first topushroundeachsuccessivetraverse, inthefaceofseverefirefrombombsandriflesattheclosestrange.

DirectlyunderNaikDarwanSingNegi’scitationcamethatofSepoyKhudadadKhan,whohadwontheVCattheFirstBattleofYpres.Itread:

4050,SepoyKhudadad,129thDukeofCounaught’sOwnBaluchis.On 31st October, 1914, at Hollebeke, Belgium, the

BritishOfficer in charge of the detachment having beenwounded,andtheothergunputoutofactionbyashell,Sepoy Khudadad, though himself wounded, remainedworking his gun until all the other five men of the gundetachmenthadbeenkilled.

BothalsoappearedintheGazetteofIndiaon15January1915.Though they were both awarded themedal on the same daySepoyKhudadadKhan’scame fromanearlieraction,sohe isconsideredthefirstIndianwinneroftheVC.IntheactionatFestubert,oneBritishofficer,oneGarhwali

officerandeighteenmenwerekilled,andoneBritishandtwoGarhwali officers and thirty-three men were wounded. The

battalion captured twomachine guns, one trenchmortar and105prisoners.Theyheldthecapturedtrenchuntilthenightof25–26Novemberwhentheywererelievedbythe2ndBattalion,whooccupied it for threedays and sufferedheavy casualties,exhumingandre-buryingtheGermandeadunderintensefire.This dangerous and unpleasant work was undertaken forsanitaryreasons.Afteronedayoutof the line, the2ndBattalionreturnedto

thetrenchesnearRichebourg,alongsidethe1st.Althoughtheshelling was now less intense, both battalions still sufferedcasualties daily. At the end of December, they were relievedandmarchedsome twentymilesbehind the lines,where theycouldrest.They returned to the front line in the lastweek of January

1915. The weather was bad and the trenches were flooded.Consequently,therewaslittlefightinguntiltheBattleofNeuveChapelle began on 10March. This was to be the first large-scaleorganisedattackundertakenby theBritishArmyduringthewar.BythenmoredivisionshadarrivedinFranceandtheBritish

Expeditionary Force was split into two armies. The action atNeuveChapellewouldbeundertakenbyGeneral SirDouglasHaig’sFirstArmy.French Commander-in-Chief, General Joseph Joffre,

considereditvitalthattheAlliedforcesshouldtakeadvantageoftheirgrowingstrengthontheWesternFront,bothtorelieveGermanpressureonRussiaand, ifpossible,break through inFrance. British commander Sir John French agreed andpressedtheBEFtoadoptanoffensivepostureafterthemonthsof defence in waterlogged trenches. Joffre planned to reducethegreatbulgeintoFrancepunchedbytheGermanadvancein1914,byattackingattheflanksinArtoisandtheChampagne.The planwas to take the railway running across the plain ofDouai, forcing the Germans to evacuate a large part of theground they held. TheBritishwere asked to attack atNeuveChapelle.The attackwas undertaken by the IVCorps underGeneral

Sir Henry Rawlinson on the left and the Indian Corps underGeneralSir JamesWillcocks. Thebattle openedwith a thirty-five-minutebombardmentofthefrontline,thenthirtyminutesof shelling on the village and reserve positions. Thebombardment,forweightofshellfiredperyardofenemyfront,wastheheaviestthatwouldbefireduntil1917.‘At 7.30 am the artillery bombardment commenced, and

never since history has there been such a one,’ said CaptainW.G.Bagot-ChesterMC,2/3rdGurkhaRifles,GarhwalBrigade,Meerut Division. ‘You couldn’t hear yourself speak for thenoise.Itwasacontinualrattleandroar.Welayverylowinourtrenches,asseveralofourgunswerefiringshort.’The 1st Battalion was on the right of the brigade. They

strayed too far south and found the German wire therepractically untouched. Under intense fire the Garhwalisshowed great bravery and determination, taking heavycasualties.Eventuallytheybrokethroughandtookaroundtwohundredyardsoftrench.However,theyhadbecomeseparatedfrom the battalion to their left by around the same distance.ThismeanttheyhadGermansonthreesidesofthem.AlltheirBritishofficershadbeenkilledintheadvanceandthebattalionwas under the command of Subadar (Lieutenant) Deb SingMaharuntilhe,too,waskilled.SudadarKedarSingRawatthentookoverandthe1stheldofftheGermansuntilBritishtroopsclosedthegap.The 2nd Battalion had a comparatively easy time of it. In

theirsector,theartillerybombardmenthaddoneits job.Theycapturedovertwohundredprisonersandthreemachineguns.It was during the advance that Rifleman Gobar Sing Negi

distinguishedhimself.Hewasoneofabayonetpartyattackingthe flank. Once in the enemy trench, he was the first to goround each traverse in the face of fierce German resistance,killing several of the enemy.When theNCO in his partywaskilled, he took over command and drove the Germans backuntiltheysurrendered.Gazettedon28April1915,thecitationtohisVCread:

His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased toapprove of the grant of the Victoria Cross to theundermentionedman forhisconspicuousactsofbraveryanddevotiontodutywhileservingwiththeExpeditionaryForce:No. 1685 Rifleman Gobar Sing Negi, 2nd Battalion,

39thGarhwalRifles.Formostconspicuousbraveryon10thMarch,1915,at

Neuve Chapelle. During our attack on the Germanposition hewas one of a bayonet partywith bombswhoentered their main trench, and was the first man to goround each traverse, driving back the enemy until theywereeventuallyforcedtosurrender.Hewaskilledduringthisengagement.

BynightfalltheremainsofthevillagehadbeentakenandtheGermanshadbeenpushedbacka further fourhundredyardsto the River Layes. But, during the night, the GermansreinforcedtheirsecondlineinfrontoftheBoisduBiezbeyondand all further attempts to push them back further provedfutile.BeforetheGermancounter-attackatdawnon12March,the

2ndBattalionwasorderedbackwhenitwasfoundthetrencheshadbecomeovercrowded.But the1stBattalion stayed in thecaptured trench. After suffering heavy bombardment, theyplayed their part in repulsing the enemy. Their machine-gundetachmentdefeatedeveryeffortoftheGermanstorecapturethe trenches, killing hundreds. The following day the 1stBattalionwasrelieved.For the part they had played in the battle, both battalions

werementionedbytheCorpsCommanderashavingespeciallydistinguished themselves. A message to this effect from thecommander-in-chief of the British Army in the field waspublishedinIndiaArmyOrders.Thetwobattalionswereattheheadoftheunitscited.During the action 1st Battalion lost seven British officers,

three Garhwali officers and 120 other ranks killed, and five

British officers, four Garhwali officers and 190 other rankswounded. Due to their losses, the two battalions wereamalgamatedasTheGarhwalRifles.GobarSingNegi’snameisrecordedontheNeuveChapelle

Memorial. However, back in Chamba, he is remembered asGabarSinghNegi,whereanannualGabarSinghNegiFair isheld in his memory every 20 or 21 April, depending on theHindu calendar. In 1971, the Garhwal Regiment adopted thefairandamemorialwasconstructed.WiththeinclusionoftheArmy in the ceremonies, the Gabar Singh Negi Fair beganattracting villagers from far and near to pay homage to thebraveyoungsoldier.Itistheonlyfairofitskindinthestate.The fair is also a recruitment rally for the Garhwal Rifles,

whichstillexistsasaninfantryregimentintheIndianArmy.‘The saga of Negi’s bravery continues to inspire the youth

fromthispartoftheworldtojointheArmy,’sayslocalwriterKunwarPrasoon.

P

PRIVATEEDWARDDWYER,19

EASTSURREYREGIMENTHill60,Zwarteleen,Belgium,20April1915

rivateEdwardDwyerwasattheSecondBattleofYpreswithBCompanyofthe1stEastSurreys.Bornin1895inFulham,

hewas baptised Edwin at St Thomas of Canterbury’s RomanCatholic Church in Rylston Road and was educated at StThomas’s Parish School, living with his parents in LintaineGrovenearby.After leaving full-time education, he worked as a

greengrocer’s assistant. At the age of sixteen, he ran awayfrom home shortly after the reading of the banns for themarriage of his father, private builder James Dwyer, and hismother Mary Ann. It is thought that he could not bear theshameofhisnewlydiscoveredillegitimacy.Althoughhewasshortforhisyears–5foot3½inches–he

liedabouthisageandenlisted in theArmyatKingston-upon-ThamesasEdwardDwyer.Hewaswiththe1stBattalionoftheEast Surreys when they were posted to Ireland and was inhospital with a venereal disease when war broke out. Heembarked for Francewith theBritishExpeditionaryForce on13August1914,justninedaysafterwarhadbeendeclared.The1stSurreyswerewiththeBEFwhentheyadvancedon

Mons.‘ThatmarchtoMonswasanightmare,’Dwyersaid.‘Unless

you’ve been through it, you can’t imaginewhat an agonisingtimeitwas.Weusedtodofromtwentytotwenty-fivemilesaday. We filled haversacks with biscuits and ate them as we

marchedalong.’ItwasatMonshefirstsawaction.‘The firstbigscrapewehadwasatMonsat twelveo’clock

Sundaynoon,’hesaid.‘TheGermansdon’ttakeanyaccountofSundays. You people over here don’t realise what we wentthroughinthosedays.’He then experienced the humiliation of the retreat from

Mons.Then, fromtheRiverMarne, the1stSurreysmovedupto relieve theFrench, coveringasmuchas fortymiles inoneday.‘Wehadafour-hoursit-downandthenwewentstraightinto

action in open formation,’ said Dwyer. ‘That was when wepushed them back fifteen miles in three weeks. I rememberSeptember30 too. Itwas thedaywedrewthe firstpaysincewe’dbeenoutthere– fivefrancs. Ithadto lastas longaswecouldmakeit.NomorepayuntilNovember.FivefrancsmoreonthefifthofNovemberandbreadwasafrancaloaf.’Afterwards,theymoveduptoYpres.Itwasallthismarching

thatDwyerrecalledparticularly:‘There was only one thing that could cheer us up on the

march,’hesaid.‘Thatwassinging.Weusedtosingsomethingmadeupbythechaps.“Tipperary”wasinfullswingthenandthey would always go on to something they had inventedthemselves.Itusedtobuckusupandwewouldmarchallthebetter for it. Sometimeswewould sing some ofG.H.Elliott’ssongs. You know, the “Chocolate Coloured Coon”. But wewouldalwaysgointosomethingwe’dinvented.’Therefrainwasoftenthestoical:‘We’reherebecausewe’re

herebecausewe’rehere…’During theFirstBattle of Ypres, theGerman30thDivision

captured Hill 60, near Zwarteleen to the south-east. TheFrenchhadduga tunnelunder thehill and,when theBritishtook over that section of the front, miners from Wales andNorthumberlandcontinuedtheirworkasitwastheonlypartofthefrontinthatareathatwasnotwaterlogged.TheBritishattackedon17April1914,takingHill60easily.

TheIllustratedWarNewsof28April1915explainedhowthey

diditinapieceentitled:‘HowthecaptureofHill60wasmadepossible–theexplosionofaland-mineunderanenemytrench’.Itread:

Inplaces, land-minesareplaying in the trench-warfareapart of immense local importance, and sometimes withwide-reachingresults.Their immediateeffect is thatofavolcaniceruption,suddenlybelchingupinthemidstofthetrenches with a devastating burst of flame and densesmoke, the explosion excavating a gaping crater andkillingorcripplingallonthespot.Ourphotograph,takenfrom a trench in front at themoment ofmine-explosion,vividly showswhat onlookerswould see. The blowing-upalways immediately precedes a bayonet assault by thelayersofthemine,beforethesurvivorsortheircomradesin the adjoining trenches have time to pull themselvestogether. In that way our capture of the otherwiseimpregnable Hill 60, south-east of Ypres, was renderedpossible.

The whole operation cost just seven British casualties.However,itcreatedasalientthatwouldbedifficulttoholdandthe Germans began heavy shelling of the whole area inpreparationforacounterattack.Thefollowingmorning,the1stEastSurreysmarchedoutof

theirbillets inYpresand took the road to the south-east thatledtoHill60.TheyweretosupporttheRoyalWestKentsandtheKings’OwnScottishBorderers,whohadtakenthehillthepreviousday.AnaccountoftheactionwaswrittenbyCaptainJamesPrice

Lloyd of the Welsh Regiment, who served with MilitaryIntelligence andwrote reports on the actions of VCwinners.Afterthewar,thegovernmentgaveordersthatitcouldnotberiskedtomakethesearchivespublic,astheywerethoughttobe too sensitive. Remarkably, some of the documents havesurvived in the personal records of Captain Lloyd. In adocumentheaded‘TalesoftheVC’,stamped5March1918,he

wrote:

OnSundaymorning, theexpectedGermancounterattackdeveloped. Again and again masses of infantry breastedthelowerslopes,buttheynevergainedtheridge.Alltheenemy’sendeavourstorecovertheirlostgroundendedinfailure. The British losses, too, had been heavy. Freshtroops were needed at once to relieve the wearybattalionsinthefiringline.Earlyonthemorningofthe19th,the1stEastSurreys

tooktheirplaceinthefrontline,andfornearlytwodays,in spite of every effort to dislodge them, they clunggallantly to the tangleof craterswhichcrowned thehill.FieldgunandHowitzer, trenchmortarandmachinegunraineddeathuponthemalways.Thesecouldkill,buttheycouldnotconquer.

On19April,Dwyerfoundhimselfinatrenchtothenorth-eastofthehill,almostoppositeaGermanstrongpointthatstoodattheendofasap,ortrench,thatranoutfromtheGermanfrontline towards the British trenches. The following day, BCompanyweresupposedtomoveuptotheadvancedtrenchesto relieveACompany.ThiswaspreventedbyaGermanpushthat began on the afternoon of the 19th. While A Companywere involved in heavy fighting, German troops were seenadvancing down the sap under the protection of sniper firefromthestrongholdandthetrenchesheldbyBCompanyweresoonunderthreat.Leading a platoon with A Company was twenty-three-year-

old Lieutenant George Roupell, a graduate of Sandhurst whohadbeencommissionedintheEastSurreyRegimentinMarch1912.AccordingtoLieutenantLloyd:

Lt.GeorgeRowlandPatrickRoupellsetashiningexampleof courage and endurance to his men. Although he hadlessthanthreeyears’service,hehadbeenincommandofacompanysincethe15thofSeptemberthepreviousyear,and had shown that he was well worthy of such a

responsible post. He had already on several occasionsprovedhimselfabraveaswellasacapableofficer.Whenhis battalion was in action near Messines his brigadierrecommended him for ‘devising and carrying out a verybrilliant reconnaissance, in which he displayed courageandcoolness of a veryhighorder’. These samequalitiesheshowedindefenceofHill60.The 19th was a day of comparative peace, but there

was stormy weather ahead. Next day the full fury ofbombardmentbeatdownonHill60oncemore,andwhentheshellshaddonetheirwork,theGermaninfantrycameforward to bomb the defenders out of their ruins. Thecompany had lost heavily and Lt. Roupell himself hadbeen wounded in several places, but the Surreys wouldnotgiveaninch.Inspiredbythepersonalexampleoftheirleader, the survivors manned what was left of theirparapets,anddrovetheGermansbackintotheirtrenches.

Early on 21 April, Dwyer risked life and limb, leaving thetrench under heavy bombardment to bandage woundedcomrades.Eventually,hefoundhimselfaloneinthatsectionofthe trench, apart from the dead and wounded. The Germanswere only fifteen or twenty yards away and were throwinggrenadesintothetrench.Dwyer,though,wasreadytomakeastand. He climbed up onto the parapet and began lobbinggrenadesback.Inthatposition,theenemycouldfiredirectlyonhim.Butthe

Germans, at first shocked by his audacity, soon foundthemselves the target of his fusillade. Single-handed, he kepttheGermansatbayuntilreinforcementsarrived.Inrecognitionofhisfeat,hewaspromotedtolance-corporalon24April.CaptainLloydwrote:

Forhisgallantryduringthisattackandthebombardmentthat preceded it, Pte. Edward Dwyer, of the samebattalion,wasalsoawardedtheVictoriaCross.Whentheshell-firewasatitsheighthelefttobandagethewounds

of several of his comrades who had been hit and werelyingintheopen.Whentheattackcame,regardlessofhisowndanger,Dwyerclimbeduptheparapet,wherehewasfully exposed, and hurled bomb after bomb at theadvancing Germans. A party of Germans, who hadcrawledupanoldcommunicationstrenchtowithinafewyardsof theparapet,showeredbombsuponhim,but,bysomemiracle,heescapedoutofthatHillunhurt.

Three days later, Dwyer was hit in the head by a piece ofshrapnel. He learnt that he had been awarded a VC thefollowingmonthwhenhewasrecoveringinaFrenchhospital.Theawardhadbeengazettedon21May1915andthecitationread:

Formostconspicuousbraveryanddevotiontodutyat‘Hill60’onthe20thApril,1915.Whenhistrenchwasheavilyattacked byGerman grenade throwers he climbed on totheparapet,and,althoughsubjectedtoahailofbombsatclosequarters,succeededindispersingtheenemybytheeffective use of his hand grenades. Private Dwyerdisplayedgreatgallantryearlieronthisdayinleavinghistrench, under heavy shell fire, to bandage his woundedcomrades.

Three other VCs were won on Hill 60 that day, another tendays later. One of them was awarded to Lieutenant Roupell.CaptainLloyd’saccountcontinued:

There was a lull after the failure of this attack, and Lt.Roupell took advantage of it to hand over his commandand pay a hurried visit to the dressing station. TheMedical Officer would have kept him there, but Lt.Roupellrefusedtostay.Hehadotherworktodo.Atanymoment the enemymight attack again, and most of hisofficersweregone.Hewouldnotleavehismen.So he went back to the front line. He had not long

returned when the German guns began to speak again.

The garrison of the hill was now desperately thin. Lt.RoupellatoncewentdowntoHeadquarters,throughthestorm of shell-firewhich swept the slopes, and returnedoncemoreattheheadofthereinforcementswhichwereso urgently needed. Badly wounded as he was, heremained with his company on Hill 60; until, on themorningofthe21st,thebattalionwasrelieved.

Lieutenant Roupell’s VC was gazetted on 22 June 1915. Thecitationread:

Formost conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on20April1915,whenhewascommandingacompanyofhisbattalion in a front trench on ‘Hill 60’, which wassubjected toamostseverebombardment throughout theday. Thoughwounded in several places, he remained athispostandledhiscompanyinrepellingastrongGermanassault. During a lull in the bombardment he had hiswoundshurriedlydressed,and then insisted inreturningtohis trench,whichwasagainbeingsubjectedtoseverebombardment. Towards evening, his company beingdangerously weakened, he went back to his battalionheadquarters, represented the situation to hisCommanding Officer, and brought up reinforcements,passing backwards and forwards over ground swept byheavyfire.Withthesereinforcementsheheldhispositionthroughoutthenight,anduntilhisbattalionwasrelievednextmorning.ThisyoungOfficerwasoneof the fewsurvivorsofhis

company,andshowedamagnificentexampleofcourage,devotion and tenacity, which undoubtedly inspired hismentoholdouttilltheend.

Lance-Corporal Dwyer received the medal from George V atBuckinghamPalaceon28June,takingwithhimFatherBrownefrom St Thomas at Canterbury, Fulham, who he had knownsincehewasseven.RoupellgothisdecorationatthePalaceon12 July. Both he and Dwyer were also awarded the Russian

CrossofStGeorgeFourthClass.RoupellalsowontheCroixdeGuerre and was mentioned in despatches – and wasretrospectivelyappointedtemporarycaptain.By1918,hewasatemporarymajoronthegeneralstaff.Back in England, Lance-Corporal Dwyer told his story in a

pieceentitled‘HowIWontheVC–mysingle-handedfightwiththe Huns at Hill 60’, which appeared in theDaily ChronicleWarBudgeton8July1915:

TheygavemetheVCbecauseIwasinadeadfunkattheideaofbeingtakenprisonerbytheGermans.Ithappenedat ‘Hill60’on20thApril1915.Mytrench

was heavily attacked by German grenade-throwers. Iclimbed onto the parapet, and, although subjected to ahailofbombsatclosequarters,Isucceededindispersingtheenemybytheuseofhandgrenades.IamtheyoungestVCintheBritishArmy,beingwhatis

knownas‘eighteenandabit’.TherewasatimewhenIwasagreengrocer’sassistant

inFulham,inthefar-offdayswhenIlivedwithmyfatherandmother.ButIgottiredofthegreengroceryandsaidtomyself,

‘TheArmy’sthethingforaMan.’Iwasaverylittlechap,and notmore than sixteen at the timewhen I ran awayfromhometojointheBritishArmy.Ithinktherecruitingsergeantmusthavebeenjustabit

short-sightedonpurpose,becauseheenlistedmewithoutany trouble in the 1st Battalion of the East SurreyRegiment.Theotherday,theygavemeafewdays’leave,whichI

was lucky enough to get extended, but I go back to thefrontinafewdays’time.WhenIcamehometheKingsentfor me to go to Buckingham Palace. His Majesty shookhandswithme, and I toldhimwhat I haddone.Hewaseversonicetome,andsmiledwhenheshookhandsafterpinningtheVConmybreast.He’saKingworth fightingfor,KingGeorge.

What I mean when I say that they gave me the VCbecause Iwas in adead funkat the ideaof being takenprisonerbytheGermansisthattheHunsnevertakeonemanalonealive.Anythinglessthanabatchtheywon’tbetroubledwith.SoyoucanunderstandwhyIwasafraid.IfIhavetodie,Ithought,Iwilldiefighting.Fear’safunnything.Itgetsatyouinallkindsoffunny

ways.Whenwe’vebeenskirmishing inopenorderunderheavy fire all the while I’ve felt myself go dumb, mytongueabitofcotton.Thenthebloodhasrushedintomyface,headandearshotasfire,andthetipofmytongueswollen intoablobofblood. It’snotnice, I can tell you,but the feeling passes. I’ve never expected to get out ofanyfightI’veeverbeenin.AndsoIalwaysjusttrytodomybit,andleaveitatthat.Well, they were shelling our trench pretty badly, and

afteratimeallourchapswereeitherkilledorwounded.Someofthepapershavesaidthattheotherchapsretired.Theydidn’tretire–thewoundedmayhavecrawled.AtlastIwastheonlyunwoundedmanleftinthetrench.

Therewere three steps leadingup to the parapet of thetrench,andIsatcrouchedonthemiddlestep.Shellsandhand bombs were bursting all over and around, butnothingtouchedmeatall.Wehadalotofhandgrenadesinourtrench,andIaddedtomystockbygatheringupallIcouldfind.IsupposeIhadaboutthreehundredinall.Then Iwentback to crouchon themiddle stepof the

trench.The fearofbeingtakenprisonerwasverystronguponme.Astraightshot,aroundholeintheforehead,isallright.Asoldiercan’tcomplainatthat.ButtobetakenprisonerbythoseHuns–ugh!But funking drives aman to domad things – I found

myself on the trench parapet hurling hand grenades. Iwon’tsayitwasn’tfinefun,buttherewasthedreadatthebackofmymindthatthedevilsmightmissme,andtakeme alive before the trenchwas relieved. So I gave it tothemgoodandhot.Ididafewofthemin.Iftheyhadonly

knownthatIwasthelastmanlefttheywouldhaverushedme,andbynowIshouldhavebeen–adeadprisoner…I was pretty well done when help did come; but I

jumpeddownintothetrench,madwithjoyandwithoutascratch. The relieving party chippedme a lot and calledme‘TheKingoftheHandGrenades’.I got wounded by a flying piece of shrapnel about a

week laterandwent intohospital,andwhile Iwas therethenewscamethattheyhadgivenmetheVC.Since I returned home I have been doing a bit of

recruiting.OnedayIgotaboutthirtychapsto join.I tellthem just straight that because we’ve not enough mentherearesoldiersstillinthefiringlinewhohaveearnedadozen holidays but can’t be spared because there’snobodytotaketheirplaces.Someof the slackerswhowon’t joingrouseabout the

fightingconditionsthey’dhavetoputupwith.Isayiftheofficerscanputupwiththegrubandthegrind,andmenwithmoneycanserveasprivates,who’vealwayslivedsoftbefore, nobody has any right to be too particular. TheArmy’swhatamanmakesofit.

According to the newspaper: ‘Corporal Dwyer kept his homeleavesecretforthreedays–thenwordgotoutandtheladiesofFulhamshowedtheirappreciation!’Dwyerdidnotgobacktothefrontina‘fewdays’time’ashe

predicted.Hespentsixmonthshelpingthenationalrecruitingdrive,talkingnotonlyofhisownservice,butthatofhisfatherwhoenlistedintheArmyServiceCorpsattheageoffifty,hiselderbrother Jameswhoserved in theRoyalNavyDivision inSalonika and his younger brother Andrew, who was then inhospitalafterservingintheDardanelles.HetoldtheObserveron18July1915: ‘Therearehundreds

of lads in theArmywhoareonly seventeenyearsof age,buttheysaidtheywereeighteen,andiftheycandoit,socanyou.’Dwyer alsomade a couple of recordings about the retreat

fromMons and day-to-day life in the trenches. Just nineteen,

his voice through the crackles is old beyond his years. Hebegins:‘Theytellmethatyouwouldliketohearsomethingofwhatourboysaredoingatthefront.AndalthoughIamonlyayoungster as soldiersgo, I’ve seenabout asmuch fightingasanymanandthere’sstillabitoffightleftinmeyetifIgetthechancetogooutagain…’He did get that chance. But first, on 20 December, he

marriedMaude Barrett-Freeman, a twenty-one-year-old nursehecalledBillie,whohadtendedhimwhenhewasinjured.Shewasafarmer’sdaughterfromBalham.TheweddingwasatStThomas at Canterbury’s Catholic Church in Fulham, withFather Browne officiating. Dwyer told his mother of hismarriagethefollowingday.Before he returned to France, he seems to have had a

premonitionthathewouldnotbecominghomeagain.Helefthis VC for safe-keeping with Father Browne, saying: ‘ThegeneralruleisthataVCgetsknockedoutthesecondtime.’Promotedtoactingcorporalon27December,hereturnedto

the front in January 1916,while hiswife returned to nursingunder hermaiden name. He wasmade a full corporal on 27July.HewaskilledleadinghismeninanattackatGuillemontontheSommeatnoonon3September.Twoweekslater,amemorialmasswasheldatStThomas’s.

AbronzeplaquehonouringhimwasunveiledinaceremonyinFulhamCentralLibraryon28December1918.Theinscriptionreads:

INGRATEFULMEMORY

CORPORALEDWARDDWYERV.C.

AFULHAMLADEASTSURREYREGIMENT

KILLEDINACTION3RDSEPT.1916AGED20

HEGAINEDTHEVICTORIACROSSFORCONSPICUOUSBRAVERYANDDEVOTION

TODUTYATHILL60FRANCEAPRIL

TODUTYATHILL60FRANCEAPRIL

1915INDISPERSINGGERMANSBYHANDGRENADESANDBANDAGINGUNDER

SHELL-FIREWOUNDEDCOMRADES

HeisburiedatFlatironCopseMilitaryCemeteryinFrance.In1962,whenFather–thenCanon–Brownedied,Dwyer’s

VCwasfoundamonghispossessions.ThiswasreportedtotheWar Office and the medal was presented to the RegimentalMuseumoftheEastSurreyRegimentinKingston.In November 1996, the Public Record Office – now the

National Archives – in Kew, south-west London, put on anexhibition that included Dwyer’s army papers and thenewspapercoverageofhisdeedsat the time.FulhamLibraryalso put on a commemoration attended by children from StThomas’sSchool.Roupell remained in theArmyafter thewar.Hewas taken

prisoner during the Allied intervention into the Russian CivilWar in 1919. Later, he spent two years at theRoyalMilitaryCollegeofCanadainKingston,Ontario,andayearwithBritishtroopsinChinain1934.BytheoutbreakofWorldWarII,hewasacoloneland,asan

acting brigadier, hewas given command of the 36th InfantryBrigade, which took him back to France with the BritishExpeditionary Force. When his brigade headquarters inDoullens was attacked, he is reported to have said: ‘NevermindtheGermans,I’mgoingtofinishmycupoftea.’The brigade headquarters were then overrun and Roupell

hidoutatafarmnearRouenfornearlytwoyears,workingasafarm labourer.Eventually theFrench resistance escortedhimto Spain and he returned to the UK via Gibraltar. He thenbecame commanding officer of the 114th Infantry Brigade.Retiringfromactiveserviceasabrigadierin1946,hewentontobecomethelastcoloneloftheEastSurreyRegimentbeforeitamalgamatedwithTheQueen’sRoyalRegimenttoformtheQueen’sRoyalSurreyRegiment.

T

MIDSHIPMANWILFREDMALLESON,18

HMSRIVERCLYDEGallipoli,Turkey,25April1915

urkeyanditsOttomanEmpirethatdominatedmuchoftheMiddleEast joined theFirstWorldWaron the sideof the

CentralPowers–GermanyandAustria–on1November1914.This was because Russia had declaredwar on the Ottomans,immediatelybringinginitsWesternAllies,BritainandFrance.The British were particularly gung-ho as the OttomansthreatenedtheSuezCanal,Britain’slifelinetoIndia.To aid its Russian ally, Britain agreed to attack Turkey

through the Dardanelles, the narrow strait that connects theAegeanSeatotheSeaofMarmara.Fromthere,aBritishfleetcould bombard Constantinople – now called Istanbul – whichwasthenthecapitaloftheOttomanEmpire.Initially this was planned as solely a naval action so men

wouldnothavetobedivertedfromtheWesternFront.Itwouldalsouseobsoletewarships,toooldforfleetactionagainsttheGermans in the North Sea. The attack was to begin bybombarding theGallipoli Peninsula to thewest of the straits,but this proved ineffective against the modern fortificationsthere.SoWinstonChurchill, thenFirstLordof theAdmiralty,proposed a combined amphibious operation. TheBritishwereto land at five beaches on the tip of the peninsula, knownasCape Helles, on 25 April 1915. The ANZACs – men of theAustralianandNewZealandCorps–wouldlandfurthertothenorth,while theFrenchwould landatKumKaleon theAsian

sideofthestraitstodrawawayTurkishreinforcements.At eighteen years, fivemonths,WilliamSt AubynMalleson

was theyoungestof the tenVCwinnersatGallipoli thatday.Born on 17 September 1896 at Kirkee in India, he was theeldestsonofMajorGeneralWilfredMalleson,adistinguishedofficerintheIndianArmy.HewassenttoprepschoolatEdgeborough,nearGuildford.

After attending Marlborough College, he went to the RoyalNaval College, Dartmouth, and joined the battleship HMSCornwallisasamidshipmanthreedaysbeforetheoutbreakofwar.TheCornwallis tookpart in the ineffectivebombardmentof

the Turkish defences in early 1915 andwas then assigned tosupport the landings on Cape Helles on 25 April. As landingcraft had yet to be invented,most of the soldiers and storeswouldbetakenashorebypinnacesrowedbysailors.The British also had a converted collier, the River Clyde,

which would carry 2,000 troops. The ship would be beachedandthetroopswouldrushashoreoverlightersfromdoorwayscut in her side. Just before the landings the news came thatRupertBrooke,thewarpoetwhohadjoinedtheexpeditionasan infantryofficer,haddiedof septicaemiaonahospital shipoff the Greek island of Skyros. It was not an auspiciousbeginning.At 05.00 on 25 April, the British began their barrage on

CapeHelles.At06.00,theRiverClydesetoff,buthadtoslowdown so the pinnaces could keep up. Then at 06.22, shebeached. The Turks, who had remained hidden in theirtrenchesup to thispoint,opened fire.Menwerekilledwheretheysatintheirbarges.‘One fellow’s brainswere shot intomymouth as I shouted

for them to jump for it,’ recalled Sergeant J.McColgan, whowasshotintheleg.‘Idivedintothesea.Thencamethejobtoswimwithmypackandoneleguseless.Imanagedtopulloutthe knife and cut the straps and swim ashore. All the timebulletswererippingaroundme.’Ofhisthirty-twomen,onlysixsurvived.

The plan called for a steam hopper, or barge, to form abridge from the ship to the shore. However, the Dardanellescurrent swept the hopper away so Captain Edward Unwin,commander of the River Clyde, and Able Seaman WilliamCharlesWilliams dived overboard and, under heavy fire fromtheTurkishdefenders,manhandled two lighters intoposition,lashingthemtogether to formthebridge.WhenWilliamswasmortally wounded, Unwin went to his aid and the lighter hewasholdingwassweptaway.Unwinthencollapsedfromcoldandexhaustion.Others attempted to lash the lighters together and failed

from sheer exhaustion. Then Midshipman Malleson took histurn.Underheavy rifle fire and the rake of aMaximgun, heswamoutandsucceededin lashingtwolighterstogether.Buttheropethenbrokeandhehadtomaketwomoreattempts.Eventually, when the lighters were in place, men rushed

fromthedoorsinthesideoftheRiverClyde–tobecutdown.Only twenty-one of the first two-hundred men reached theshore.MunsterFusilierTimBuckleywaswiththem.‘Iwas talking to thechaponmy leftwhenIsawa lumpof

lead enter his temple,’ he said. ‘I turned to the chap on myright,hisnamewasFitzgeraldfromCork,butsoonhewasovertheborder.Theonepieceofshrapnelhaddonethejobforthetwoofthem.’MajorDavidFrenchoftheDublinsalsomadeitashore.‘Iwas in the lastboatofmy“tow”anddidnotrealize they

had started atmy boat until one of themen close tome fellback dead – shot,’ French wrote soon after. ‘I realizedimmediately that having practically wiped out those in thethree boats ahead they were now concentrating their fire onus.Ijumpedoutatonceintothesea(uptothechest)yellingatthemen tomakea rush for itand to followme.But thepoordevils – packed like sardines in a tin and carrying thisdamnableweightontheirbacks–couldscarcelyclamberoverthesidesoftheboatandonlytworeachedtheshoreun-hit…’Frenchhimselfwasluckytoescape.‘Ihadtorunabout100–150yardsinthewaterandbeingthe

firstawayfromthecutterescapedthefireabittostartwith,’he said. ‘But as soon as a few followedme thewater aroundseemed tobealive– thebulletsstriking theseaall roundus.HeavenaloneknowshowIgot thro’…WhenIwasabout fiftyyardsfromthewater’sedgeIfeltonebulletgothro’thepackonmy back and then thought I had got through safelywhenthey put one throughmy left arm. I could find only thirty orfortymen intactandwecommenced todigourselves into thelow cliff.Why the Turks with their vast preparations did notlevelthisbankofearthdownIcannotimagine.Hadtheydoneso,noneofuswouldhaveescaped.’The fewwhomade itashore tookcoverunder thatbankat

the back of the beach. Even there they were in danger ofartillery fire from the Asian shore but, fortunately, the shellsproved defective. Nevertheless, the ensuing slaughter wasappalling.‘Thebeacheswerecoveredwithbodiesofthedead,andthe

slopes with limbs, heads and bodies,’ said a Turkish soldierfighting there. ‘The small dried-up streamswere flowingwithblood.’MallesonwasinthethirdwaveonVBeach,buttheTurkish

resistancewas so great that theBritish became embroiled inthe furious fight to gain the tiniest toe-hold. NeverthelessMalleson spent six days unloading men and material, andguidingunitsashore.HewastheonlyoneofthesixwinnersoftheVConVBeachnottobeinjured.Physicallyexhausted,hewas evacuated to Bighi Hospital on Malta, suffering fromrheumaticfever.ThecitationthatappearedintheSupplementtoTheLondon

Gazette,16August1915read:

Admiralty,16thAugust,1915.The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of

the grant of the Victoria Cross to the undermentionedOfficers and men for the conspicuous acts, of braverymentionedintheforegoingdespatch:—CommanderEdwardUnwin,R.N.

MidshipmanWilfredSt.AubynMalleson,R.N.MidshipmanGeorgeLeslieDrewry,R.N.R.AbleSeamanWilliamChas.Williams,O.N.186774(R.F.R.B.3766)(sincekilled).SeamanR.N.R.GeorgeMcKenzieSamson,O.N.2408A

Midshipman Malleson was promoted to acting sub-lieutenanton 15May 1916. That autumn he joined his younger brotherRupertonHMSLordNelson,wherehisrankwasconfirmedon30December.HereceivedhisVCatBuckinghamPalaceon2January1918, the lastof thesixVCwinners fromVBeach toreceivehisaward.Promotedtofulllieutenanton30March,hewasservingon

the depot shipLucia, under the command ofMartin Dunbar-NasmithVC,when thewarended. Inpeacetime,heserved insubmarines,gaininghisfirstcommandin1923.Hereturnedtosurfaceshipsfortwoyearsbeforetakingcommandofanothersubmarinein1927.That year, he married Cecile Mary Collison in St Mary’s,

Marylebone.ThecouplemovedtoPlymouth,whereCecilegavebirthtoadaughter.Inhismid-thirtieshewaspostedtothecruiserHMSBerwick

on China Station. One of his contemporaries there said: ‘Hewas known as “Mad Malleson”. That is not meant to bepejorative “mad”, but a chap who is a bit unpredictable. Hewasfiercelyforgetful,abnormallyso.’By the outbreak of theSecondWorldWar, hewas back in

Devonport, servingasacommander. In1941,hewenton theretired list, only to be recalled and sent to Malta as theassistantcaptainofthedockyardthere.Hestayedtherefortherestof thewar,enduring the ferociousairattacks.His familyjoinedhimtherein1945,whenhewaspromotedtocaptainofthe dockyard and later King’s harbour master, continuing inserviceonMaltauntilheretiredin1948.Attempting to start a second career, he ran a hotel in

Galloway, then, with his wife, a caravan park in Cornwall,settlingfinallyinTruro,wheretheylivedinabungalowhehad

built. Wearing a monocle, he became the village eccentric.Thoughchairmanofthelocalseacadets,fewknewofhisnavalexploits. He hid a painting depicting his endeavours at CapeHellesandrefusedallinvitationstojointheVictoriaCrossandGeorgeCrossAssociations.His brother Hugh, also a retired naval commander,

explained his modesty, saying: ‘He reckoned that he and hiscompanions trying to replace the landing barges at V Beachwereavailableforanyoddjobs,andthiswasanemergency.Ofcourse, he was frightened, as were the others, but like trulymodestmen,heseemedtopreferkeepinghisreflectionsontheactiontohimself.‘Thehoursspentinthewater,tryingtogetthelightersback

into position, under heavy fire was one thing, but the visibleexecutionofhundredsof our soldiersbefore slipping into thewater might well have un-nerved others. On this subject,therefore, Wilfred’s reluctance to talk or join in celebrationsabout VCs was initiated by his illness at Bighi Hospital andprolongedbythecurious.’CaptainMallesondiedon21July1975,agedseventy-eight.

He was the last of the V-Beach VCs to die. His ashes werescattered at sea off Falmouth. Hismedals were presented toEdgeboroughSchool,butwerelateracquiredbyLordAshcroftandareondisplayattheImperialWarMuseum.

G

SECONDLIEUTENANTGEORGEMOOR,18

HAMPSHIREREGIMENTKrithia,Gallipoli,Turkey,5June1915

eorge Raymond DallasMoor was Australian by birth, butwas not at Gallipoli with the ANZACs. Instead he was a

lieutenant in the Hampshire Regiment and was at V Beach,wherehewonhisVC.The family had a tradition of colonial service. His father,

WilliamHenryMoor, had worked in the Ceylon Civil Servicebefore becoming auditor-general of the Transvaal, and hisuncle, Sir Ralph Moor, had been high commissioner forSouthernNigeria.George was born on 22 October 1896 in the home of his

aunt, Ella Helen Moor, née Pender, in St Kilda, Victoria,Australia.WithhisfatheroccupiedinPretoria,MoorwassenthometoEngland tobeeducated.Heattendedprepschoolonthe Isle of Wight, before applying to Cheltenham College in1909,givinghisintendedcareerastheEgyptianCivilService.Atschoolhewasapromisingsportsman.Though Moor clearly intended to follow in the family

tradition, it seems that he wanted to put some distancebetweenhimselfandhisfather.In1914,hismotherfiledforajudicial separation on the grounds of adultery. With goodreason.Herhusband,shestated,had‘neverinterestedhimselfin the boy’ and she had paid for his education out of herallowance.Still only seventeen, Moor enlisted at Barnstaple on 18

September 1914. He joined the 21st (Service) Battalion (4thPublicSchools)oftheRoyalFusiliers,whichhadbeenformedby the Public Schools and University Men’s Force a weekearlier. Themedical officer noted he had a fresh complexionand‘verygoodphysicaldevelopment’.Hewasfive-footeleveninchestallandweighed10½stone.Moor spent just forty days as a private before being

commissioned into 3rd Battalion of theHampshire Regiment,hisfather’soldunit.Aftersixmonths’traininginEnglandandEgypt,hewenttotheDardanellesasasecondlieutenantwiththe2ndBattalionoftheHampshires,landingonVBeachon25April1915andsurvivingthebloodbaththere.Threedayslater,he was wounded during the advance from the beachheadtowards the village of Krithia, which had been practicallyundefendedwhentheyhadlanded.InthefaceofstiffOttomanresistance,theBritishwereforcedbacktotheirstartingpoint.Anotherattempttotakethevillageandneighbouringhillof

AchiBabaon6Mayalsofailed.Bythenonly250oftheoriginalthousandmenofthe2ndBattalionwereleftandwerebadlyinneed of rest and recuperation. Nevertheless the units of the29thDivisioncontinuedtopushforward,aimingtoestablishafront line less than two hundred yards from the Turkishdefences,readyforanotherattempttotakethevillage,whichwasscheduledfor4June.Before then, the 2nd Hampshires were reinforced and

Lieutenant Colonel Weir de Lancy Williams took over as theunit’s fifthcommandingofficersincethe landing.Hehadalsodistinguished himself on V Beach on 25 April. The 2ndHampshires’ strengthwasbroughtup to382,with thirty-nineofficersandmenrejoiningtheunitfromhospital.OneofthemwasMoor.The Third Battle of Krithia began at 11.20 on 4 June. To

begin with, everything seemed to go well. When the firstbombardmentwasover,theBritishthenmadeafeintadvance,drawing the Turks back into their trenches, only to bedecimatedbyasecondbombardment.At noon, the advance began. Then things started to go

wrong.TheIndianBrigadeontheleftwasquicklyhalted,withtheexceptionoftheGurkhaRifles.ASikhbattalionwasalmostwiped out as it advanced along the floor of Gully Ravine.FollowingastirringspeechbyLieutenant-ColonelWilliams, inwhichheexpressed thehope that the regimentwouldwin itsfirst VC since the attack on the Taku Fort during theOpiumWars of 1862, the 2nd Hampshires advanced along Fir TreeSpurbesidethem,quicklycapturingtwolinesoftrenches.While the assault units of the 29th Division managed to

secure their objectives, the42ndDivision in the centrebrokethrough.Butontheright,theFrenchadvancefailed.AreservebattalionfromtheRoyalNavyDivisionwentinanditssoldierswere annihilated. Nevertheless, the Hampshires continuedtheiradvance,withMoor’s88thBrigadetakingthelead.Butwiththefailureontheright,the42ndDivision’sposition

wasuntenableandtheywereforcedback.At18.00hours,the88th Brigade was ordered to pull back. By then the 2ndHampshires’ casualties were around 50 per cent. The lossesamong the officers were particularly severe. After meetingwhathecalled‘atall,wild-lookingdark-hairedboyofeighteen’in one of the captured trenches, Lieutenant-Colonel Williamsremarked: ‘Moor,myself and one other officer were the onlyofficersleftuntouched.’WilliamssaidtoMoor:‘Welldone,boy!Holdwhatyouhave

got.’Soonafter,WilliamswaswoundedandMoorwasleftasthe

onlyofficerinthesector.While the Turkswere held back bymachine-gun fire, they

were reinforced that night and then attacked in strength.LieutenantColonelA.G.PatersonwiththeKing’sOwnScottishBordererswho,withthe1stEssex,occupiedtheH12salienttothe left of the 2nd Hampshires and the 2nd Royal Fusiliersrecalled:

Therewasaslightmist.AtdawnheavyfirebrokeoutandamessagecamethroughthatH12waslost.Almostatthesame moment looking away to the right one saw what

appeared to be the whole of our trench garrisonsstreaming back in hundreds to the old front line underheavyMGfire.It was a most extraordinary sight and I shall never

forgetthesoundmadebythetroopscomingback–asortof longdrawn-outmoan.An officer of theHQwith us (IamnotsurewhetheritwastheEssexorBorders)ranouttowardsNineTreeCopsetorallythesetroops.Theymusthave rallied quickly as we got in touch with the Essexlater thatmorning. The Turks took no advantage of thismomentarypanic.

TheTurkshadburstthroughthelineofthe1stEssex,whofellback on the trench occupied by the 88th Brigade. TheHampshires’regimentalhistorysays:

A disorganized mass of men was being pressed backagainst the Royal Fusiliers’ left, where crowded andnarrow trenches impeded any reorganization of thedefence. The situationwas becoming critical, officer-lessmenwereretreatinginconfusionwhenSecondLieutenantG.R.D. Moor dashed across the open from theHampshires’ lines with a few men and stemmed theretirement by vigorous and forcible measures, actuallyshooting one or two panic-stricken fugitives. He did notstop here: having rallied and reorganized the men in ahollow, he led them back to the lost trench and clearedthe Turks out, setting amagnificent example of braveryandresourcefulness.

Accordingtothe29thDivision’scommanderGeneralHenrydeLisle, Moor ‘had to shoot the leading four men and theremaindercametotheirsenses.’DeLislecommendedthisasa‘remarkableperformance’andsaid thatMoorwas ‘oneof thebravestmenIhaveevermet.’Australian war correspondent Charles Bean, reporting on

the retreat from Krithia, said: ‘Before the order to retreatcame,however,aBritishlieutenantwassaidtohaveshotfour

of his ownmen who had bolted. DallasMoor, only eighteen,claimed he had killed them to stop a mob desertion. It wassubsequently reportedhewas awarded theVictoriaCross forhisdisciplinarymeasures.’AlthoughMoorhadindeedshotfourofhisownmen,itwas

thought that if the rout had been allowed to continue, thecasualties would have been much higher. His counter-attackwas also successful, though the H12 salient remained inTurkishhands.The regimental history records: ‘That evening, Second

Lieutenant Moor had to be taken to Brigade Headquarters,beingcompletelyexhausted.’He had spent twenty-five hours under continuous fire,

fourteenofthemincommandofthecapturedtrench.There he received the congratulations of his commanding

officer. But it was the officers from the 2nd Royal FusiliersalongsidewhoobservedhisactionsandrecommendedhimfortheVC.WhileMoorwas evacuated tohospital onMalta, his award

wasgazettedon24July.Thecitationread:

For most conspicuous bravery and resource on 5 June1915, during operations south of Krithia, Dardanelles.Whenadetachmentof abattaliononhis left,whichhadlost all its officers, was rapidly retiring before a heavyTurkish attack, Second Lieutenant Moor, immediatelygraspingthedangertotheremainderoftheline,dashedback some two hundred yards, stemmed the retirement,led back the men, and recaptured the lost trench. Thisyoungofficer,whoonlyjoinedtheArmyinOctober,1914,by his personal bravery and presence of mind saved adangeroussituation.Duringtheactionhewas forelevenhoursundercontinuousheavyfireinthetrenches,anditwasfourteenhoursbeforeherecoveredfromthestateofcollapsebroughtaboutasaresultofhisgreatefforts.HehadpreviouslygreatlydistinguishedhimselfatthelandinginGallipoli.

ByAugust,MoorwasbackinthetrenchesoutsideKrithia.On6August,anotherattackwasmadeinwhatbecameknownastheBattle of Krithia Vineyard. Though a small patch of groundknownas ‘TheVineyard’was taken, theactioncostover fourthousand men. The Hampshires suffered 240 killed and 210wounded.ButMoorhadmiraculouslybeenleftoutofthebattleandemergedasoneofonly fourofficers left in thebattalion.Evenso,MajorJohnGillam,aBritishsupplyofficerwhovisitedthe trenches ten days later, recorded in hisGallipoli Diariesthat he had been taken to one of the forward positions by ‘acheeryyoungmannamedMoor,whohadrecentlywontheVC’.Amonthlater,Moorwasinvalidedhomewithdysentery,but

on18October1915waswellenoughtoattendaninvestitureatBuckinghamPalace,wherehereceivedhisVC.Afterwardshewenttovisithismother inBraunton,Devon.AccordingtotheNorth Devon Journal: ‘As Lieutenant Moor and his motherwalked from the platform to the waitingmotor car the largecrowd gave three hearty cheers,with an additional cheer forMrs Moor. Lieutenant Moor, in acknowledgement, rose fromhisseatinthecarandsaluted.’Butitwasplainhewasill.‘LieutenantMoor,whowas looking pale andwas evidently

veryweak,briefly replied thathewas veryglad tobehome,’thepapersaid.At an official reception, he was presented with an

illuminated copy of the address given by the chairman ofBraunton Parish Council, who wished him: ‘God speed andfurthersuccess inwhateverdutiesyoumaybecalledupon toperform in future’ – to loud applause. Moor himself was tooweaktorespondwithanythingmorethanasinglesentenceofthanks.On 4 December 1915, his doctor noted: ‘Lieutenant Dallas

Moor has been undermy care suffering from dysentery withjaundice. Jaundice now improving but as yet he has no solidmotionanddoesnotgaininweightandprobablywillnotuntilfluidmotionscease.Thereisconsiderablenervousexhaustion.He is quite tired out after walking one mile. Reflexes are

exaggerated and fields of vision contracted. I should suggestfurthercompletementalrestandabundanceoffreshair.’But on 8 February 1916, Moor returned to the 3rd

Hampshires at Gosport. That autumn he was deemed fit forfront-lineservice.On3October,hejoinedthe1stHampshireson theSomme.Promoted to full lieutenanton30October,hewas wounded in the arm on 23 December. He was invalidedhomeagainandtoldthatitwouldbemonthsbeforehewasfitfordutyagain.While recovering in hospital, he received a message from

Brigadier Seely, who was commanding the Canadian CavalryBrigade in France, asking him to come out as aide de camp.But while awaiting his discharge from recuperation, he wassecondedontothestaffofWeirdeLancyWilliams,hisformercommanding officer from Gallipoli, now a major generalcommandingthe30thDivisionontheWesternFront.Thismanhadbeentryingtohead-huntMoorsincehetookcommandofthedivisioninApril1917.He wrote later: ‘My first thought was for young Moor. I

wrote tohisbattalioncommanderasking forhim, saying“theboyhasbeenatitsolonghemustwantarest”.HisCOwrotebackthathecouldnotsparehim.Earlyin1918,IheardfromhimthathewaswoundedandinEngland,andthoughhecouldnotgetpassedas fit,hecouldcometomeasADC.He joinedmeon20March1918,duringour retreatbefore theGermanmainattack.’Though he had not regained the full use of his arm,Moor

was not one to hold back.Williamswrote: ‘The officer has apositive contempt for danger and distinguishes himself oneveryoccasion.Intheopenfightingofthelastfewweeksofthewarhewasinvaluable,dayafterdayreconnoitringwelloutinfrontofourmostadvancedtroops.’He put himself in the way of danger. On the advance

towards theRiverScheldt, hewas accompaniedby fellowVCwinner Philip Neame, who wrote: ‘We had dismounted andhandedourhorsestoourorderlieswhileIlookedwithmyfield-glass,whenIheardtheominousroarofaheavyshellcoming

through the air. By experience I knew that it was a 5.9-inchhowitzershell,andthatitwascomingveryclose.Therewasnocover at all, so we just stood there. The shell landed with athudwithin three yards of our feet: by good fortune itwas adud.AnotherdayMoorand Iwerewalkingdowna lanewiththeCRA,BrigadierGeneralF.F.Lambarde,CMGDSO,whenaGermanfield-gunbatterybracketeduswithtwosalvoes.MoorandI,asIthoughtsensibleatthetime,madeitintotheditch,where there was good cover. Lambarde frightened us bywalking straightdown themiddle of the roadwithoutbattinganeyelid,andforshamewewenttoo,whiletheshellskeptoncoming,butbehindus.’Theseacts of braverywonMooraMilitaryCross, gazetted

on2December1918.Thecitationread:

Lieutenant George Raymond Dallas Moor, V.C.,HampshireRegiment.Forconspicuousgallantryandskill.He carried out a daylight reconnaissance all along thedivisionalfrontinfaceofheavymachine-gunfireatcloserange,inmanyplaceswellinfrontofourforemostposts

Sixmonthslater,hewasawardedanotherMilitaryCross.Thebarcitationread:

On 20 October 1918, near to Pijpestraat, the vanguardcommanderwaswoundedandunabletocarryon.Owingto heavy shelling and machine-gun fire, the vanguardcame to a standstill. Lieutenant Moor, Acting GeneralStaff Officer, who was reconnoitring the front, noticedthis; he immediately took charge, and by his fearlessexample and skilful leading continued the advance untiltheobjectivewasreached.Hehasapositivecontemptfordanger,anddistinguisheshimselfoneveryoccasion.

Moor did not live long enough to receive either of theseawards.Afterdicingwithdeathrepeatedlythroughoutthewar,in its last days he caught the Spanish flu that was soon tosweeptheworld.Hediedofpneumoniaon3November1918at

the Canadian clearing station at Mouvaux, France, and wasburiedatYFarmMilitaryCemetery,Bois-Grenier.Hisnameappearsontherollofhonourintheparishchurch

inBraunton.Theilluminatedaddresshewaspresentedwithiskept in the local museum and his regiment presented thevillagewithafieldgunthathassincerustedaway.In1961,hisolderbrotherSylvester,whoserved in theRoyalNavyduringthe First World War, presented his medals to the RoyalHampshire Regiment Museum & Memorial Garden inWinchester,wheretheyarenowondisplay.GeorgeMoorwastheyoungestofficertoreceiveaVCduringtheFirstWorldWarandhiscommandingofficer,MajorGeneralWilliams,describedhimas‘afinecharacterandasfearlessasoldieraseverlived.’

T

SECONDLIEUTENANTSIDNEYWOODROFFE,19

PRINCECONSORT’SOWN(RIFLEBRIGADE)

Hooge,Belgium,30July1915

he First World War extracted a terrible price from somefamilies.HenryLongWoodroffeandhiswifeClaraClayton

lost three of their four sons. The youngest, Sidney ClaytonWoodroffe,wasborninLewes,Sussex,on17December1895.He followed his two older brothers to Marlborough College,where he became senior prefect and captain of the OfficerTrainingCorps,winningtheMedalofMerit,whichcarriedthebust of Lieutenant-Colonel Curzon Wyllie, an old boy of theschool who had served in India and was assassinated by aHindustudentattheImperialInstituteinSouthKensingtonin1909.The Woodroffe brothers excelled at sport. Sidney

representedtheschoolinfootball,hockeyandcricket.HewonascholarshiptoreadclassicsatPembrokeCollege,Cambridge.At the outbreak of war the brothers joined up in The RifleBrigade.TheywerepartoftheNewArmy,oftenreferredtoas‘Kitchener’s Army’ or, disparagingly, ‘Kitchener’s Mob’,initiallyanall-volunteerarmyraisedafreshsincetheoutbreakofwar. Sidney joined as a second lieutenant two days beforeChristmasin1914andwassenttoFranceon25May1915.Hiseldest brother was already there. Attached to The WelshRegiment, Kennethwas killed in action atNeuveChapelle in

Franceon9May1915.Mentioned indespatches,hewas justtwenty-two.On 12 July 1915, Sidney wrote a long letter to his friend

Aidan ‘Boko’ Aidan, back in Althorne, Essex, who had beenheadboyatMarlboroughwhenSidneywasthere.Itread:

MydearoldBoko,I wonder if you would mind if this letter does for JackBarnes,PaulandThomasH. if theycometoread it,as Iowethemalllettersanditissimplyimpossibletowrite.Inthatcaseoneapologyfornotwritingwilldoforallofyou!I don’t know if I have told you anything so far, but

anyhow for the first six weeks we wandered overNorthernFranceandBelgiumandnooneseemedtohaveany use for us at all.We flopped about in the appallingheat and flopped into trenches in different parts ofEurope, each lot beingworse than the last, and losingafewmenhereandafewthere,amongothersHookerandLawson-Walton. Nothing particularly exciting happenedand I didn’t even get lice. Then at the beginning of lastweekwewereput into theworst trenches in theBritishLine.Thisisanabsolutefact–I’mnottryingtobefunny–asnoDivisionevertakesthemoverformorethanamonthoritbecomesaplatoonandalongrollofhonour.WewerestuckinthesetrenchesforninedaysonendandIwilltrytogiveyousomeideahowbeastlyitwas.Theplacewastheextremetipofthefurthestadvanced

partofourline,i.e.attheendofthewellknown‘salient’.This means that we were enfiladed by guns from bothsides,andsowerefiredonfromthreedirectionsatonce.There was one 8-inch howitzer that used to shell usregularlyeveryeveningrightawayfromjollyold‘Hill60’.Onemaninourcompanywashitwhenhewas400yardsawayfromtheburst.Anothershell,a15-inchone,burstinYprestheothermorningandthebaseofit,weighingoverahundredweight,knockeddownawall900yardsback.All the water in this God-forsaken country is

undrinkable,andeverydropofwaterweconsumedinthetrencheswasbroughtupbyhandinpetroltinsoveramileatnight.InonepartwewereinallthestreamshadbeenpoisonedwitharsenicbythesebleedingBosches.YoucanoccasionallyfindaJackJohnsonhole[alargeshellcraternamedforJackJohnson,theheavyweightchampionoftheworld] into which water has drained – probably via animpromptu cemetery and a few refuse pits – and thisaffordsadoubtfulwash.Younevergetyourbootsoffthewhole time you are in the trenches, and after about tendaysachangeofsocksisdecidedlydesirable!Onethingthatpracticallyturnsyouinsideoutatfirstis

the flies.Everykindofdisgustingandbloatedbluebottleandflyinvariousstagesoftorporbuzzaboutorsleeponbeams,andflopdownyourneckwhenyoubangyourheadonthemforthehundred-and-one-thtime.Thislastlotoftrencheswewereinwereonesthatwere

capturedfromtheGermansaboutamonthago.Wewerein reserve for that attack and sweatedwith fear all onenight that wewould be pushed into it. Practically everytrench and road out here has a nickname, generallyabsurd but cheery names like Piccadilly Circus,Eastbourne Pier, etc.; in this last lot it was ‘HellfireCorner’,‘SuicideCorner’and‘DeadMan’sAlley’andsuchlike,whichofcoursecheersonetostartwith!Well, first of all our company was put in a support

trenchquiteisolated,abouthalfamileinrear,andRae’s[one of the masters from Marlborough] platoon was inanother little trenchabout50 yardsbehindus.Wewerewarned that they shelled us all day every day, and mygoodness it wasn’t far wrong. It was so bad that firescould only be allowed between 2–3 am (jolly time for ameal) as the smoke doesn’t show in that misty light –otherwise shells galore. It is beastly hardly ever havinganything hot to eat and drink, especially when you aretiredandfedup.TheoneamusingthingwasthatmostoftheshellsthatjustmissedusgenerallyusedtogetRae’s

trench! You get pretty selfish out here – as long as theshellmissesyoupersonallyitisallright!The first day we were there they gassed us with

(prussicacid)gasshells.MyGod,itisbestial.Withthesefoulshellswhichpossiblyexplodeafewyardsawayfromyou, the stuff is on you and inside you before you havetime to make a selection from your stock of respiratorsand helmets. (Once you have been gassed you take jollygoodcare.)Itmakesyoureyes(andnose)simplystream,you coughand retch andhave abeastly sore throat andviolent headache.While suffering like this a confoundedgreathorse-flybitmeonthehandandreducedmetoanabsolutefrenzyofrage.Thenextdayweweretreatedtoasimilargassing,one

oftheshellsknockingdowntheparapetabout fiveyardsaway fromme and coveringmewith earth. That night IhadthemosthorribletimeIhaveeverhad,andeverhopeto have. I was sent with a party of [a] hundred men toclear up a trench which had never been touched oroccupied since we had captured it from the Germans afortnight before; since nicknamed ‘Dead Man’s Alley’. Ihadalookinthedaylightfirst,thoughcouldn’tstartworkuntildarkasitwasunderfire,andtheplacenearlymademe sick, although youget used to agooddeal out here.There was I landed in the dead of night on my ownentirely,tomakeahundrednoneto[sic]willingmenworkin this perfectly godless place. Besides all the countlessequipment, rifles, overcoatsetc.we collected,weburiedtwenty-three corpses (four English), two heads, adismemberedhandandafoot.Asitwasapitch-darknightwhat Ihadtodowastowanderaboutbymyself,andonsmelling something that nearly knocked you overbackwards,cautiouslyshinemytorchuntilIsawaghastlyblackened face grinning up at me – and then tell off asmallparty todisposeof it!Everyoneofushadtowearourrespiratorsthewholeofthe3½hourswewerethere,andattheendofitIhadhadquiteenough.Toaddtothe

discomfort, once when I shone my torch in the sky bymistakefortheground,wewerepromptlytreatedtotwoshrapnelshells.Thenextdayweweregasshelledagain–andproperly

this time.Theygot therangeexactlyandput themrighton theparapet.The first smashed topiecesouroneandonly anti-gas sprayer; the second blew to blazes thestretcherbearers’dugoutandburiedastretcher;thethirdblewtheheadcleanoffthecaptainofmycompany,killedtwocorporalsinmyplatoonandwoundedasergeantandanother man in about five places, and so on. You can’timaginehowbestial itwaswith theplaceasanabsolutefog,andeverybodycoughingandchokingintheirhelmets.I was wearing three myself, so couldn’t see or hear! Indesperation, finally, to get out of theblastedplace I gotholdofasergeantandwesweatedoffwithoneofthemenon a stretcher. It was a pretty absurd thing to do as itmeant haring down a road which can be seen and isinvariably shelled ifanyoneshowshisnosedown it.Oneshell removed practically the entire road not more thantenyards in frontofusandnearlyknockedus silly.Themanwewerecarryingonthestretcherhadbeenhitintheheadandpracticallythewholeinsideofhisheadcameoutonthewaydown,whichdidn’tmakethingspleasanter. IcontinuedtocartstretchersuntilIthoughtthegasmighthavedepartedabit!!!That night the powers decided that ours really was

rather a ridiculous trench, sowewere shifted up to thefiring line trenches to recover! All except the wretchedRae’splatoon–hewaslefttherealoneallthetime.Itisextraordinaryhowthegashangsabout,especially

low down on the ground. Two mornings later I took asmall party in the still smaller hours of the morning –about3.30am,asthatiswhentheGermanGunnersgotobedforafewhours–totryanddigoutalotofequipmentandpropertythathadbeenburiedwheretheshellsburst.It took us 3½hours, simply becausewe couldn’t stay in

the placemore than aminute at a timewearing all therespiratorsintheworld.Thatnightitfelltomylottotakearationparty–about

eightymen–amileback from the fire trenches todrawoutthenextday’srationsforthebattalion.Itwasalldowna long communication trench and road, both of whichwereinvariablyshelled.Tenmenwerekilledinthetrenchaloneonsimilarjobswhilewewerethere.Whatmakesitso beastly is that you have so little control over a vaststringofmeninsinglefile.That night they bombarded us and knocked the

trenches about a lot; early the next morning a party ofGerman bombers came and bagged the trench occupiedby one of our platoons. I was shaken up in a verydéshabillé and sleepy condition and told to take myplatoon and help get it back. I had not the haziest ideawhatwas happening and had never seen that particulartrench before. Feeling extraordinarily frightened andtrying not to look it, I collected a party of bombers andstalkedup(unfortunatelydiscoveringonthewaythattheonlykindofbombwewere carryingwas theonly kind Ihadneverseeninmylifeandnotknowinghowonearthtousethem).Luckily,aplatoonofanotherregimentonourleftcametotherescueandhadhelpedtoclearthedevilsoutbefore I arrived.We slewabouteightof them inall.TheGermansthengotsickandbombardedusuntilfourinthe afternoon, banging our trenches to pieces, knockingoutalotofmen,andpreventingmefromgettinganythingtoeatuntil5pm.Thatnight Iwas inchargeofarationpartyagain.On

thewaywewerecheeredupbypassingamanwhohadrecently had the whole of his face blown off. The nextmorningtherewasabigattackonourleft,whichIexpectyoureadabout,andwebombardedtheGermansoppositeusinordertokeeptheirgunsquiet.Thissoundsallright,but unfortunately the Germans thoroughly entered intothe spirit of the thing andgave theunoffendingusback

abouttwiceasmuchastheyreceived.Alsotheywillinsistonhavingtheseshowsattheunchristianhourofthreeorfourinthemorning.Istoodthereshiveringwithcoldandsimply deafened by the appallingly ridiculous noise, andeverynowandthenshoweredwithearthandmuck–netresult–trenchesagainbashedinandmoremenknockedout. It wasmade unnecessarily unpleasant again by ourhaving been told that we might be wanted to attack aswell.The next night we stood to arms the whole blessed

night as there was the probability of a Germancounterattack. However, besides a few scares entailingfuriousblastsofrapidfireatnothingatallandbesidestheusual nightly ration of a thousand odd shells, trench-mortars, grenades, etc. – nothing.What you do discoverthoughisthatthesleepyouweresomuchlookingforwardtoneverseemstocomeoff.Afterninedaysofthiswewererelieved.Ihadtoguide

part of the relieving battalion up,whichmeant an extrafivemiles walk for me. The billets we came to were 14milesback,soinallIstartedat8.30pmandwalkedsome19miles all through thenight before eventually arrivinghereat7.30am.Trenchesdonotgetyouintothebestoftraining;very littlesleepandeatingvile tinned thingsatirregularintervals.TomakemattersworseIwasstrickenfor the last nine miles with the worst stomach ache ofmodern times,andarrivedcompletelydoubledupat thismostdelightfulof farms,where I slept twenty-twooutofthefirsttwenty-fourhours.Such is life here. Time drags in the trenches, nothing

donetofurthertheinterestsofourcountryasfarasonecansee,andthebattalionlostfiveofficersandahundredmen,and thebrigadeabout350 inall.This iswar!!TheGerman supply of shells seems quite unlimited. If ourguns fire we cheer; even when they lay out men bydroppingtheminourowntrenches(whichhashappenedtwicetous)wedon’tliketodiscouragethem.Asamatter

offact,reallytheirgunnersaren’tapatchonoursanditwillmakeallthedifferenceintheworldwhenwegettheammunition.Themosthumorous thing thathashappened tomeso

farwaswhenanabsolutelyspentriflebullethitmeplumbinthebackofthehead–andsimplybouncedoff,merelygivingmeabruise!Thereisgoingtobethehellofabattlesoon.Ibetyou

anything you like. The Germans I believe have massedaboutamillionmenandgunsoppositethispart,soweareledtobelieve.Withanyluckweshallgetamoveontoo.Allthesamethereisnothingoutheretomakeonebelievethewarwillbeoverforthehellofa longtime.Also it issimplybecomingawarofshellsandhandgrenades.HowIwouldlovetobeabletogetovertoM.C.before

you all leave. If I ever see it again itwill be so horriblydifferent after this term. Itwasperfectlypriceless aboutCheltenham.IhopeJackBarnestreatsRugbyinthesameway.How’sthetennis–alsoLower?Ishallbeginsnortingwith delight shortly at the thought of you enmeshed inendless certificate exams. You can comfort yourself inreturnatthethoughtofawearyandfly-blownS.C.W.witha15-inchshell.Ifyouhaven’thearda15-inchjustgoandlistentoDuck’smotorbusanditwillgiveyousomeidea.Nothingwillgiveyouanyideaofthenoiseitmakeswhenitburststhough.Are you going to Camp? It sounds awfully nice. I live

just around the corner fromSwanage, i.e.Bournemouth.Isn’t it simply rotten about Busslo. This stinking war. IsawhimjustbeforeweleftAldershot.IseeHealisdead,too.PrettycreditablemysurvivingtwomonthsIthink.WillyougiveW-WmyloveandtellhimReggieLayden

came over today. He has been at Rouen lately. He islooking much older, rather sadder and slightly grey-haired.Lookhere,quiteseriously,howeverhardupyouarefor

copy–andwithcertificateexamsIknowwhatit islike–

please(wewereoncecomradesintrouble)don’tputanypartofanyletterIwriteintheMalburian!OtherwiseIwillneverwriteagain.Idomeanthis.Givemyloveto:(1)TheWalls(2)ThePerksThisisthelongestandworstletterIhaveeverwritten.Iwon’tafflictyouagain.VeryBestLoveS.C.W.

SidneyandhiselderbrotherLesliewerewiththe8thBattalionoftheRifleBrigade,whoweresenttothetrenchesatHooge,twentymilesnorthofNeuveChapelle inBelgium,atmidnighton30Julytorelievetheirsisterbattalion,the7thRifleBrigade.The handover was complete by 02.00 hours, though 7 RB’sbombers–thatis,menwhothrowbombs–remainedinplace.TheBritishfrontatHoogewascutintwobyacraterninety

feetwideand forty feet deep,making thepositiondifficult todefend. A Company went in the line there, with LieutenantWoodroffe’s platoon on the left of the crater and LieutenantCarey’sontherightandthebombers’postsabuttingtheedgeof the crater itself. There was little barbed wire there. Thetrenches were deep and narrow, as were the zigzaggedcommunication trenches thatranback toZouaveWood,somefive hundred yards behind the front, making communicationalong them very difficult.Worse still, the German lines wereclose,atsomepointsjustfifteenyardsaway.The8thRifleBridgehadbeeninpositionforjustthreehours

whentheGermansattacked.The8thhadbeencalledtostand-to, so the trenches were packed when, at about 03.25 hoursthere was a huge explosion in the stables, 150 yards to theright. Then there was an intense bombardment of the fronttrencheswhich lastedabout twoor threeminutes,before theunexpected happened. Suddenly the whole of the front wasengulfedinasheetofflameandbillowingblacksmoke.WorldWarIwasnotoriousforitswholesaleadoptionofnew

andmoreterribleformsofweaponry–themachinegun,aerial

bombing, gas, the tank. The 8th were about to come face tofacewithanothernewdanger–theflamethrower.While firehadbeenusedasaweaponofwarsinceancient

times, in 1901 German scientist Richard Fiedler submittedvariousdesignstotheGermanArmyforevaluation,whichwereof a weapon that projected streams of burning liquid. HisFlammenwerferwasnotadopteduntil1911,whenaspecialistregimentwasformed.TheweaponwasusedbrieflyagainsttheFrenchatVerdunon26February1915,buttheBritishhadyetto face it. They were untrained and unprepared. AndHooge,withthetrenchesbeingsoclosetogether,turnedouttobetheperfectspot for theGermans to test theeffectivenessof theirterriblenewweapon.Already dazed by the bombardment, the 8th looked on in

horror as ‘liquid fire’ was sprayed from hoses along theGermanlines.Theseprimitiveflamethrowersonlyhadarangeof twenty yards. That did not matter. The burning oil easilydowsed the narrow British trenches, so fully packed it wasimpossiblefortheiroccupantstorunaway.EyewitnessPrivateA.P.Hattondescribedthesceneintheclassicmagazineseriesofwarreminiscences,IWasThere.Hewrote:

Wefirstheardsoundsasofasplashingtoourfront,thentherewasapeculiarsmokysmelljustlikecoal-tar;nextacorporalofCCompanycriedoutthathehadbeenhitbyashell; yetwhenwewent to look at himwe found that ahugeblisterasfromaburnwasonhisforehead,whilethebackofhiscapwassmouldering.Wehadno time tonotice anything else, for after that

preliminary trial the Boches loosened their liquid fireuponuswithavengeance.Itcameinstreamsallovertheearthworks,whileshellscontainingstarlightsignitedtheblackfluid.Sandbags,blankets,top-coats,andanythingofthesort[that]washandysmoulderedandthenflared.Wewerechokedbythesmokeandhalfscorchedbytheheat.Ourfirst instincthadbeento fly toourdugoutsunder

theparapetswheretheliquidcouldnottouchus.Iknow

thatC––––,‘Robbie’andIhadjustmadeourselvesassafeaspossibleinourearthynook,whenthecaptain’swhistleblewandweheardthenon-comsyelling:‘Standtoarms.’The Germans were upon us. That dastardly liquid fireattack had been amere preliminary, by which they hadhopedtowipeusallout.

Theflamethrowershadbeenaimedatthemeninthetrenchesoneithersideofthecrater.Underthecoverofthesmokeandflames, German bombers had swarmed forward through thecrater,thenswungaroundbehindthetrenchesoneitherside.Othersmadea frontalassault,arrivingontheparapetsof theBritish trenches that had been hit by the fire. The casualtiestherehadbeenalmost100percent.However, the men with Carey to the extreme right and

Woodroffetotheextremelefthadescapedtheflamethrowers.Thefightingbecameconfusedandthefourremainingmachinegunswereknockedout,butCareyandWoodroffehungonastheGermanstriedtobombthemout.Ataround03.30hours,thetwoforwardcompaniessignalled

anSOStoBattalionHeadquartersby field telephone.By thenWoodroffewasunderattackbyGermanbombersmakingtheirway along the trench from the crater to his right, aswell asthosewhohadfannedaroundbehindthetrench.Private Hatton said: ‘We had ample time to note that the

first lineofattackerswereall finepickedmen, the126thand132nd Regiments, but that behind them came a queer,hobbling nondescript rabble of Landsturm reserves, mendressedanyhow,allmiddle-aged,somewithbeards,manywithglasses, and a number so fat that they could hardly waddleoverthebrokenground.Isupposeitwaspitifulthatsuchmen,fathers of families, should be sent as food for our Britishbullets;butwehadnotimetothink.’BCompanyunderCaptainA.L.C.Cavendishhadbeenheld

back in reserve in Zouave Wood. At 04.00, theycounterattacked. By then, theGermans had occupiedmost ofwhathadbeentheBritishforwardtrench.Itwasnowbristling

withmachinegunsinfortifiedpositionsandthecounterattackfailed.Woodroffeandhismenwerenowvirtually surrounded,but

they continued to defend their position until they ran out ofbombs. Then they retreated in good order, fighting theirwayback to the Menin Road, just south of the ruined stables.Throughaculvertfurtherdowntheroad,theymanagedtogetbacktoBritishlines.The Germans were now making their way down the

communicationtrenchesthathadbeennamed‘TheStrand’and‘Old Bond Street’. But the British had blocked these halfwaydownandmanagedtoholdofftheGermansfortherestoftheday.During theensuingcounterattack,PrivateHattonsaid: ‘We

werejustfilledwiththelustofkilling,alustthathadbeenfullyfedbythatwickedliquidfire;andso–weletthemhaveit.’Buthe lost contact with his friends, Lance-Corporal C––– and‘Robbie’.‘Later,onmywayback,Istumbledontherigidbodyofpoor“Robbie”,shotcleanbetweentheeyes.’C Company had virtually ceased to exist, while A and B

Companies had suffered heavy losses. At 09.00 hours acompany from the King’s Royal Rifles arrived asreinforcements from brigade reserve. At noon orders camethat, following a forty-five-minute artillery bombardmentbeginningat14.00hours,theyweretocounterattackagain.Despitetheirlosses,8RBwastotakethelead.DCompany

under Captain C. Sheepshanks, which had been held back inZouave Wood, was to attack with its right on The Strand,bombingtheGermansinthetrenchastheywent.Whatwasleftof A and B Companies were to do the same down Old BondStreet. But this was an attack across open ground with theenemy well established with machine guns in trenches. Thebattalion’sWarDiarynotes:‘Thewholegroundwasabsolutelysweptbybullets’.Mostmenwere cut down before they got halfway towards

their objective. The reinforcements who followed fared littlebetter.OnlyWoodroffereachedthewireandbegantocutit.

In his account of the action, Captain James Price Lloyd,attachedtoMilitaryIntelligence,wrote:

The German attack at Hooge at the end of July wasnoteworthy for the appearance in the field for the firsttimeof theDivisionsofKitchener’sNewArmy.Thiswasthe 14thDivision, consisting of the 41st, 42nd and 43rdBrigades,underthecommandofGeneralCouper.TheruinsofthevillageofHoogeandtheheapofbrick

andrubble thatwasoncethechâteaustandonthecrestof a low ridgealong the roadwhich leads fromYpres toMenin.Alittlenorthoftheroad,infrontofthevillage,the3rdDivisionhadexplodedamineearlierinthemonthandthecraterwasnowinBritishhands.Southoftheroadwasa stretch of open ground, and beyond this open ground,separated by a few fields, were two woods, which havebecomefamous.ZouaveWoodandSanctuaryWood.The 14th Division took over the line from the

neighbourhoodoftheRoulersrailway,half-a-milenorthofthecrater,downtoSanctuaryWood.Thetrenchesinfrontofthecrater,whichweredestinedtobearthebruntoftheassault, were held by two companies of the 8th RifleBrigadefromthe41stBrigade.Itwasapoorlegacythathadbeenbequeathedtothem.

There[sic]trencheshadbeendugonlyashorttimebeforeunder fire. They afforded very little protection againstshellfire,andprovedhopelesslyinadequatefortheordealwhichwassosoontocome.Early in the morning of the 30th of July the German

bombardmentbegan.Fromnorthandeast,andevenfrombehindHill60inthesouth-west,shellsraineddownuponthe doomed trenches. The work of destruction was notentrusted to the artillery alone. The enemy had alreadydrivensapstowithinashortdistanceoftheBritishlines,and at 3 am, they launched a torrent of liquid fire. Thisnew terror in warfare had been in readiness since thebeginningofthewar.TheGermanshadonlybeenwaiting

fortheplaceandtimetouseit.Theliquidfireattackwasaccompaniedbyshowersofminenwerfer [trenchmortar]bombs.Shortlyafterwards, theGerman infantry swarmed into

the attack. Theywere confident that theirswould be aneasy victory but they sadly misjudged the fightingqualitiesofthemenoftheNewArmy.Thetwocompaniesofthe8thRifleBrigadehadbeennearlyblottedoutbythebombardment, but dazed survivors clung grimly to theirshatteredtrenches,anditwasonlyafterabitterstrugglethat sheerweight of numbers forced themback into thesecondline.Much of the credit for this gallant stand was due to

Sidney Woodroffe, a mere boy of nineteen, who was incommandof twoplatoons in theextreme leftof the line.His positionwas heavily attacked on the flank, butwiththehelpof the fewmenhehad left,hebuiltabarricadeand held off the enemy until all his stock of bombswasexhausted. Itwas onlywhen he saw that hewas almostsurroundedthatheconsentedtoretire.Under intense fire, he succeeded in bringing hismen

backsafelyacrossnearly200yardsofopenground, intothelinesofthe9thRifleBrigadeofthe42ndBrigade,andafterwardsledthemdownacommunicationtrenchwhichwas being heavily shelled, to the headquarters of hisbattalionintheZouaveWood.An hour later, the 8th Rifle Brigade made a heroic

effort to recapture their lost trenches. The 9th RifleBrigade, who had hurried up from Vlamertinghe, sevenmilesaway,accompaniedthemintoaction.For three-quarters of an hour British shells screamed

over Zouave Wood to burst in the German positionsbeyond,andat2.45thetwobattalionsmovedforwardtoattack.But itwasdoomed to failure from thebeginning.There was not the weight of guns on the British sidewhich was to come later. The great German shellsburstingamidst the tree-trunks in theZouaveWood tore

greatgapsintheranks,andthefewthatwonthroughtotheopengroundbeyondfellunderthesavageblastoftheGermanmachinegunsontheridge.Againstsuchoddsnohuman valour could prevail, yet 2/lt Woodroffe, with amerehandfulofmen,didindeedreachthebarbedwireinfrontoftheenemy’strenches.Hereacheditbutcouldgono further. He ordered his men to lie down, crawledforward himself, and tried to cut his way through. Heknewhisownlifewaslessprecioustohimthanthelivesof his men. Death came quickly to him: a few minuteslater,hewasstruckintheheadbyabulletandinstantlykilled.The counterattack had failed; but it was a splendid

failure.For it showed that the soldiersof theNewArmycouldfacedeathsounflinchinglyastheircomradesofold.They had been weighed in the balance, and not foundwanting.

Second Lieutenant Woodroffe’s father received a letter fromLieutenantR.C.Maclachlaninforminghimofhisson’sdeath.Itspeltoutexactlyhowcourageousthenineteen-year-oldboyhadbeen.‘Youryoungerboywassimplyoneofthebravestofthebrave

andtheworkhedidthatdaywillstandoutasarecordhardtobeat,’ Maclachlan wrote. ‘When the line was attacked andbrokentohisrighthestillheldhistrench,andonlywhentheGermanswerediscoveredtobeintherearofhimdidheleaveit.Hethenwithdrewhisremainingmenveryskilfullyawaytoaflank,andworkedhiswayalonebacktometoreport.‘Hefinallybroughthiscommandback,andthentookpartin

the counterattack. He was killed out in front, in the open,cuttingwire to enable the attack to be continued. This is thebaldstatementofhispartofthatday’saction.Heriskedhislifeforothersrightthroughthedayandfinallygaveitforthesakeof his men. He was a splendid type of young officer, alwaysboldasalion,confidentandsureofhimself,too.Thelossheistomepersonally is very great, as I have learnt to appreciate

whatasterling fine ladhewas.Hismenwouldhave followedhimanywhere.’Woodroffe’sVCwasgazettedon6September1915,justfive

weeksafterhelosthislife.Thecitationread:

Theenemyhavingbrokenthroughthecentreofourfronttrenches, consequent on the use of burning liquids, thisOfficer’s position was heavily attackedwith bombs fromtheflankandsubsequentlyfromtherear,buthemanagedtodefendhispostuntilallhisbombswereexhausted,andthen skilfully withdrew his remaining men. This verygallant Officer immediately led his party forward in acounterattackunderanintenserifleandmachine-gunfire,and was killed while in the act of cutting the wireobstaclesintheopen.

Leslie Woodroffe had been severely wounded alongside hisbrotherintheactionatHooge.However,hewasabletoreturnto his battalion in France on 1 June 1916. That day, he waswoundedagainanddiedinhospitalthreedayslater.TheirparentsreceivedSidney’sVCataninvestiturebyKing

George V at Buckingham Palace on 29 November 1916. Hisbody was never recovered. His name appears on one of thepanelsattheMeninGate,onatabletoutside42TrinitySquare,Tulse Hill, southeast London and alongside those of hisbrothers on the memorial at All Saints’ Church, BranksomePark,Bournemouth,Dorset.Hisruggercapandswordwereondisplay in All Hallows Church, Bournemouth, but the swordwasstolenduringtheBlitz.However,hisnamedoesnotappearonthewarmemorialin

Lewes,wherehewasborn.HisfamilyhadmovedfromLewesbefore the war memorial was erected in 1922. However, apetitionwasorganisedtohaveitadded,alongwiththenamesofanothernineteenofthetown’slostsons,onabrassplaque.

A

PRIVATEJOHNHAMILTON,19

3RDBATTALION,AUSTRALIANIMPERIALFORCE

‘LonePine’,Gallipoli,Turkey,9August1915

bove Anzac Cove, where the Australians and NewZealanders landed on Gallipoli in May 1915, there was a

heightknownas400Plateau.TheTurksquicklyfortifieditwithasystemoftrenchesandtanglesofbarbedwire.Itsawheavyfighting and became known to them as Kanli Sirt – whichmeans‘BloodyRidge’.TheAussieshadanothernameforit.Anartilleryobserverlookingforpointstorangehisgunsspottedasolitarypinetree.Thesong‘TheTrailoftheLonesomePine’–later made famous by Laurel & Hardy – was popular at thetime,sothestrongpointwasdubbed‘LonePine’.Inthethree-dayactiontotaketheposition,whichtheTurkishcommandersconsideredimpregnable,sevenVCswerewon.This seemingly foolhardyassaultwasundertakenon6May

to drawTurkish defenders away from the fresh landings thatwere taking place at Suvla Bay to the north. At 17.30 hours,1,800men from the New SouthWales Brigade rushed alongthe hundred yards separating the first lines of trenches. TheTurkswere,seemingly,takenbysurprise.However,theywereinwell-defendedpositionsintrenchescoveredwithlogs,whichhad not been spotted by aerial reconnaissance. The fightingwascostly,butwithinhalfanhour theAustralians seemed tohaveachieved the impossible.Theyhad takenLonePinebyafrontalassaultbutthatwasnottheendofit.As darkness fell at 19.00 hours, a battalion of Australian

reinforcements were moving when the Ottomans began theircounterattack. The fighting was carried out at close range,using bayonets and improvised grenades and bombs. TheAussies had their ‘jam pot’ grenades, which were often asdangerous to the throweras to the intendedvictim,while theTurks were well supplied with small spherical grenades thesizeof cricketballs thatwere lobbedbackand forthbetweenthetrenchestwoorthreetimesbeforetheyexploded.‘It was soon perceived that a couple of seconds elapsed

between the landing of the cricket-ball bombs and theexplosion,’saidSergeantC.O.Clark.‘Sothepolicyofreturningthe bombs was adopted with the most satisfactory results,althoughthepracticeoccasionallyledtocasualtiesinourownranks.’Themasterofthiswastwenty-nine-year-oldLeonardKeysor.

Born to a Jewish family in London’sMaida Vale, Keysor hadarrived in Australia, via Canada, in 1914 and enlisted on 18August. At Lone Pine, Keysor scorned danger. As Turkishbombslandedinhistrenchhewouldleapforwardandsmotherthe explosion with a sandbag or a coat. If time allowed, hewould throw a bomb back. To the amazement of his Aussiecomrades, he caught several in flight and returned themsmartlyas ifhewasplayingcricket.Althoughwoundedtwice,he kept this courageous retaliatory action up for fifty hours.His bravery saved his trench and removed the enemy from atemporarilycommandingposition.Soonafterthebattlehewasstruckdownbyentericandwas

convalescing in hospital in England when he read in TheLondonGazetteof15October1915:

For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty atLone Pine trenches in the Gallipoli Peninsula. On 7thAugust,1915,hewasinatrenchwhichwasbeingheavilybombedbytheenemy.Hepickeduptwo livebombsandthrewthembackattheenemyatgreatrisktohisownlife,and continued throwing bombs, although himselfwounded,therebysavingaportionofthetrenchwhichit

wasmost important to hold.On 8th August at the sameplace,PrivateKeysorsuccessfullybombedtheenemyoutof a position, from which a temporary mastery over hisown trenchhadbeenobtained, andwas againwounded.Although marked for hospital he declined to leave, andvolunteered to throw bombs for another companywhichhad lost its bomb throwers. He continued to bomb theenemytillthesituationwasrelieved.

He received his VC from George V at an investiture atBuckinghamPalaceon15January1916.ReturningtohisunitwhowerenowinFrance,hefoughtat

theBattleofPozières inMarch1916.Commissioned in1917,he rose to become a lieutenant. He was wounded again inMarch1918andgassedtwomonthslater.InOctober1918,hereturned to Australia to head a recruiting drive and wasdischargedonmedicalgrounds thatDecember.HewentbacktoliveinLondonandwasrejectedforserviceinWorldWarII,againonmedicalgrounds.On8August1915,theNewSouthWalesBrigadehadbeen

relieved by the 7th (Victoria) Battalion. Commanding DCompany was Lieutenant William John Symons. Born inEaglehawk,Victoria, in1889,hehadworkedasacommercialtraveller and served in the militia for eight years beforeenlisting in the Australian Imperial Forces on 17 August. Ascoloursergeant,heembarkedwiththe7thBattalionforEgypton 18 October, landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. Thefollowingdayhewascommissioned.‘Thefirewasterriblyhot,’henoted.The7thwereabouttodiginwhenorderscametopresson

atonce.‘Wewent up straight in the face of a point-blank fire from

Turkishmachine-guns and artillery,’ said Lieutenant Symons.‘Of 1,100 odd who landed, we mustered, after two days’continuous fighting, only 300, and a good number of thesewerewounded.’On18May, the7thwere transporteddown toCapeHelles

and took part in the advance on Krithia. Again they sufferedheavylosses.Fromtimetotimetheyreceivedreinforcements,sowhen theywent intoactionatLonePineon8August theywere750strong.At about 05.00 the following morning, the Turks made a

series of determined attacks on Jacob’s Trench at Lone Pine,wheresixAustralianofficerswerekilledorseverelywounded.Learning that the position had been overrun, Lieutenant-ColonelHarold ‘Pompey’ElliottorderedSymonstoretakethetrench.‘Idon’texpect toseeyouagain,’hesaid, ‘butwemustnot

losethatpost.’Symons led the charge that drove off the Turks, but the

enemycontinuedattackingfromthefrontandbothflanks.Heasked permission to abandon fifteen yards of the trench andholdbacktheTurkswithanewbarricade.Althoughtheenemyset fire to the overhead woodwork, Symons extinguished theflames and kept the barricade in place. Finally the Turksstoppedtheirattacks.‘AtLonePine Igotwounded, abullet strikingmy rifle and

shattering it,with the result that portions of the barrelwereembedded in my left hand,’ Symons recalled. ‘My wound,however,wasnotsufficienttoincapacitateme,anditwasnotuntil later that I contracted enteric, and was after a time,invalidedtoEngland.’Ofthe750,only148menandthreeofficerssurvived.When

theywererelieved,Symonswrotehometohismother:

‘Since lastwriting, I have had a rough time, as youwillperhapshave seenby thepapers.TheNewSouthWalesboys charged the enemy’s trenches, and by dint of hardandstrenuousfighting,capturedthem.Ourbattalionwassent in to assist them, and Iwent inwith a company of141 men, and the other companies had about a similarnumber.Anyway,Abduldecided to takehis trenchat allcosts but in vain. They came once and dropped about1,000bombsintoourtrench,and,Iamsorrytosay,dida

greatdealofdamage,but I thinkwediddecidedlymorewith ours for we were better throwers. The first attackwasabouthalf-past3o’clock in themorning.Theycameto us in hundreds, and made a special point of myposition.Ionlyhadaboutfortymenwithmeinthefiringline, the others being in reserve, or else casualtied.Wehadtosetourteethanddrivethemback,whichtheladsdid with great credit. When I came to muster themafterwards,we only had about fifteen. I got some ofmyreservein,andmadeuptostrengthagainjustintimeforanotherattack,whichwasequallyunsuccessful. Ihad tobuildupagain,andthistimeourtrenchwasfilledinsomeplaces four or five deep with dead and wounded Turks,andourownbravelads.Theywerejustcomingforathirdattack, when a couple of shells were distributed kindlyamongthembyourartillery,andtheymusthavethoughtthat discretion was the better part of valour, as theyclearedout,leavingusstillmastersoftheposition.Iwasleftwithaboutfortymenoutofmycompany,andIdon’tthinkoneoftheremainingmenwasunwounded.Icantellyou,Iwasnotsorrythattheywerenotgameenoughforthe last attack.Well you can just imagine the pluck andenduranceofourmenafterabout fourhours’ fighting toget intoahole like thatandcomeoutsuccessfully.Theyareheroes,everyoneofthem.’

On the voyage to England, in a hospital ship, LieutenantSymons said he did not think he would ever reach the oldcountry. When he left Egypt for Gallipoli he weighed twelvestoneandwasjusteightstonewhenhelandedinEngland.Hespent twomonths in hospital and a month in a convalescenthome.Then on 4 December he went to Buckingham Palace to

receivehisVictoriaCrossfromGeorgeV.‘Iamproud todecorateanAustralianwith thiscross,’ said

the King, as he pinned it on Symons’s tunic. ‘You may beinterestedtoknowthattheintrinsicworthofthisbronzecross

isonly5½d[2p].Ihopeyouwilllivelongtowearit.’Thecitationread:

For most conspicuous bravery on the night of 8th-9thAugust, 1915, at Lone Pine trenches, in the GallipoliPeninsula.Hewasincommandoftherightsectionofthenewly captured trenches held by his battalion, andrepelled several counterattacks with great coolness. Atabout5amon9thAugustaseriesofdeterminedattackswere made by the enemy on an isolated sap, and sixofficerswere insuccessionkilledorseverelywounded,aportionofthesapbeinglost.LieutenantSymonsthenledachargeandretookthelostsap,shootingtwoTurkswithhis revolver. The sap was under hostile fire from threesides, and Lieutenant Symons withdrew some fifteenyards to a spot where some overhead cover could beobtained, and in the face of heavy fire built up a sandbarricade. The enemy succeeded in setting fire to thefascinesandwoodworkofthehead-cover,butLieutenantSymons extinguished the fire and rebuilt the barricade.His coolness and determination finally compelled theenemytodiscontinuetheirattacks.

LieutenantSymonsreturnedtoAustralia,wherehewasfêted.In 1917, hewent to theWestern Front as a captain.Hewaswounded on 27 February and gassed during the Battle ofMessineson7June,butrejoinedhisunit inJanuary1918andfoughtatDernancourt,France,inMarch.EventuallyhesettledinEnglandandservedasalieutenant-

colonelintheHomeGuardduringWorldWarII.Symons’s place in Jacob’s Trenchwas taken by Lieutenant

FrederickTubb.BorninLongwood,Victoria,in1881,hejoinedthe Victoria Mounted Rifles in 1900 and served in theAustralian Light Horse before joining the 7th Battalion as asecondlieutenanton24August1914.HereachedGallipolion6Julyandwasgazettedcaptainon8August.He had already been in the front line for two days, under

heavyshelling,whenhewrote:‘Shrapneliscominglikeoutofawatering can, splattering all around me as I wait forinstructions.’HewasthenorderedtoholdacapturedtrenchatLonePine

at ‘any cost’. Early on the 9th, the Turks began the attack,advancingalongasapthathadbeenbarricadedwithsandbags.Tubb and eight men fired at them from the parapet. In thetrench, two corporals smothered enemy grenades withgreatcoats,orcaughtthemandthrewthemback.EventhoughTubbwasblownfromtheparapetandthebarricaderepeatedlywrecked, each time it was rebuilt. He inspired his men withjokes and encouragement until a huge explosion blew up thebarricade,killingorwoundingmostofthedefenders.Woundedinthearmandscalp,TubbwasleftwithCorporals

Alexander Burton and William Dunstan. He led them intoaction, shooting three Turks with his revolver and providingcovering fire while the barricade was rebuilt. A bomb burstkilledBurtonandtemporarilyblindedDunstan.Reinforcementsarrived and Tubb fought on until the Turks called off theattack.TheofficialhistorianCharlesBeanrecordedtheevent:

Tubbhadatthatpositiontenmen,eightofwhomwereontheparapet,whiletwocorporals,WebbandWright,weretoldtoremainonthefloorofthetrenchinordertocatchand throw back the enemy’s bombs, or else to smothertheir explosionby throwingover themTurkishovercoatswhichwerelyingaboutthetrenches.Afewoftheenemy,shouting‘Allah!’,hadinthefirstrushscrambledintotheAustralian trench,buthadbeenshotorbayoneted.Tubbandhismennowfiredatthemovertheparapet,shootingallwhocameupGoldenstedt’sTrenchorwhoattemptedtocreepovertheopen.Tubb,usinghisrevolver,exposedhimself recklessly over the parapet, and his examplecausedhismen to do the same. ‘Goodboy!’ he shouted,slappingthebackofoneofthem,whobykneelingontheparapethadshotashelteringTurk.Asthesamemansaid

later: ‘With him up there you couldn’t think of gettingyourheaddown.’Butonebyonethemenwhowerecatchingbombswere

mutilated. Wright clutched one, which burst in his faceand killed him. Webb, an orphan from Essendon,continued to catch them, but presently both his handswere blown away and, afterwalking out of the Pine, hediedatBrown’sDip.AtonemomentseveralbombsburstsimultaneouslyinTubb’srecess.Fourmenwerekilledorwounded;afifthwasblowndownandhisrifleshattered.Tubb, bleeding from bomb-wounds in arm and scalp,continuedtofight,supportedintheendonlybyaBallaratrecruit, Corporal Dunstan, and a personal friend of hisown, Corporal Burton of Euroa. At this stage thereoccurredatthebarricadeaviolentexplosion,whichthrewback the defenders and tumbled down the sandbags. Itwas conjectured that the Turks had fired an explosivecharge with the object of destroying the barrier. Tubb,however, drove them off, and Dunstan and Burton werehelping to rebuild thebarrierwhenabomb fellbetweenthem, killing Burton and temporarily blinding hiscomrade.Tubbobtained furthermen fromthenextpost,Tubb’s Corner, but the enemy’s attack weakened, theTurks continued to bomb and fire rifles into the air, butneveragainattemptingtorushthebarricade.

Tubb recorded his own version in his diary, writing on 10August:

HereIamsittingdowninadugoutnearthebeachreadytogo toLemnosorMudros. (I amwounded,butnot toobad.) It would take a book to describe what happenedsince yesterday morning. I have no notes of it but cansupplymostparticulars.AtStandTo,0400yesterdaythefun started. I was whipped aroundmy Coy to the firingline. The enemy was attacking. Well they attacked usthreetimesbutwelickedthem.Iwasputinchargeofthe

7thfiringlinesection.Wehadading-dongscrapwhichonand off lasted till four in the afternoon when we wererelievedbythe5thBattalionandwhatwasleftofuscamedowntothisbivouac.Wewentin670strongandwecameout 320. All the officers except the CO and Capt Layhwere hit, even the Quarter Master Hopkins. I wasextremelyluckyandfeelgratifiedforbeingaliveandabletowrite.Myluckwasinallthetime.ItismiraculousthatIam alive. Three different times I was blown yards awayfrom bombs. Our trencheswere filledwith dead,mostlyours.BurtonofEuroadeservedthehighestawardforhisgallant action for three times filling a breach in theparapet till they killed him. Dunstan and Oates, Ellis,Caddy,Webb, Silver, Keating also didmagnificentwork.Ellis was killed throwing back bombs before theyexploded. We were glad to get out. I cannot write ofdetailsbutmanyofourbraveboyswereblowntopieces.Asfastasweputmenintofillthebreachestheywereout.I kept sending for reinforcements and bombs, all ourbomb throwers were killed and so were those thatvolunteeredtofill theirplaces.Tocuta longstoryshort,webeattheenemy.Oncehenearlygotus.Weyelledandyelled and the black devils turned and we knocked ’emover likerabbits. Iwaswoundedthreetimes,butgotmyinjuries attended to and kept going. I am suffering a bitnow from reaction. The doc has fixedmy head and armup.MylefteyeispainfulbutotherwiseIamfit.IreckonI’ll be A1 again in aweek formy injuries are slight. ByJoveitwassomescrapandalotmoreofourgoodold7thare gone. The Brigadier came to see me this morning,congratulatingme,etc.Myhaversacksareshattered;theiron rations inside one of them are smashed to pieces.Anyway the CO is very pleased with me and so is theBrigadiersoIfeelhappyasLarry.

In a letter of condolence to CorporalWright’s sister, ColonelElliottwrote:‘IrecommendedalltheseboysfortheVC.Tubb,

DunstanandBurtongotVCs,Webb theDistinguishedServiceMedal [this was an error; Web received the DistinguishedConductMedal]. No doubt, had your brother lived, he wouldhave got the DCM if not the VC. There are so many bravedeeds that it is almost impossible to receive recognition forthem.’On 15 October The London Gazette carried the citations.

Tubb’sread:

For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty atLone Pine trenches, in the Gallipoli Peninsula, on 9thAugust, 1915. In the early morning the enemy made adetermined counterattack on the centre of the newlycapturedtrenchheldbyLieutenantTubb.Theyadvancedup a sap and blew in a sandbag barricade, leaving onlyone foot of it standing,butLieutenantTubb ledhismenback, repulsed the enemy, and rebuilt the barricade.Supported by strong bombing parties, the enemysucceededintwiceagainblowinginthebarricade,butoneachoccasionLieutenantTubb,althoughwoundedintheheadandarm,heldhisgroundwiththegreatestcoolnessand rebuilt it, and finally succeeded in maintaining hispositionunderheavybombfire.

BurtonandDunstanreceivedajointcitation,whichread:

For most conspicuous bravery at Lone Pine trenches inthe Gallipoli Peninsula on the 9th August, 1915. In theearly morning the enemy made a determinedcounterattackonthecentreofthenewlycapturedtrenchheld by Lieutenant Tubb, Corporals Burton andDunstanand a fewmen. They advanced up a sap and blew in asandbag barricade, leaving only one foot of it standing,butLieutenantTubbwith the twocorporalsrepulsed theenemy and rebuilt the barricade. Supported by strongbombing parties the enemy twice again succeeded inblowinginthebarricade,butoneachoccasiontheywererepulsed and the barricade rebuilt, although Lieutenant

Tubb was wounded in the head and arm and CorporalBurtonwaskilledbyabombwhilemostgallantlybuildinguptheparapetunderahailofbombs.

Alexander Burtonwas born in Kyneton, Victoria, in 1893.Heworkedasanironmongerbeforeenlistinginthe7thBattalionon 18 August 1914, leaving for Egypt in October. Sufferingfrom a throat infection, he watched the landings from ahospital ship. But a week later he was in the trenches. Hefought at 400 Plateau, Krithia, Monash Valley and Steele’sPost.Afterbeingwoundedinaction,hewaspromotedtolance-corporal,thencorporal.Hewastwenty-twowhenhedied.WilliamDunstanwasbornin1895inBallaretEast,Victoria.

He worked as a draper’s assistant and served in thecompulsorytrainingscheme,gainingthecadetrankofcaptain.In July 1914, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in themilitia.HeenlistedasprivateintheAustralianImperialForceon 2 June 1915. A fortnight later, he sailed for Egypt as anacting sergeant with the 6th Reinforcements of the 7thBattalion, thoughhewasanactingcorporalatLonePine.HehadbeeninactionjustfourdayswhenhewonhisVC.Temporarilyblinded,hewasinvalidedout.BackinAustralia,

hejoinedtheCitizenForces,risingtotherankoflieutenant.Incivilian life,heworkedforRupertMurdoch’s father,SirKeithMurdoch.TubbwassenttoEnglandtoconvalesce,wherehesuffered

appendicitis. Returning toAustralia, hemanaged to persuadetheAIFmedicalboardthathewasfitandrejoinedhisbattalionin France in December and was promoted to major on 17February 1917.His company played an important role in theMenin Road attack on 20 September in the Third Battle ofYpres. Before the battle he was troubled by a hernia, butrefused to be evacuated. Leading his company towards itsobjective,hewashitbyasniper.Onbeingstretcheredout,hewasmortallywoundedbyshellfire.While Tubb, Burton and Dunstanwere occupied at Jacob’s

Trench, theTurkswerealsoattacking in thenorthern sector,

advancing along Sasse’s Sap, threatening the 3rd Battalion’scommand post there. The battalion’s adjutant, Captain OwenHowell-Price, emptiedhis revolver into them.At 04.00hours,heorderedhismen to climbupon theparapet to fireon theTurks’ flank and stop the enemy attacking across the openground.AmongthemwasPrivateJohnHamilton.Born inOrange,NewSouthWales,on24 January1896,he

was justnineteen.Hedescribedhimself as abutcher, andhehad served in themilitia before he enlisted in the AustralianImperial Force on 15 September 1914. Embarking for Egyptthefollowingmonth,hetookpartintheAnzaclandingson25April 1915. In May he came down with influenza and wasevacuated,returningtodutyon2June.AtLonePine,Hamiltonhadalreadydistinguishedhimselfas

a sharpshooter.Hehadgone over the top on the first day.Adabhandwiththe jam-pot(theAustralianhandgrenade), likeKeysor,hewouldcatchincominggrenadesandreturnthem.AlongwithBrigadier-GeneralNevillSmyth,whohadwonthe

VC fighting the Dervishes in the Sudan in 1898, CaptainHowell-PricetookapartytotheentranceofSasse’sSap.Theyarrived just in time: the Turks were just fifteen yards away,advancinginacolumnthreedeep.Howell-Pricedischargedhispistolintotheleadingrank,killingthreeandnarrowlydodgingabullethimself.TheTurkswerethenthrownintoconfusionasHamiltonand

the others fired on them from the parapet. One shot fromPrivateWardhitaTurkishsoldierwhowasjustabouttothrowagrenade,whichthenexplodedamonghisownmen.AsecondTurkish bomber was despatched with the same result.Meanwhile,Hamiltonandothersbeganhurlingbombsbackattheenemy.‘TwoofmybombersNortonandHamilton – the latterwon

hisVCthere–wereupontheparapetthrowingbombsasfastas theycould light them,’wroteLieutenantA.F.Burrett. ‘OneburstprematurelyinNorton’shands,andblewbothofthemtofragments. We sent him back to the dressing station. Nextmorningadoctorsaidtome:“GoodGod! It’swonderful.That

manNortonisthegamestthingthateverbreathed.AfterIhadfinished fixinghimup for thebeachhe said, “Good-byeDoc.,oldsport.SorryIcan’tshakehands.”’Sole survivor of the six and protected only by a few

sandbags,Hamiltonheldhisposition.Forsixhourshelayoutintheopen,keepingupconstantsniperfireandtellingthoseinthetrenchbelowhimwheretoaimtheirbombs.By 10.00 hours, the danger had receded and Hamilton

slippedbackintothetrench.Soonafterthe3rdBattalionwasrelievedbythe1stBattalion.Thereweremanyactsofgallantrythatday.CaptainHowell-

PricewasawardedtheMilitaryCross.Hisbatman,PrivateP.H.Ward,whohadhelpedholdofftheoriginalassaultwitharifle,received a Distinguished ConductMedal. The courage of thebomberswasuniversalandHamiltonwasawardedhisVC:

Formostconspicuousbraveryon9thAugust,1915,intheGallipoli Peninsula. During a heavy bomb attack by theenemy on the newly captured position at Lone Pine,PrivateHamilton,withutterdisregardtopersonalsafety,exposedhimselfunderheavyfireontheparapet,inordertosecureabetterfirepositionagainsttheenemy’sbombthrowers. His coolness and daring example had animmediate effect. The defence was encouraged and theenemydrivenoffwithheavyloss.

Less than three hundred men were left of the 883 that hadstarted the action. Nevertheless the 3rd Battalion wasreorganisedinEgypt,leavingforFranceinMarch1916,whereitwent into the line atArmentières.On3MayHamiltonwaspromoted tocorporaland foughtatPozières in July,MouquetFarm inAugust andFlers inNovember.Hewas promoted tosergeant in May 1917. That year his battalion served atBullecourt,MeninRoadandBroodseinde.HelefttheArmyin1919asalieutenant.BackinAustralia,

he worked on the docks. In World War II, he served as alieutenantwiththe16thGarrisonBattalionandseveraltraining

battalions. In 1942 he went to New Guinea with the 3rdPioneerBattalion,eventuallyreachingtherankofcaptain.The last of the seven VCwinners at Lone Pinewas thirty-

three-year-oldAlfredShout.BorninWellington,NewZealand,in1881,heservedintheSouthAfricanWarasasergeantandwaswoundedatleastonce.HemovedtoAustraliawithhiswifeand daughter. A well-known sharpshooter, he wascommissionedinthemilitia.On27August1914he joinedtheAustralian Imperial Force as a second lieutenant in the 1stBattalion.HewaspromotedtolieutenantinEgypt.The1stBattalionlandedonGallipolion25April.Shoutwas

in the thickof the fighting that lost thebattalion366officersandmenoverthenextfivedays.Hewasnotedforanumberofconspicuous acts of bravery andwon theMilitary Cross. Thecitationread:

On 27th April, 1915, during operations nearGaba Tepe,forshowingconspicuouscourageandabilityinorganizingandleadinghismeninathick,bushycountry,underveryheavy fire.He frequentlyhadtoexposehimself to locatetheenemy,andledabayonetchargeatacriticalmoment.

A soldierwhowaswith Shout onWalker’s Ridge on 27Aprilwrote:‘LieutenantShoutwasahero.Woundedhimselfseveraltimes,hekeptpickingupwoundedmenandcarryingthemoutofthefiringline.Isawhimcarryfullyadozenmenaway.Thenanotherbulletstruckhiminthearm,anditfelluselessbyhisside.Stillhewouldnotgototherear.“Iamherewithyouboystothefinish,”wastheonlyreplyhewouldmake.AlittlelaterLieutenant Shout was wounded again, and fell down. It wascrueltoseehim.Hestruggledandstruggleduntilhegottohisfeet, refusing all entreaties to go to the rear. Then hestaggered and fell and tried to rise again. At last somemenseizedhimandcarriedhimaway,stillprotesting.’On 29 July Shout was promoted to captain. A week after

that, he led hismen to Lone Pine, where, on 9 August, theyrelievedthe3rdBattalion.

ThatmorningCaptainShoutledachargedownenemy-heldtrenches and, usingbombs, killed eightTurks and routed theremainder. In the afternoon, he and Captain Sasse joinedforcestoclearapartofSasse’ssapoftheenemy.WhileSassecarried a rifle, Shout again relied on bombs. They wereaccompaniedbymencarryingsandbagstobuildbarricadesateach stage of the advance along the sap. Under heavy fireShout and Sasse pushed the Turks back and then found aposition for the last barricade. Along the way Shout waslaughing and cheering themen on. For the final dash, he litthreebombs.The last burst inhis hand, blowing it awayandshattering one side of his face and body. Despite terribleinjuries,heremained ingoodspiritswhilebeingevacuatedtothe rear. Two days later, he died on a hospital ship andwasburiedatsea.HisVCwasgazettedon15October.Thecitationread:

Formost conspicuous bravery at Lone Pine trenches, intheGallipoliPeninsula.Onthemorningofthe9thAugust,1915, with a very small party Captain Shout chargeddown trenches strongly occupied by the enemy, andpersonally threw four bombs among them, killing eightand routing the remainder. In theafternoonof the sameday,fromthepositiongainedinthemorning,hecaptureda further length of trench under similar conditions, andcontinued personally to bomb the enemy at close rangeunder very heavy fire until he was severely wounded,losinghisrighthandandlefteye.Thismostgallantofficerhassincesuccumbedtohisinjuries.

G

PRIVATEGEORGEPEACHMENT,18

KING’SROYALRIFLECORPSLoos,France,25September1915

eorge Stanley Peachment was eighteen years and fourmonths oldwhenhewaskilledduring theBattle of Loos.

Thiswas the firstmassengagementofKitchener’sNewArmyandthefirsttimetheBritishusedpoisongas.Bythenthewaron theWestern Front had reached a stalemate, with lines oftrenches running from the North Sea to the Swiss Border.Towards the end of September 1915, the British sought tobreak thedeadlock.Peachmentwaswith the2ndBattalionoftheKing’sRoyalRifleCorps,whichweretoattacka600-yardfront to the north of the town of Loos, which was in enemyhands. Their objective was to overrun the German trenches,thenmove south-easterly across the Loos valley andmeet upwiththe15thDivisiontotherearofthetown.ItwastobethelargestBritishoffensivemountedontheWesternFrontduring1915.Peachment,abarber’sson,wasbornnearBury,Lancashire,

on5May1897.Afterattendingtechnicalschool,hebecameanapprentice fitteratAshworth&Parker,and laterata secondBuryfirm,J.H.Riley,makingsteamengines.Givingafalsedateof birth, he enlisted into the 5thBattalion, King’sRoyal RifleCorps on 19 April 1915. He was just seventeen years andeleven months old, but you had to be nineteen to serveoverseas. Having been turned away earlier when he tried tosign up, this time Peachmentwore his father’s bowler hat tomake himself look older. Hismilitary career got off to a bad

startwhenhewentmissingfrom7.30pmon2July1915until8.10amon5July,andhewasfinedsevendays’pay.PostedtoFrance on27 July 1915, Peachment then transferred into the2ndBattalion,King’sRoyalRifleCorps.Hismilitaryrecorddidnotimprove.On19September1915,

hewasconfined tobarracks for threedays forhavingadirtybayonetonparade.Sixdayslater,hefoundhimselfinthethickoftheactiononthefirstdayoftheBattleofLoos.Afterafour-dayartillerybarragetosoftenuptheenemy,the

chlorinegaswasreleasedat05.50hourson25September.Butthingsdidnotgoaccordingtoplan.Therewaslittlewindandthe gas cloud, released from canisters in the British lines,remainedhangingovertheBritishtrenchesinsteadofdriftingtowards the Germans. So when the advance began at 06.34hours, the soldiershad tomarch through their owngas.Menfoundthemselvescoughingandchokinginno-man’s-land.Theirprimitivegashelmetsdidnotworkwellandtwohundredofthebattalion, along with two hundred of the 1st Battalion LoyalNorthLancsbesidethem,weregassedbadlyenoughtobeputoutofaction.Smoke shells had been fired frommortars, but therewere

problems with these and some went off prematurely. Almostimmediately, two enemy machine guns, which had escapeddamageduringtheartillerybombardment,openedupandtookaterribletollontheadvancingBritishsoldiers.AfewTommiesmanagedtoreachtheenemy’sbarbed-wiredefences,butwerethen cutdownbyheavy fire.Theattack falteredand soldierswereforcedtotakecoverinshellholesandnaturalhollows.At07.30,thefewthathadsurvivedbeganstragglingbackto

their trenches. The youngGeorge Peachmentwas not amongthem.Showinggreatbravery,insteadhewenttotheaidofhiscommanding officer, Captain Guy Dubs, who had beenseriously wounded. Again, Captain James Price Lloyd of TheWelshRegimentservingwithMilitaryIntelligencetakesupthestoryin‘TalesoftheVC’:

At6.30amonthemorningofthe25thofSeptember1915

the whistles blew all along the British line from the LaBasséeCaneltoGrenay,andthegreatbattleofLooshadbegun. South of the Vermelles–Hulluch road the firstdivision attacked theGerman positions on the low ridgebefore Hulluch. The 1st Brigade were rewarded withinstantsuccess.Theysweptforwardforamileandthree-quarters,andbeforenoonwerestormingthelastGermanstrongholdsintheoutskirtsofHulluchitself.To the 2nd Brigade on their right fortune was not so

kind.Ontheverythresholdoftheirenterprisetheywerefacedwithtragedyofuncutwires.The 2nd King’s Royal Rifle Corps of that Brigade

sufferedveryheavily.Thebattalioncrossedno-man’slandundertheprotectionofathickcloudofsmoke,butitwastheverythicknessofitthatwastheirundoing.Itwasnotuntiltheenemy’sentanglementshadbeenreachedthatitwasrealizedthatmuchofthewirewasstillstanding.Itwasinthisextremitythatariflemanofthisbattalion

performedanactionwhichcosthimhis life,butwon forhimthehighesthonourthatasoldiercanreceive.Private George Peachment had been chosen to act as

orderly to the officer commanding A Company. He wasonlyaboy,butthatdayheshowedthathiswastheheartofabraveman.Tothelastheneverlefthiscaptain’sside.Whenhesawthattheleadingwaveswereheldup,the

captainofACompanywentforward,ashethought,aloneto see what could be done. He had almost reached thewire,whenabomb thrown from theGerman trench justbeyondexplodedinfrontofhim,woundinghimseverelyinthehead.To his surprise, he then found that hewas not alone.

His orderly had followed him, and he now knelt downbesidethecaptain,andbegantobandagehishead.Ashewas doing so the smoke lifted, and the Germans, whowerenotmore than twentyor thirtyyardsaway,openedfireuponthisdefencelesspair.Theremainderofthecompanyhadbythistimeretired

totheir trenchestoreorganize,butPeachmentpreferredto stay with his officer, although he must have realizedthatitmeantalmostcertaindeath.Therewasashell-hole,too,quitenear,butherefusedtoavailhimselfofitscover,and, still kneeling there in the open in full view of theenemy,wentonquietlywithhiswork.Hehadnotknelttherelongwhenhewasstruckinthe

chest by a bomb which burst just in front of him. Thecaptain, who had also been hit again, managed to draghimselfandhisorderlypartlyintotheshell-hole.Hecoulddonothing for thedyingboyexcept try tokeephimstillwith the one arm he could still use. Mercifully the endcame soon. A minute later, Peachment was shot in theheadandkilledinstantly.Hewasonlyseventeenyearsold[sic]whenhedied.

Captain Guy Dubs survived and got back to British lines. Amonthafterthebattle,hewrotetoPeachment’smotherMary,saying:

IcannottellyouhowsorryIamthatyourbravesonwaskilled,butIhopeitmaybesomelittleconsolationtoyoutoknowhowbravelyhebehavedandhowhemethisend.When we reached the wire we found it absolutelyuntouchedbyourartillery fireandanalmost impassableobstacle as a result.However,wehad topushon, and Igavetheordertotrytogetthroughandoverit.Yoursonfollowedmeoverthewireandadvancedwithmeabout20yardsthroughittillwewereonlyabout15yardsfromtheGermantrench.Noneoftheothermenofthelinewasabletogetasfar

andhewas the onlymanwithme.As amatter of fact Ihadnotnoticedyoursonwaswithme,butatthispointabomb hitme in the eye, blowing it and part ofmy faceaway. I fell to the ground, but on sitting up, found yoursonkneelingbesideme.TheGermanfirewasatthistimeveryintense,butyoursonwasperfectlycool.

He asked me for my field dressing and startedbandaging my head quite oblivious to the fire. His firstthoughtwastohelpme,andthoughtherewasashellholenearbywherehemighthavegotcover,heneverthoughtofdoingso.OfcoursetheGermanswereboundtoseeussittingup,andoneofthemthrewabombwhichhityoursoninthechestwhileatthesametimeIreceivedabulletalsointhechest.Yoursonwasbeyondfeelinganypain,thoughstillalive.

Itriedtodraghimintotheshellholeandatthesametimekeep him frommoving, but at that moment a bullet hithim in thehead and killedhim.After his firstwoundhewas bound to die, in fact he was already, immediatelyafterhereceivedit,unconscioustoanypain.Ilaybesidehimthereallday,andeventuallywewerebothpickedupinthelateafternoonwhenthetrenchwastakenbyaflankattack.Ican’ttellyouhowmuchIadmiredyourson’sbravery

andpluck.Helosthislifeintryingtohelpmeandnomancouldhavebeenbraverthanhewas.Ihaverecommendedhim for the VC and have heard that the CommandingOfficerhasseentherecommendation.Ifhegetsit,itissadtothinkheisnotinthisworldto

receiveallthecongratulationshewouldget,butperhapsitmaybeacomforttoyou.Yoursondiedthefinestdeaththatmancandie,heshowedthegreatestgallantryamancanshow;andIhopethesefactsmayhelpyouinyoursadloss,togetherwiththefactthathewassparedallpainandsuffering.

Captain Dubs’s recommendation was accepted andPeachment’sVCwasgazettedon18November1915:

For most conspicuous bravery near Hulluch on 25thSeptember, 1915. During very heavy fighting, when ourfront linewascompelledtoretire inordertoreorganize,Private Peachment, seeing his Company Commander,

CaptainDubs, lyingwounded,crawled toassisthim.Theenemy’s fire was intense, but, though there was a shellhole quite close, in which a few men had taken cover,Private Peachment never thought of saving himself. HekneltintheopenbyhisOfficerandtriedtohelphim,butwhile doing this hewas firstwounded by a bomb and aminute latermortally wounded by a rifle bullet. Hewasone of the youngest men in his battalion and gave thissplendidexampleofcourageandself-sacrifice.

Three days after the announcement Captain Dubs wrote asecondlettertoMrsPeachment,tellingherthathehadmadeher son his orderly just before the battle in an attempt toprevent him having to go over the top. Plainly this wasunsuccessfulandDubswaswrackedwithguilt.Heconfessed:‘I am afraid I feel very responsible for his death, because ImighthavesenthimhomeashorttimebeforewhenIfoundouthisage,onlyhewassokeentostay.’Peachment’sVCwaspresentedtohismotherbyGeorgeVat

an investiture at Buckingham Palace on 29 November 1916.Hisbodywasneverrecovered,butheiscommemoratedontheLoos Memorial, alongside the names of more than twentyBritishandCommonwealthsoldierswhodiedduringthebattle.Hisnamehasbeencarvedintothe‘MemorialtotheMissing’at‘Dud Corner’ Commonwealth War Graves CommissionCemeteryatLoos.LordAshcroftboughtPeachment’sVCandhisothermedals

alongwithCaptainDubs’sletterstoMrsPeachment.TheyareheldattheAshcroftGalleryattheImperialWarMuseum.AmemorialserviceforPeachmenthadbeenheldatParkhills

UnitedMethodist Church, his school, on 17 October 1915. Abronze plaque commemorating him was unveiled there. Butsince that time he was largely forgotten and the plaque waslaterfoundinthebackroomofTheFusilierMuseum.In October 2006, the plaque commemorating the only

servicemanfromBurytowintheVCwasinstalledinStAnne’sChurch in Tottington. His VC was brought to Bury for the

ceremony.

R

TEMPORARYLIEUTENANTRICHARDJONES,19

LOYALNORTHLANCASHIREREGIMENT‘BroadmarshCrater’,Vimy,France,21May1916

ichard Jones was born in Honor Oak, near Lewisham insoutheastLondon,on30April1897andstudiedatDulwich

College from1909 to 1914.When theFirstWorldWar brokeout he was seventeen years and four months old. Heimmediately volunteered for active service and wascommissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 8th (Service)BattalionofLoyalNorthLancashireRegimentinOctober1914.Twomonthslater,hewaspromotedtotemporary-lieutenant.He went to France with the battalion in September 1915,

where hewas appointed SnipingOfficer. InMay 1916, threeweeks after his nineteenth birthday, his battalion was in thelineatBroadmarshCrater,nearVimyinFrance.Onthenightof18Maythecraterhadbeenlost,soat21.15

hours on the 19th, the 8th Loyals launched an attack torecapture it. Edward Underhill, a twenty-year-old subaltern,recordedtheeventsinalettertohisparents:

Wehadourblooding thenightbefore last, aswehad toretakeacraterwhichanotherbattalioninthebrigadehadlost and couldn’t retake. We sent a hundred men andthree officers, and did it with ease. The Corps andDivisional commanders have congratulated us, and theBrigadierisverypleased.PoorlittleTatamismissing.Hewas in charge of thirty bombers of CCompany.Howard

has a badly shattered thigh [2nd Lieutenant CecilCunningham Howard died of his wounds a week later],and one of my best sergeants is dead. But still a pricemust be paid. I’m awfully sorry about Tatam; he and Iwere pretty good pals, and had done a lot of worktogether this last tour, and I’m awfully sorry he’s gone.But themen are splendid, andwent for it like the goodchaps they are. I was up all night with Ramsay lookingafter bomb supplies. [Captain Stuart Ramsay, DSO, diedofhiswoundson3June1917.]Wehandledsomethinglike1,000 boxes. I have never heard such bombing as wasgoingon then. It soundedas though therewas a sort ofmachine gun ejecting bombs as fast as it could go.Bennettisonleave,soIamOCCCompanyandverybusy.[LieutenantErnestBennettdiedon12August1917.]

Underhillwrote tohis parents again twodays later to assurethemthathewassafe,butsayinghehad‘beenthroughsomeawful times’. On 21May, theGermans had counter-attacked.Byearlyevening,LieutenantJonesandhisplatoonwerecutoffby gas and shellfire. Their reserve of bombs had beendestroyed.Littlecouldbedone.Anticipating an attack from the north, Lieutenant Jones

prepared his defences. But at 19.40 hours, a German mineexploded some thirty yards to the south. For around fifteenminutes,Jones’splatoonmanagedtokeeptheGermansofftherim of the new crater, but then their supply of grenades ranout.Attemptstogetmorefailed.Taking up position between the two craters, Lieutenant

Jones tried to keep the enemy back with rifle fire. He shotfifteen Germans before his ammunition ran out. Then hespottedsomemoregrenadesnearby,butashepickedoneuphewasshotthroughthehead.Therestofthedefenderswerereduced to throwing lumps of flint and empty bomb boxes attheenemy.The defenders had held out for over two hours since the

beginningoftheGermanassaultbut,at22.00hours,theywere

forcedtoabandonthepost.Battalionheadquartershadalreadygiven orders to launch a counter-attack at 02.00 hours thefollowing morning. The Germans withdrew, leaving behindfreshentanglementsofwire,holdinguptheBritishandcuttingthemdownwithmachinegunsandshellfire.Underhill sent a detailed description of the action to his

parents on 24 May, though it suffered at the hands of thecensor:

They started on Sunday afternoon [21 May] with heavybombardment of all sorts of shells. They gave thebatteries, Mont St Eloy, the support and front linetrenchesshowersofgasshells,whicharetheinventionofthedevil.Thebombardmentstartedabout3.30pm.Iwasontheroad,ofwhichIsentyouapostcard.Well,about5pm I got orders from my company to Cross Street, atrenchabout500yardsfromthefront line.Wegottherewithoutcasualties,whichwasn’tbad.Whenwegottherewe walked into the gas shells and other shells, and forfour hours we sat asmuch under cover as possible andwereshelled.Weonlyhadtwocasualtiesinthecompany,andwereverylucky.Butthegasshellswerebeastly.Oneburstwithin fiveyardsofme,and Iwasblindwith tearsforabit,andnearlycoughedmyinsideout,andmyeyesweresoreandachedterribly.Well,aboutnine,Isentfor[news]andtoldthattheHunshadbrokenthroughontheleft.CrossStreetisinourownbattalionareawhenwe’rein the trenches,and theHunhadbroken throughon thenext threebattalion frontages.Hehad takenouroutpostand retrenchment lines, which are only lightly held andnotmeanttobeheldinanattack,andalsohadtake[n]ourmain line and support line, a depth of about 300 to 400yards.Iwastoldtooccupyasecondsupport line,knownas Perrier, block a communication trench on my leftknownasCentral,andholdthelineatallcosts,andwatchmy left flank. By this time there wasn’t much shelling,whattherewaswasalightbarragebehindus,anditwas

pitch dark except for Hun flares, which were prettycontinuous.Well,weduginasbestwecould;thetrench,allblownin.Itwasaneerieexperiencewalkingaboutlikethat,practically intheopenwithshellholesallround, incomparativesilenceaftertheterrificrowbefore.About12weweretoldthatthebattalionwouldconcentrateat1amand C Company would be on the left. We were toassembleinanolddisusedtrenchjust infrontandcrawlasfaraspossibleforward,andthengofortheenemywiththebayonetanddrive themoutofoursupportandmainlines.Well,ofcourse,thefrontwastoobigaoneforusatourthenstrength.WecrawledforwardunderriflefireandMGfirefromtwoguns,andheavyshrapnel,andtookthesupportlineandmostofseveralcommunicationtrenches,but were too weak to get to the main line. I neverexpectedtogetacrossthat150yardsofopenuntouched.There was one continuous stream of flares. The Hunsnever waited for us but ran. We found the trench verymuchknockedabout,sosettoworktodigfordearlife.Igottoolsandbagsfromsomewhereandweneverdugsohardinourlives.Itwasthenbroaddaylightandwehaditquiet till 10, when the Hun started a few crumps andshrapnel and continued slowly till about 4 pm, when hesettoworkandwehadtwohoursheavyshelling.Wewererelievedintheeveningandcamebacktotheroadagain,butIcantellyouwhenIcameoutIwassofaggedthatIcouldhardlystandandmynerveswereveryrockyindeed.Everybodywaspleasedwithwhatwehaddoneonafrontwehadneverseenbefore,infact,asortofbloomingherostunt. Then yesterday afternoon, while we were backhere,theballopenedagainandtherewashellforseveralhours. And we had about four gas shells right roundCompanyHQ,andmyeyesaren’trightyet.

WithinafewdaysthebattalionwassenttothereartoprepareitselffortheBattleoftheSomme.LieutenantJoneswasnottogowiththem.Hisbodywasneverrecovered.

ThecitationtohisposthumousVictoriaCrossread:

About7.30pmtheenemyexplodedaminefortyyardstohisright,andatthesametimeputaheavybarrageoffireon our trenches, thus isolating the Platoon. They thenattackedinoverwhelmingnumbers.LieutenantJoneskepthismentogether,steadyingthembyhisfineexample,andshotno less than fifteenof theenemyas theyadvanced,countingthemaloudashedidsotocheerhismen.Whenhis ammunition was expended he took a bomb, but wasshot through the head while getting up to throw it. Hissplendid courage had so encouraged hismen that whentheyhadnomoreammunitionorbombstheythrewstonesandammunitionboxes at the enemy till only nine of theplatoonwereleft.Finallytheywerecompelledtoretire.

Richard Jones is one of the 35,000 British CommonwealthservicemencommemoratedontheArrasMemorial,whodiedintheArrassectorbetweenthespringof1916and7August1918andhavenoknowngrave.HisVictoriaCrossiskeptatDulwichCollege,south-eastLondon.

T

FIRSTCLASSBOYJOHN‘JACK’CORNWELL,16

HMSCHESTERJutland,Denmark,31May1916

heBattleofJutlandwastheonlymajorencounterbetweentheRoyalNavyandtheGermanGrandFleetduringWorld

WarIandonly the thirdnavalbattlebetweensteelships, thefirsttwooccurringduringtheRusso-JapaneseWarof1904–05.Theoutcomewasindecisive.TheGermanssankmoreshipping–113,300tonsagainst62,300tons–whiletheBritishretainedcontrol of theNorth Sea, for surface shipping at least. Some2,551Germansailorswerekilledagainst6,094British–oneofwhomwasasixteen-year-oldboy.John Travers Cornwell was born in Clyde Cottage, Clyde

Place,Leyton,Essex,on8January1900.KnownasJack,hewasthe son of Eli and Lily Cornwell, née King, and had twobrothers –Ernest,born in1898,George,born in1901,andasister Lily, born in 1905. Itwas his father’s secondmarriageandhealsohadahalf-brothernamedArthur,bornin1888,andahalf-sisternamedAlice,bornin1890.Jack’s father had spent fourteen years in the Royal Army

MedicalCorps, serving inEgypt, theSudanandSouthAfrica.Incivilianlife,heworkedasanurseinamentalhospital;alsoasamilkmanandatramdriver.Thefamilywasnotwelloffandin1911 Jack foundhimself in thecareof theWestHamPoorLawUnion, living in one of the children’s homes in RomfordRoad,ForestGate.Later,hewasreunitedwithhisfamilywhentheymoved to 10 Alverstone Road, Little Ilford,Manor Park.

Jack attendedWalton Road School in Manor Park, where hewasquietandstudious.Ateachersaidofhim:‘Wealwaysfeltwecoulddependonhim.’HewasalsoakeenBoyScoutintheLittle Ilford Troop at St Mary’s Mission, and won a specialawardforfreeingagirlfromadrain.When Jack left school at fourteen, he wanted to join the

Navy, but his parentswould not sign the papers. Instead, hebecameadeliveryboyforBrookeBond&Co.andthenworkedas a dray boywith theWhitbread’s Brewery Depot inManorPark.At the outbreak of World War I, Jack’s father, then sixty-

three, reenlisted as a private in the 57th Company of RoyalDefenceCorps, theFirstWorldWar’sequivalentof theHomeGuard.JackwasstilldeterminedtojointheRoyalNavyand,inAugust 1914, still only fifteen, he took references from hisheadmaster and his employer along to a local recruitmentoffice,butwasturneddownonthegroundsofage.He tried again the following year and on 27 July 1915 he

begantrainingasBoySecondClassatKeyhamNavalBarracks–HMSVivid–atsixpence(2½p)aweek.On19February1916,hewaspromotedtoBoyFirstClassandcompletedhistrainingon HMS Lancaster, which was moored at Chatham. Then hejoined a new light cruiser, HMS Chester, on the day it wascommissionedatCammellLaird’syardinBirkenheadon1May1916.By the 15th, HMS Chester had joined the fleet at Scapa

Flow. On the 23rd, Jack wrote a final letter home to hisparents.TheChestercompleteditsbattledrillsonthe29th.TheGerman fleet under Admiral Reinhard von Scheer had

left port andBritish naval intelligence informedAdmiral JohnJellicoe in Rosyth. He ordered the fleet to put to sea. OnceJellicoe found a German scouting party of forty ships underAdmiral Franz von Hipper, he was joined by the fleet fromScapa Flow under AdmiralDavid Beatty. The battle joined ataround15.48hourson31May1916,withthetwosideslobbingshellsateachotherfromadistanceofabouttenmiles.HMS Chester was stationed five ahead of the 3rd Battle

Cruiser Squadron, which was twenty-five miles ahead of themain fleet. Lookouts reporteddistant gunfire andher captainordered ‘Action Stations’ before setting off at full speed toinvestigate.Ataround17.40,fourGermanlightcruiserscameintosight.TheChesterturnedtoopenfirebutcouldnotmatchthefirepowerofthefourenemycruisersandwashitseventeentimesinthreeminutes.Threeoutofhertengunsweredisabledand one-fifth of the crew were either killed or wounded,including the entire crew of the forward 5.5-inch turret gun,which had been hit before it could be brought into action.Cornwellwasstationedassight-setterthere,takingordersviaheadphones fromFire Control on the bridge andmaking anynecessary range corrections to the gun sights. Hewas hit inthe chest. Mortally wounded, he remained there awaitingfurtherordersuntiltheendoftheaction.AreportfromtheCommandingOfficerofHMSChestersaid:

‘Boy (1st Class) John Travers Cornwell of the “Chester” wasmortally wounded early in the action. He neverthelessremained standing alone at a most exposed post, quietlyawaitingorderstill theendof theaction,withthegun’screwdeadandwoundedallroundhim.’Other reports said he volunteered to go to the top of the

turret towipetheglasssothattherangefindercould linethetarget, and one said that he managed to ram home one lastshell,closethebreechandpressthefiringbuttonandthatthisshellexplodedontheGermanshipWiesbaden,causingdamagewhichledtohersinking.Thefollowingday,theChesterwasorderedbacktotheport

of Immingham on the Humber, where the wounded weretransferredtoGrimsbyandDistrictHospital.JackwasattendedbyDrC.S.Stephenson,buthecouldnotbesavedanddiedofhiswoundson2June1916.Hewassixteenyears,threemonthsold.HisbodywasbroughtbacktoEastHaminanavalcoffinand

his family buried him in a private ceremony at Manor ParkCemetery, in a communal grave marked only with a woodenpegwiththenumber323onit.

However,inAdmiralBeatty’saccountoftheaction,hedrewattentionto‘theinstanceofdevotiontodutybyBoy(1stClass)JohnTraversCornwellwhowasmortallywoundedearlyintheaction, but nevertheless remained standing alone at a mostexposedpost,quietlyawaitingorderstilltheendoftheaction,with the gun’s crew dead and wounded around him. He wasunder 16½ years old. I regret that he has since died, but Irecommend his case for special recognition in justice to hismemory and as an acknowledgement of thehigh example setby him.’ Jack was the only enlisted man picked out forcommendationbyBeatty.The newspapers seized on this. It was a stirring tale of

bravery,butalsooneof the scant regard theauthoritiespaidthe heroes who had fallen for the nation. The Daily Sketchprintedapictureofthepauper’sgravecoveredinflowerswiththe caption: ‘Englandwill be shocked today to learn that theboy-hero of the naval victory has been buried in a commongrave.Theflowersweresentbyhisschoolmates–theyintheirhumblewaypaid thehonour that theAdmiralty failed togivethe young hero’. The paper then promised that ‘his memoryandfamilyarenotforgotten’.Therewasthenafeedingfrenzyamongthepress,whovied

witheachother toprintpicturesof friendsand familyposingbeside the nameless grave. As First World War casualtiesmounted, this hit home among the general public. ButCornwell’s commanding officer, Captain Robert Lawson, wasoutragedbythecoverage.‘Whatwas(andis,essentially)aclean, fine,simplestoryof

devotion to duty has been besmirched by the paws of thePress,’hecomplained.What’smore,itwasnottheNavy’sfault.‘If Mrs Cornwell had not elected to have his body moved

from thehospital toherownhouse, therewouldhavebeenafuneral with full naval honours,’ he declared. ‘As it was, shewishedtotakethebodyawayforaprivatefuneral,andthecostof the journey ispaidbytheAdmiralty,butnot, Ibelieve, thecost of the funeral also. Perhaps poor Mrs Cornwell hardly

understood all that, but felt she would like to have herneighbours at the funeral; then discovered that she couldn’tafford to pay for a separate grave.Meanwhile, the pressmendiscover this, and instead of helping quietly, publish half thestory far and wide. Well, well. Many of his shipmates weremore fortunate in resting in theNorthSea,wherenotevenaghoulishpressmancandisturbyourmortalremains.’However, in Parliament, Admiral Lord Beresford, MP for

Portsmouth,urgedthatCornwellshouldposthumouslyreceivetheVictoriaCross.‘AnhonourpaidtoCornwell’smemorywouldbeanexample

to the boys of the Empire at their most susceptible age,’ hesaid.This was not enough for The Spectator, who wanted Jack

Cornwell’sportrait tobehung ineveryelementary school ‘sothatthelustreofhisdeedmayshinewhereboysandgirlsarequicktocatchthereflectionofloftyandhonourableconduct’.But first itwas suggested that his bodybedisinterred and

buriedwith fullmilitary honours at Devonport.Mrs Cornwellopposed this. It was a consolation to her that he was buriednearby and she could visit his grave any time she felt like it.Nevertheless, on 29 July 1916, Jack Cornwell’s body wasexhumedandthecoffin,swathedintheUnionJack,wasdrawnby gun carriage from East Ham Town Hall to Manor ParkCemetery,wherehersonwasre-buriedwithfullnavalhonours.The Navy was represented by six boy sailors from HMS

Chester,whohadall takenpart in the fightingat Jutlandandcarried wreaths from the ship’s company, and Dr F.J.MacnamaraMP, Financial Secretary to the Admiralty. At thegraveside,hesaid:‘Ithasbeenwrittenthatwhatgoodmendoisofteninterredwiththem.Notsohere!Thisgraveshallbethebirthplaceofheroes.BoyCornwellwillbeenshrinedinBritishheartsaslongasfaithful,unflinchingdevotiontodutyshallbeesteemedavirtueamongus.’AsupplementtoTheLondonGazetteof15September1916

carriedaspecialnoticethatread:

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve thegrant of the Victoria Cross to Boy, First Class, JohnTraversCornwell,O.N.J.42563(died2ndJune,1916),fortheconspicuousactofbraveryspecifiedbelow.Mortallywoundedearly intheaction,Boy,FirstClass,

JohnTraversCornwellremainedstandingaloneatamostexposedpost,quietlyawaitingorders,untiltheendoftheaction,with thegun’screwdeadandwoundedall roundhim.Hisagewasundersixteenandahalfyears.

In the same month, The Jack Cornwell Memorial Fund wasestablishedtoprovideaward inhisnamefordisabledsailorsat the Star&GarterHome at Richmond.His namewas alsoadoptedbyother fundraisingcampaigns for theNavyandthewar.Every schoolchild in theBritishEmpirewas invited togive

one penny towards the fund. In return for donations, therewere commemorative stamps, which sold in their millions,along with postcards of his likeness. The distinguished artistSirFrankSalisburypaintedhisportrait,thoughhehadtouseJack’s brother Ernest as a model. There was even a stained-glass window showing him in action in the City Hall ofKingston,Ontario,Canada.SchoolsalloverBritaincelebratedJackCornwellDayon21

September1916,whilelocalschoolswereinvitedtocontributetowards the cost of a memorial stone and other charitablecauses.TheBoyScouts introducedtheCornwellAward,referredto

astheScoutVC,giventoboysasabadgeofcourage,andLadyJellicounveiledaplaqueatWaltonRoadSchool inmemoryof‘the imperishable boy Cornwell’, asNational Review dubbedhim, ‘a national hero’. The school was renamed the JackCornwellSchoolin1929,butdemolishedin1969.On 25 October 1916, Jack’s father Eli died from bronchial

catarrh while on active service. He was buried alongside hisson.Thefollowingmonth,Jack’smotherLilyreceivedherson’sVC fromKingGeorgeatan investitureatBuckinghamPalace

on 16 November 1916. He was the youngest person everawarded a naval VC. Themedalwas eventually presented on‘long loan’ to the Imperial War Museum, where it wasdisplayed,alongwiththe5.5-inchgunCornwellwasmanning.Bytheendofthewar,hisstepbrotherwasalsodeadandhis

motherwas living inreducedcircumstancesandworking inasailors’hosteltosupplementaverysmallpensionawardedforher son. Shewas found dead on 31 October 1919, aged justforty-eight,andneverlivedtoseethememorialerectedonherson’sgrave.JackCornwellhasnotbeenforgotten.InManorPark,there

is The Jack Cornwell Centre in Jack Cornwell Street, theVictoria Cross public house and Jack Cornwell VC House inGrantham Road. In Manor Park Cemetery, there is CornwellCrescent and in Vicarage Lane, East Ham, there is TheCornwellVCCadetCentre,wheretheNewhamSeaCadetsarebased. It is theonlyunit inBritainnot tohave thenameofaT.S., or Training Ship, written upon the ribbon of their cap.Instead,theyhave‘J.T.CornwellVC’printeduponit.Aparadeandmemorialservice isheld inhishonourby theSeaCadetsandTheBritishLegioneveryyear.In 2001, the London Borough of Newham introduced the

JackCornwell BraveryAward,which is presented annually inrecognition of outstanding acts of bravery by the people ofNewham.

B

PRIVATEWILLIAM(BORNJOHN)JACKSON,18

17THBATTALION,AUSTRALIANIMPERIALFORCE

Armentières,France,25June1916

etween March and June 1916, the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5thAustralianDivisionsweresenttoFrance,wheretheywere

deployedalongthequietArmentièressector.Inthebuild-uptothe Battle of the Somme, which began on 1 July, they wereorderedtocarryoutasmanyraidsaspossibleontheGermanlines.Duringoneof themPrivateWilliamJacksonbecamethefirst Australian to win a VC on the Western Front and theyoungestAussietowinthehighestgallantryaward.John William Alexander ‘Billy’ Jackson was born on 13

September 1897 at ‘Glengower’ station at Gunbar, a smallsettlementfiftymilesnorthofHay,NewSouthWales.Hewasthe fourth child and eldest son of farm labourer John GaleJackson and his wife Adelaide Ann, née McFarlane. BillyJacksonwasjusteightyearsoldwhenhismotherdied.Twoofhis elder sisters were already dead, one as the result of anaccidental shooting.SoBillyandhis threesisters–Elizabeth,Catherine andMay – and two brothers – Albert and Leslie –werethencaredforbytheirgrandparents,JohnandElizabethMcFarlane. They already had fourteen children of their own,plusfourchildrenfromJohn’sfirstmarriage.During his teenage years, Billy Jackson – ‘Jacko’ to his

friends – was well known for his daring, recklessness and

strength. After leaving school he was employed by WilliamGibsonof‘Carlowrie’,thenheenlistedinthe17thBattalionoftheAustralian ImperialForceatLiverpool,NewSouthWales,on15February1915attheageofjustseventeenyearsandfivemonths,oneofthefirstvolunteersfromGunbar.Armyrecordsshow that he was five-feet ten inches tall and he weighedtwelvestone.Hiseyesweregrey,hishairandcomplexionfair,andhisreligionPresbyterian.He joined B Company of the 17th Battalion of the 5th

InfantryBrigadeoftheAIF(AustralianImperialForce).InMay1915,hesailedforEgypt,trainingatHeliopolis.On12August1915,hewassentfor‘specialduty’inAlexandria,fromwherehisbattalionembarked.TheylandedonGallipolion20August,wherehetookpartintheattackonKaiajikAghyl–Hill60–thefollowingday.AtGallipolion3October1915hewasadmittedtoacasualty

clearing station suffering from diarrhoea. He also had aproblemwith his teeth,which prevented him eating the hardrationsprovidedonGallipoli.Hisconditionwassoseriousthathe was evacuated to Malta on the hospital ship Assaye. InValletta,hewasadmittedtotheStElmoHospital.On7 January1916hewasputonboard theEsquibo tobe

returned to Australia. But after three days at sea, he wasoffloadedatCairo and admitted to the1stAuxiliaryHospital,sufferingfromdysentery.By 15 February, he was declared fit and rejoined his

battalion on 8 March. Nine days later they embarked atAlexandria for the six-day voyage to Marseilles in France aspart of the 2nd Division. They relieved the NorthumberlandFusiliersatBoisGrenier,nearArmentières,on10April.Orderswere issued tobeginharrying raids on theGerman

lineson20 June. Jacksonvolunteeredandatmidnighton thenight of 25–26 June he acted as a scout for a raiding party,which included nine officers and seventy-three men, on theforward trenches of the 231st Prussian Reserve InfantryRegiment.Hispartywas ledbyCaptainKeithHeritageof the19thBattalion,whowaskilled inactiononemonth later, and

the raid had been planned by General W. Holmes, who waskilledbyshellfireinJuly1917.An artillery barrage had forced many of the Germans to

abandon their positions. Despite this, the Australians facedwitheringmachine-gunfireastheycrossedfourhundredyardsofno-man’s-land.After the scout group had neutralised the enemy listening

posts, the raiders, supported by a box barrage, entered theenemytrenches,encounteringonlytokenresistance.Engineersblew up two bomb stores, causing pandemonium, while theremainderof thepartycleared theenemytrenches.After fiveminutes the Australians withdrew under heavy shelling andmachine-gunfire.Jackson returned safely, bringing a prisoner backwithhim

for interrogation,buton learningsomeof thepartyhadbeenhit,hesaidhedidn’tliketheideaofleavinganywoundedmenoutinno-man’s-land.Despitetheenemybarrage,hewentbackandrescuedoneofhiswoundedcomrades.Ignoring the intensifying bombardment, he went out on a

secondrescuemission,assistingSergeantHughCamdenofthe19th Battalion to bring in seriously wounded Private AlfredRobinson.Theblast fromanexplodingshellknockedCamdenunconscious, inflicted further wounds on Robinson, and blewJackson’srightarmoffabovetheelbow.Jacksonsaidhe‘didn’tfeelmuch,justanumbingsensation’.

Whenhereturnedto theAustralian lines,anofficerappliedatourniquetusingapieceofstringandastick.Disregardinghisown condition he went back to rescue the other two injuredmen.Herecoveredoneof them,thencontinuedsearching foranother half an hour until he satisfied himself that all thewoundedhadbeenbroughtin,afterwhichtimehewassenttohospital.During the raid thirty Germans were killed and four

captured; the Australian casualties were fourteen wounded,thoughPrivateRobinsondiedofhiswoundson3July1916.Thehospital shipStPatrick took Jackson fromBoulogne to

England and on 30 June the rest of his right arm was

amputatedatthe3rdLondonGeneralHospital.HethenspenttimerecuperatingintheNo.1AustralianAuxiliaryHospitalinthegroundsofanestateknownasHarefieldPark,Middlesex,the No. 2 Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Southall, and theQueenMaryConvalescentAuxiliaryHospital,beforereturningtoAustralia.Jackson was immediately awarded the Distinguished

ConductMedal,but thiswascancelledandhisnamewasputforwardforaVC.Therecommendationcamefromthegeneralofficer commanding (GOC) to the 5th Australian InfantryBrigade, who also praised Jackson for his ability as a scout,bothwiththeraidingpartyandhisownbattalion.The VCwas gazetted on 8 September 1916, just five days

beforehisnineteenthbirthday.Thecitationread:

For most conspicuous bravery. On the return from asuccessful raid, several members of the raiding partywereseriouslywoundedinNoMan’sLandbyshellfire.PrivateJacksongotbacksafelyand,afterhandingover

aprisonerwhomhehadbroughtin,immediatelywentoutagain under a very heavy shell fire and assisted inbringinginawoundedman.Hethenwentoutagain,andwith a sergeant was bringing in another wounded man,whenhis armwasblownoffbya shell and the sergeantwasrenderedunconscious.Hethenreturnedtoourtrenches,obtainedassistance,

andwentoutagaintolookforhistwowoundedcomrades.Hesetasplendidexampleofpluckanddetermination.Hiswork has always been marked by the greatest coolnessandbravery.

Bymistakehewasgiven theDistinguishedConductMedalaswell, which was gazetted two weeks later, on 22 September1916, though it was cancelled in The London Gazette of 20October1916.HewaspresentedwithhisVCbyGeorgeVataninvestitureatBuckinghamPalaceon18November1916.BothawardsappearedintheCommonwealthofAustraliaGazetteon

14 December 1916 and his father was informed by theDepartmentofDefenceon4January1917.JacksonremainedinEnglanduntil4May1917,whenhewas

invalided back to Australia with 992 returning servicemenaboard TSSThemistocles, arriving in Sydney on 5 July 1917.The first recipient of the VC to return to Australia, he washoistedshoulder-highatthereceptionheldattheAnzacBuffetintheDomaininSydneyforthereturningwoundedsoldiers.There he was reunited with Sergeant Camden, who had

managedto findhisownwaybacktotheAllied lines.Hehadalso been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for thepart he played in the rescue of the wounded that night.TogethertheytravelledtoHay.Arrivingthereon26July1917,theyweremetat the railway stationbya large crowdbeforemoving onto the Post Office Square, where Jackson wasofficially welcomed byMr Butterworth, the DeputyMayor ofHay.‘Ihavethegreatestofpleasureinextendingthewelcomeof

thepeopleofHay,’saidButterworth,addingthat,‘theydidnotwanttodepriveGunbarofoneiotaoftheglorybuttheywereenjoyingadegreeofreflectedgloryfromthefactthatJacksonwasalwaysreferredtoasbeingfromGunbar,nearHay.’Nevertheless, he said Jackson’s deed ‘was one of the

incidentsofthiswar,whichsofarasthisdistrictisconcerned,willneverbeforgotten’.Then Sergeant Camden told the crowd: ‘Bill had gone out

lookingforhimwithouthisarm.NotlookingforaVCbutforacobber.’At Gunbar, the people of the district offered to show their

appreciation by buying Jackson a farm. He declined, sayingthatthelossofhisrightarmwouldmeanhecouldnotworktheland. Private Jackson VC and Sergeant Camden DCM,accompaniedbyPrivateGeorgeSalisburyandPrivateStewart,both recipients of the Military Medal, went on a recruitingdrive. Then on 15 September 1917, Jackson was dischargedfromtheAIF.Settling in Merriwa, New South Wales, Jackson became a

dealer,buyingandsellinghorsesandskins.Heleftin1927tobecomethelicenseeoftheFigtreeHotelatFigtree,asuburbofWollongong. Later, hemoved to Sydneywhere hewould findworkandmarry.DuringWorldWarIIhere-enlistedandservedasacorporal,

then acting sergeant in the Eastern Command ProvostCompany. But in December 1941, he was reprimanded forwearinghisDCMribbon.WhenitwassuggestedthathereturnhisDCM, Jackson said hewould continue towear the ribbonand he would apply for a discharge and let the matter bedecidedincourtratherthansurrenderthemedal.He took his discharge. Then the Army backed down.

Although the War Office in London confirmed that the DCMhadbeencancelled,theydidnotknowofanincidenceofstepsever being officially taken to recover a medal. They alsothoughtitundesirabletoorderJacksontogiveitback.Jacksonpromptly re-enlisted in the 2nd Australian Labour Company,thoughhecontinuedtosignallcorrespondence‘WJacksonVC,DCM’.In 1956 he travelled to London with thirty-four other

Australian VC holders for the Victoria Cross CentenaryCelebrations.WhenhediedinAugust1959,hewasburiedwithfull Military Honours. The Members Bar in the refurbishedMerriwaReturnedServicemen’sLeagueClub is named in hishonourand,on4October2003,arecreationalareaatGungal,southofMerriwa,wasofficiallyopenedasthePrivateJacksonPark.

T

PRIVATEJOHNCUNNINGHAM,19

EASTYORKSHIREREGIMENTAncre,HebuterneSector,France,13November1916

he First Battle of the Somme was a costly and largelyunsuccessfulactionon theWesternFrontwhichbecamea

metaphor for the futility and indiscriminate slaughter of thewar. It lasted from1 July to 13November 1916.On the firstdayalonetherewere60,000Britishcasualties–20,000dead.Torrential rain inOctober turned the battlefield into a sea ofmud, churned by regular bombardments. In all there were650,000 German, 195,000 French and 420,000 Britishcasualties. By the time it was called off, the Allies hadadvancedjustfivemiles.Ifthatwasnotbadenough,theAlliesmadeonefinalpushin

theBattleofAncrefrom13to18Novemberbeforethewinterset in.Nineteen-year-old JohnCunninghamwaswith the12th(Service) Battalion (3rd Hull), The East Yorkshire Regiment(TheDuke of York’sOwn) of the 92ndBrigade, 31stDivisionthat were on the left towards the north of the battlefield.Cunningham’s battalion and the 13th East Yorkshires pushedforward soon after midnight on 13 November towards thevillage of Serre. Their snipers and Lewis gunners were tosupport the left flank when the main advance started a fewhourslater.This time the artillery barrage was effective and the

Yorkshire battalion reached the German front line and threehundred Germans were taken prisoner. However, enemysoldiers in the support trench foughtback.Cunninghamwent

with a bombing section up a communication trench to attackthem. There they faced tough opposition and the rest of thesectionwereeitherkilledorwounded.Collectingallthebombsfromthecasualties,Cunninghamwentonaloneand,whenhehadusedupall thebombshehad,hewentback togetsomemore. When he went up the communication trench again heencounteredapartyoftenGermans.Hekilledallten,clearingthetrenchuptothenewline.John Cunningham was born in Scunthorpe, North

Lincolnshire, on 28 June 1897, one of nine children. He wasknown in the family as Jack. When he was still a child, thefamilymovedtoHull,wherehewenttoschool,thoughhedidnot dowell. Like his father, he became a hawker – that is, astreettrader–sellingpots.In1915,attheageofseventeen,heenlistedinthe3rdHull

Battalion, known as the Hull Sportsmen, a ‘pals battalion’.Thesewereunits ofmenwhohad joinedup together in localrecruitingdrives.Theywereusuallyneighbours,workmates,ormenwhobelongedtothesameclubs.In December, after training in South Dalton, outside

Beverley in the East Riding of Yorkshire, the battalion weresent toEgypt todefend theSuezCanal.After that, theyweresenttoFranceinMarch1916withthe31stDivision.Theirfirstmajor actionwas in the first dayof theBattle of theSomme,wheretheysuffered3,600casualtiesandfailedtoreachanyoftheirobjectives.Thingsdidnotgetanybetter.Gettingreadyfortheattackat

Serre, PrivateArchie Surfleet,with the 13thEast Yorkshires,wrote:

November12thwasthemostthoroughlymiserabledayIever remember. Themorning broke dull, foggy andwet;everythingwasinahopelesshubbubandbustle;eventhemud seemed stickier and thicker. We had the usualfatigueparties,rollingtheblanketsinthosebundlesoften,cleaning up camp as far are possible… and so on. ThenSergeantRainecameandtoldBellandmethatoneofus

hadtobeleftataplacecalledRossignolFarmuntilcalledforduty.Itwasaquietmoment,butwithoutfurthertalk,thesergeantsaidhewould toss for it;poorBell lostandSergeant Raine told him he was ‘for it’… to which Bellsaid ‘San fairy ann.’… ‘It doesn’tmatter’, and now poorBellisdead!Goditseemsawful…With sad hearts we watched the main part of the

battalionmoveofftotheline.Therewasanartificialairofjollityabout;ajokehere,acoarseremarkthere,awaveofthehandtoapal…‘luckydevilstayingbehind’…‘allthebest, old man’ … ‘get those bloody rations up early’ …‘We’re going back for a rest after this’ … ‘who the hellsayswearen’ta scrappingdivision’… ‘Sendapostcard’… all these and many more remarks, but it was thethinnestofveneers,averyfeeblecoveringoverthesenseof grim reality which I feel the whole battalion wasfeeling.Westoodtherewhiletheboys,incolumnofroute,marched forward, slid down the hill, turned right andweregraduallyswallowedupinthemistandthemudandthe confusion. There sounds died out; only a rumble ofgunsandthecreakingofheavily laden limbersremainedatthescenesodesolateandmiserablethatonecouldnothelpfeelingdepressed…

AtAncre,whilethe31stDivisionwere initiallysuccessful, the3rdDivisionontheirrightwereoverlookedbytheenemyandfell back, leaving the 92nd Brigade’s flank exposed, forcingthemtopullbacktoo.The12th’sWarDiaryrecords:

All objectives were captured under twentyminutes withfour casualties the barrage being excellent. Over 300prisoners are captured, and sent back, less than 50%reachingour lines.The3rdDivisionhaving failedonourright the position was a very difficult one; the trencheshadbeensoblownabout that itwas impossible tomakethem really defensive. The Germans counterattacked in

force twice during the day from the left, but wereannihilatedbyourLewisguns.Thewholedaywasspentfighting small parties, bombers and snipers. In theeveningastherewasadangerofbeingsurroundeditwasdecided to withdraw, the last party withdrawing about8.45pm.

TheGermanshellinghadbeensoheavythatitwasfearedtheforwardtroopsmightbecutoff.In the rear, news of the attack filtered back, as Private

Surfleet recorded: ‘Woke early on the morning of November13thandheardtheboyswentoverat5.45inthickfogandtooktheGermans first and second lines in this Serre sector fairlyeasily,surprisingtheGermansintheirdugouts.Breakfastwasan awful meal; news of losses, of wounded, of killed, keptcomingthrough.Eachtimeamanoranofficercameuptothedressing station, the news of all he could tell spread likewildfire. Everything seems certain that there had been a bigcounterattackand thatour losseshavebeen terrible.So, too,havethoseoftheotherbattalionswhowentoverwithourlads.Every moment we expect to be called upon to go up andreinforcethem.Duringthemorning,adraftofthirtynewmenarrivefromEngland.Poordevils!’Eventuallythecallcame.‘Itwasfiveo’clockintheeveningwhenLieutenantJohn,who

was inchargeofus,dashed inandtoldustogetour fightingequipmenton;weweretogoupthelinetohelpthoughnooneseemedtoknowwhatthejobwastobe.MyfingerstrembledasI buckledmy belt: a mixture of excitement and nervousness,butwewereprettywellresignedtoanything…’Cunningham’s VC was gazetted on 13 January 1917. The

citationread:

Forconspicuousgallantryandresourceduringoperations.After the enemy’s front line had been captured, PrivateCunningham proceeded with a bombing section up acommunicationtrench.Muchoppositionwasencountered

and the restof the sectionbecamecasualties.Collectingallthebombsfromthecasualties,thisgallantsoldierwentonalone.Havingexplodedallhisbombs,hereturnedforafresh supply and again proceeded to the communicationtrench,wherehemetapartyoftenoftheenemy.Thesehekilledandclearedthetrenchuptotheenemyline.Hisconductthroughoutthedaywasmagnificent.

HewaspresentedwithhismedalbyGeorgeVatanopen-airceremony in Hyde Park, London, on 2 June 1917. Three-hundred-and-fifty decorations were presented that day,including four other VCs, with the Royal Flying Corpspatrolling the skiesabove in caseof anair attackbyGermanbombers.Theceremonywasfilmedforthenewsreels.When Cunningham appeared before the King, there was a

roarfromthecrowd.Aftertheceremony,hetravelledbacktoHull with his parents. Although the train arrived at ParagonStationattwoo’clockonaSundaymorning,ahugecrowdwaswaitingandCunninghamwascarriedhomeatshoulderheight.He visited his old school and the newsreel of the investiturewasshownatthePalaceCinemawhilehewasonleave.AtacivicreceptionattheGuildhall,theLordMayorofHull

said:‘Itwasopentohim,aswellastoanyoftherankandfile,notonlyintheArmy,butincivillife,byhiszeal,industry,anddetermination, toachievehigherhonours in the future.Therewasnodoubtthathisdeedwouldbetalkedofformanyyearstocome.’Later,aplaquewasunveiledathisprimaryschool.Returningtoactiveservice,Cunninghamwasbadlywounded

in the legs and lungs. Demobilised in 1919, he took to drinkandwassummonsedforbeatinguphiswife.HeworehisVCincourt. The couple separated after just two years ofmarriage.Cunningham fell foul of the law again when he hit anothercrippledveteranovertheheadwithabottleduringafight,andinMarch1922hebecamethefirstoftheSommeVCstogotojail,fornon-paymentofmaintenancetohiswifeandson.Hewas in troublewith the lawagain in1923forbeatinga

horse while drunk. In 1929, he was summonsed once moreafter the theft of some lino, though his two accomplices hadswindledhimoutofhisshareandhedidnotturnup incourtbecausehewasattendingadinnerforVCwinners.Hediedin1941attheageofjustforty-three.

T

SECONDLIEUTENANTTHOMASMAUFE,19

ROYALGARRISONARTILLERYFeuchy,France,4June1917

homasHaroldBroadbentMaufewasunusualinthathedidnot win his VC fighting the enemy. His courageous act

occurred at the 124th Siege Battery of the Royal GarrisonArtilleryatFleuchy,somefourmilesfromArras,whereabattlehad stuttered to a stalemate the previousmonth at a cost ofoveraquarterofamillionlives.AgainCaptain J.P.Lloyd, servingwithMilitary Intelligence,

compiledthetale:

One evening in June Second Lieutenant Maufe andanother officer were in the rear post of their battery,waiting to registeragunwhichwas inamoreadvancedposition. It was most vital that the gun should beregistered, in view of certain operations times tocommenceonthefollowingday.Theenemy’sshellinghadbeen continuous all day, and now the storm was at itsheight.Suddenlyallcommunicationwiththeforwardgunceased: the telephone was mute. Second LieutenantMaufe casually mention[ed] to the other officer that hewas going to find out what had happened, anddisappeared.Meanwhile,thetwoofficerswhowereondutyupatthe

firing point were cut off from the world. They could donothingbutwaituntil theshellingdieddownsufficiently

toallowthelinesmentorepairthebreakinthewire.ThensuddenlyMaufe broke in upon them. On his way up hehad mended most of the breaks, but had run short ofinsulation tape. He asked for some more, and went outagain.He completed the repairs successfully, with shells

falling all around him, and tested the circuit to seeeverything was working properly. Afterwards, feelingweary, he returned to the dugout, and lay down on thefloor.But hewas not to rest for long. Some fifteenminutes

later, there was a huge explosion just outside, anexplosion which could only mean one thing. SecondLieutenant Maufe at once jumped up and ran outside,shouting: ‘The dump has gone!’ Steel helmet and gasrespiratoralikewereforgotteninhishaste.Hehadtakenhistunicoffwhenhelaiddowntorest.When he got outside he saw that part of a dump

belonging to a neighbouring battery had exploded, andhadsetfiretosomeboxesofstrawpackingattheedgeofhisownbatterydump.Bareheadedandinhisshirtsleeves,he dragged the boxes to a shell hole full of water andextinguishedtheflames.Henextturnedhisattentiontotheburningdump,and,

followed by another officer and some men of his ownbattery,dashedtotherescue.Hefoundthatsomemattingwhichcoveredanumberoffuseswasstillblazingfiercely.Acoupleofyardsawaywasalargenumberofgas-shells,which were likely to explode at any moment. Entirelyrecklessofanyrisktohimself,hefetchedwateragainandagain for themenof theotherbattery,whowerecutoffbythefirefromtheirownsupply,andpoureditontotheflames.Withoutwarning,inthemidstoftheconfusion,another

part of the dump blew up, stunning one officer, andburning another and several men in the debris. SecondLieutenant Maufe helped to extricate them, and

personally attended to the wounded before they weretakendowntothedressingstation.Byhisresourcefulnessandunflinchingcourageheundoubtedlysavedmanylives.Haditnotbeenforhimitisverypossiblethatbothdumpswould have exploded with disastrous consequences tomenandmaterial.

MaufewasborninIlkleyintheWestRidingofYorkshireon6May1898.Originally,hisnamewasMuffandthefamilyownedthe Bradford department store Brown, Muff & Co Ltd.,sometimesknownas‘theHarrodsoftheNorth’.InresponsetotheirrisingfortunesthefamilyleftBradfordandchangedtheirname toMaufe, thereby inspiring the localditty: ‘InBradford’tis goodenoof/TobeknownasMrsMuff/But in Ilkleyby theriverWharfe/’TisbettertobeknownasMrsMaufe!’After attending public school, he went on to the Royal

MilitaryAcademy inWoolwich, south-eastLondon, inOctober1915. Four days after his eighteenth birthday, he wascommissioned in the Royal Garrison Artillery and left forFrance,wherehewonhisVC.Thecitationread:

On 4 June 1917 at Feuchy, France, Second LieutenantMaufe, on his own initiative and under intense artilleryfire repaired, unaided, the telephone wire between theforward and rear positions, thereby enabling his batterytoopenfireontheenemy.Healsosavedwhatcouldhavebeenadisastrousoccurrencebyextinguishingafireinanadvancedammunitiondumpcausedbyaheavyexplosion,regardlessoftheriskheranfromtheeffectsofgasshellsin the dump. By this great promptitude, resource andentire disregard of his own personal safety, he set anexceptionallyfineexampletoallranks.

Ilkleyawardedhimasilvercasketwhenhereturnedafterthewarandheunveiledthewarmemorialthere.AftergraduatingfromClareCollege,Cambridge,hewentontotheRoyalSchoolofMines inSouthKensingtonandwas involved in theminingand smelting of tin in Cornwall and Gravesend. Later, he

becameadirectortoBrown,Muff.A reserve officer,Maufe resigned his commission in 1935,

duetoillhealth.InWorldWarIIhejoinedtheHomeGuardasaprivate.Duringmortarpracticein1942,agrenadeexplodedinthebarrelofthemortar,killinghimandanotherman.The Ilkley Gazette carried an obituary written by an old

comrade.Itread:

When he performed the deeds thatwere later rewardedby theVictoriaCross, Iwasserving in thesameareaontheHeadquartersStaffoftheHeavyArtilleryunderwhosecommandwasthebatteryinwhichMaufewasserving.Maufe’s gallantry was not chiefly the repair of

telephone lines under fire – that was done hourly byscoresofbravemen–buthis coolness indealingwithafireinaforwardammunitiondump.Thisdumphadcausedusmuchanxiety,beingofnecessityplace[d]inaforwardandexposedposition.The great peril was the presence of a number of gas

shells.Had these been involved in the fire awhole areaeast of Arras would have become lethal for someconsiderable time and most probably have caused atemporarywithdrawalinavitalsector.Toattempttodealwithignitedammunitioniseveraterriblething;whengasshellsareincluded,itdemandscompletedisregardofselfandentiredevotiontothewelfareofothers.Maufedidhistaskwithcalculatedcourage,andsavedmanylives.Then, as since, his distinguishing characteristic was

quietness. I remember that whenwe entertained him inour mess at Arras after he received his decoration heappeared terrified. The one subject on which he keptcomplete silence was himself, and it was typical ofMaufe’smodesty thatmany years later a fellowmemberwithmeofMaufe’sclubwasastonishedwhenI informedhimthatMaufehadreceivedtheVictoriaCross.Having lived throughmanyandgreatdangershedied

as a result of an accident. High irony and sadness are

here, but we remember that significantly he died in hisownlandpreparingforitsdefence.Trulyofhimitshallbesaidthathelivedbytheartillerymotto:‘QuoFasetGloriaDucunt’(WhitherRightandGloryLead).

AstonebearingabrassplaquewaserectednearwhereMaufeandhiscomradewerekilled.Itread:‘TothehonouredmemoryofHenryGallowayandThomasHaroldBroadbentMaufe,whogave their lives forKing and country, 28thMarch 1942. ThisstonewaserectedbytheIlkleyCompanyHomeGuard’.

F

SECONDLIEUTENANTDENNISHEWITT,19

HAMPSHIREREGIMENTYpres,Belgium,31July1917

landerswasamarshlandthathadbeenreclaimedoverthecenturies.InthewestofitliesthetownofYpres,whichlay

on an important salient, or bulge, in the British line. It wasfoughtoverintheFirstBattleofYpres,from19Octoberto22November1914,withthelossofnearly70,000men,andagainin theSecondBattleofYpres, from21April to25May1915,withthelossofanother100,000.WhenpreparingfortheThirdBattleofYpres,alsoknownas

the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, Field Marshal DouglasHaigwaswarnedthataheavybombardmentoftheareawouldturnthelandtherebackintoaswamp.Buthewasdeterminedto beat the Germans by a purely British offensive before theAmericansarrived,sohewentaheadandorderedanoffensivethere anyway. It came as no surprise to the Germans, forsecuritywasnotasgoodas itmightbe.Thenightbefore theattack,GeneralWilliamRobertsonsaid:‘Everybodyinmyhotelknowsthedateoftheoffensive,downtotheliftboy.’The offensive began with a fortnight’s intensive

bombardment with 4.5 million shells being fired from threethousandgunsandfivetonsofhighexplosivefallingoneverysquareyardof thefront.ThisdidnodamagetotheGermans,astheyhadpulledback.Butitdidsmashthedrainagesystemand the heavy rain predicted by the Meteorological Officeturnedthelandscapeintoaseaofmud.Thenewlyintroduced

tanksbecamestuckandmendrowned.OtherspresentedeasytargetstotheGermanmachine-gunnersperchedontopoftheirconcretebunkersas theyadvancedalongnarrowduckboards.Meanwhile, the Germansmanaged to site their artillery on afirm footing on the few remaining ridges. Haig and his staffremained in a château well behind the lines and the FieldMarshal did not bother to witness the devastation he hadcaused.Inbriefings,hespokeasiftheattackhadtakenplaceinhighsummer.However, at the outset, the British were surprisingly

successful. Along the Messines Ridge nineteen huge mineswere exploded simultaneously. These had been placed at theendoflongtunnelsundertheGermanfrontlines.Thecaptureof theridge inflatedHaig’sconfidence.Yet the flatnessof theplain made stealth impossible. The Germans knew an attackwas imminent and the initial bombardment served as a finalwarning.While therightwingmade littleprogress, the leftachieved

all its objectives. But thiswas partly due to the newGermantacticofdefenceindepth.Theyleftathinlydefendedfrontlinewith heavier defences to the rear.When the advance slowed,theywouldcounterattackwithspeciallytrainedtroops.Supported by newly introduced tanks which flattened the

wire, the 39th Division broke through the German lines. By08.00 hours, the 116th and 117thBrigades had captured theruins of St Julien and crossed the Steenbeek River.With the116thwasnineteen-year-oldSecondLieutenantDennisHewittof the 14th (1st Portsmouth Pals) Hampshire Battalion. Theycrossedafarmtrackonno-man’s-land,Admiral’sRoad,tothefirstobjectiveofCalibanTrench,ontheoldGermanfrontline,andcontinuedon towards JulietFarmandbeyond that to thevillageofSt Julien.Havingmanaged toclear thebarbedwireentanglements in front of them, with the help of the TankCorps, the 14th Hampshires advanced again. At this pointHewitt rallied his men and led an attack on the trenchesprotectingStJulien.His unit leapfrogged the first wave two hundred yards

beyond theSteenbeek.With the11thRoyalSussex theywereadvancing forty yards behind a rolling barrage that wassilencingall opposition.The14thHampshires continued theiradvance between the 13th Royal Sussex and the 17thSherwoodForesters.Buttheflatplainwasabouttogivewaytohigher ground. First came Pilckem Ridge, known as ‘BlackLine’. Two hundred yards further on, there was a slopeoverlooking the river, called ‘Black Dotted Line’, where thefortifiedfarmhousesandpillboxeshadremainedundamagedbythebombardment.AstheAlliedadvanceapproached,thefrontbrokeupintosmallactions.AfterreachingPilckemRidge,Hewitttriedtoregroupwhile

waiting for therollingbarrage tomoveon.Ashellburstnearhim. A fragment of shrapnel hit his haversack, igniting theflareshewascarrying.Thesesetfiretohisuniform.Theflameswereextinguished,butHewittwasterriblyburned.Heoughttohave returned to have his wounds treated, but he refused toleavehismen.Instead he rallied them and led on to the next objective

under heavy machine-gun fire. Despite his wound and hissevere pain, he and hismen reached the ‘BlackDotted Line’and consolidated their position there. While inspecting theconsolidation and encouraging hismen, he was shot throughthe head by a sniper and died instantly. His bodywas neverrecoveredandheiscommemoratedontheMeninGate.HisVCwasawardedposthumously.Thecitationread:

Formostconspicuousbraveryanddevotiontodutywhenin command of a company in attack. When his firstobjectivehadbeencapturedhereorganizedthecompanyandmoved forward towards his objective.Whilewaitingforthebarragetolifthewashitbyapieceofshell,whichexplodedthesignalflaresinhishaversackandsetfiretohis equipment and clothes. Having extinguished theflames (by rolling in themud) in spite of hiswound andthe severe pain he was suffering, he led forward theremains of the Company under very heavymachine gun

fire, and captured and consolidated his objective. Thisgallantofficersetamagnificentexampleofcoolnessandcontemptofdangertothewholebattalion,anditwasdueto his splendid leading that the final objective of hisbattalionwasgained.

BorninMayfair,London,DennisGeorgeWyldboreHewittwasbrought up in the family home, FieldHouse inHursley, nearWinchester. His prep school was The Old Malthouse inSwanage, Dorset, and he went on to Winchester College. In1915,hewenttoSandhurstandwascommissionedasasecondlieutenantintheHampshireRegimenton1April1916.SenttothefrontinSeptember1916,hetookpartinthelater

stagesoftheBattleoftheSomme.From21June1917the14thHampshireswerebilletedatHoulle,nearStOmer,thirtymilesbehindYpres.Theyweremovedcloser to the frontandon16July1917thebombardmentwhichprecededtheThirdBattleofYpresbegan.On29Julythebattalionmadetheirlastmoveandcrossed the Ypres-YserCanal,making theirway to their finalposition,readyfortheattack.HewittwasawardedaposthumousVCforhisgallantrythat

day.Hisbodywasleftonthebattlefield,buried150yardswestof the St Julien-Poelcapelle road, although the grave wassubsequently lost. Itwasmarkedwithawoodencross,butnootherrecordwasmade.TheoriginalbattlefieldcrossfromthegravewastakentoHursleyvillagechurchandplacedalongsideHewitt’smemorial.Hisoldprepschoolhasawarmemorial inLangtonMatravers Church, Dorset, and his name appears inthewarcloisteratWinchesterCollege.The battle dragged on until 10 November. British losses

wereputat325,000 foranadvanceof fivemiles – that’s lessthananinchperman.Fivemonthslater,theGermansregainedtheirlostgroundwithoutresistance.

W

PRIVATEHARRYBROWN,19

10THBATTALION,CANADIANEXPEDITIONARYFORCEHill70,Loos,France,16August1917

ith theThirdBattleofYpresstillwreaking its inexorabletoll, Field Marshall Haig asked the Canadian Corps to

attack at Lens to the South. The object was not to gain anyterritory, but to draw German troops away from his doomedoffensive. To take Lens and hold it, it would be necessary totake theSallauminesHill to the south-east andHill 70 to thenorth.TheCanadianswere convinced that takingHill 70wasthekey.TheBritishhad taken it inSeptember1915,buthadbeen unable to hold it. Retaking Hill 70 would earn theCanadiansnolessthansixVCs.TheCommanderoftheCanadianCorps,Lieutenant-General

SirArthurCurrie,persuadedhissuperiorstomakeHill70theobjective of this limited offensive. The treeless crest wouldprovideanexcellentobservationpostoverenemylines.TothenorthitoverlookedtheLoosvalley,tothesouththeshelled-outminers’ cottages of Lens.Clearly theGermanswould have tocounterattack, but General Currie reasoned that they couldinflict huge casualties on the countervailing forces withartillery.To fool the Germans into thinking the attack was actually

coming south of the La Bassée canal, the British First Armystaged a poison gas attack north of Loos. On 15 August, gasshellsandgasdrumswerefiredintoLens.Burninggasdrumswere used to provide a smokescreen, but this also served to

warn the Germans that an attack was imminent. Theyresponded by firing gas shells into the Canadians’ assemblyareas.Nevertheless,theCanadiansattackedinforceat04.25,just as dawn was breaking. For six minutes the artillerypounded the German trenches into pulp, then lifted to ahundred yards farther on. Shells ripped another line ofdevastationthereforafurthersixminutes,andliftedagainforanotherhundredyards’stride.AsthecurtainoftheAlliedshellsrosefromtheGermanfront

line, the Canadian infantry leapt from their jumping-offtrenches and waded across no-man’s-land. They found theGermans in the front-line garrison, shaken and dazed. Thosewho surrendered were taken prisoner; if they resisted, theywere killed. The remaining enemy machine guns wereoutflankedandcaptured.Otheremplacementsweresmotheredbysuperiornumbers.Within twenty minutes two divisions had advanced six

hundredyards,securingobjectivesbeyondtheLens-LeBasséehighway. However, anticipating an attack, the Germans hadmoveduptheirreservesduringthenight.SergeantFrederickHobsonandsomemenofACompanyof

the 20th Battalion bombed their way along an enemy trenchknown as ‘Nabob Alley’, beating back the Germans. Havingconquered about seventy yards of the trench, the Canadiansestablishedapostandwaitedforthegainstobeconsolidated.Sofar,theattackhadbeenasuccess.Forthenextthreedays,theGermanskeptprobingpartsof

the line. At 01.40 on the 18th, their artillery opened a heavybombardmenton thewholeCanadian-Corps front.Forhalfanhourshellswererainedoneverypartoftheline.Thegeneralbombardmentslackenedforashorttime,whilethelinearoundthe village of St Pierre received an avalanche of gas-shells.Then,at04.12hours,everyguntheGermanshadopeneduponthefrontagain.Sucha concentrationof artillery tooka terrible toll.As for

theadvanceposts,wherethemajorityoftheLewisgunswerepositioned, the men and guns there were simply obliterated.

After twentyminutes, the headquarters of the 20th Battalionreceived a direct hit by a heavy shell and simply vanished.Every field-telephonewire leadingto thepostswascut;everylight extinguished. Despite the darkness and confusion, wordcame from the battalion to the right that the Germans wereadvancingacrossno-man’s-land.In his trench, Sergeant Hobson saw men in field grey

swarmingacrosstheopenground.OnlyoneoftheLewisgunswas still operational, but as it was brought into action aGerman shell landedbeside it.When the smoke cleared, onlyonemanof thecrewwas leftalive,andheand thegunwereburiedindebris.Hobsonwasnogunner,butheracedforward,grabbedanentrenchingtoolandhauledthedazedsurvivoroutofthemud.‘Guess that was a close call,’ said the man he rescued,

PrivateA.G.Fuller.‘Guessso,’repliedHobson.‘Let’sgetthegunout.’AstheGermansrushedacrosstheopenground,theybegan

todigfrantically.Hobsonwashitbyabullet,buttooknonoticeofhiswound.Together,heandFullergotthegunupandintoposition, then opened up on theGermans,whowere pouringdownthetrench.Theymanagedtoholdtheenemyforpreciousminutes,thenthegunjammed.Hobsonpickeduphisrifle.‘I’ll keep them back,’ he shouted to Fuller, ‘if you fix the

gun!’Hobson ran towards the advancing enemy, wielding both

bayonet and the stock of his rifle, using it as a club.No oneknows howmany Germans he killed in this fierce encounter,butdeadandwoundedwereheapedinfrontofhimwhenFullershoutedthatthegunwasbackinaction.Justatthatmoment,aGermanfiredhisrifleattheCanadian

atpoint-blankrange.AsHobsonfell,GunnerFullerpressedthetriggeroftheLewisgun,finishingofftherestoftheGermans.Afewminuteslater,reinforcementsfromBCompanyattackedtheenemy’sflank.AstheGermansfledbackacrossno-man’s-land, themachinegunsofBCompanycut themdownas they

ran.SergeantHobsonwas found deadwhere he had fallen.He

wastoreceiveaposthumousVC.Thecitationread:

During a strong enemy counterattack a Lewis gun in aforward post in a communication trench leading to theenemylineswasburiedbyashell,andthecrew,withtheexceptionofoneman,killed.Sjt. Hobson, though not a gunner, grasping the great

importance of the post, rushed from his trench, dug outthe gun, and got it into action against the enemy, whowere now advancing down the trench and across theopen.Ajamcausedtheguntostopfiring.Thoughwounded,

heleftthegunnertocorrectthestoppage,rushedforwardat the advancing enemy and, with bayonet and clubbedrifle,singlehanded,held thembackuntilhehimselfwaskilledbyarifleshot.Bythistime,however,theLewisgunwasagaininactionandreinforcementsshortlyafterwardsarriving,theenemywerebeatenoff.Thevalouranddevotiontodutydisplayedbythisnon-

commissionedOfficergave thegunner the time requiredtoagaingetthegunintoaction,andsavedamostserioussituation.

Hobsonwasnotoneofourteenageheroes.Hewasforty-threewhen he died. He had previously served in the British ArmyduringtheSecondBoerWarwiththeWiltshireRegiment,andenlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in November1914. His Victoria Cross is on display at the Canadian WarMuseuminOttawa.Next on the Canadian roll of honour at Loos was Private

MichaelJamesO’Rourke.Hewasastretcher-bearer.Outofthesixteenstretcher-bearerswiththe7thBattalion,twohadbeenkilled and eleven wounded. They had become a particulartarget for German snipers as they carried thewounded fromthefield.Duringthefirstthreedaysandnights,O’Rourkehad

worked unceasingly rescuing the wounded, dressing theirinjuries under fire and bringing food andwater to them. Thearea where he operated was continually subjected to theseverest shelling and frequently swept by machine-gun andriflefire.Severaltimeshewasknockeddownandpartiallyburiedby

shell-bursts.SeeingacomradewhohadbeenblindedstumbleintothesightsofaGermansniper,O’Rourkejumpedoutofthetrenchandguidedhimhomewhilebeingsnipedathimself.Torescueawoundman,hewentforwardaboutfiftyyardsinfrontof the Allied barrage, under very heavy fire from enemymachine guns and snipers. Later, when the advanced postsretired to the line, he braved a storm of enemy fire of everydescriptionandbrought inawoundedmanwhohadbeen leftbehind.Inall,hesavedthelivesofoverfortymen.ThecitationofhisVCread:

For three days and nights Mickey O’Rourke, who is astretcher bearer, worked unceasingly in bringing inwounded to safety,dressing themandgetting them foodandwater.During thewhole period the area heworkedwas subjected to severe shelling and swept with heavymachine gunfire and rifle fire. On several occasions hewasknockeddownandpartiallyburiedbyenemyshells.Seeing a comrade who had been blinded rambling

aheadofour trench, in full viewof theenemywhoweresniping himPvt.O’Rourke jumped out of his trench andbrought the man back being heavily sniped while doingso.Againhewentforwardabout50yardsinfrontofourbarrage and under heavy and accurate fire from enemygunsandsnipersbroughtinacomrade.On a subsequent occasion when the line of advanced

postswasretiredtotheline,tobere-coordinated,hewentforwardunderheavyfireofeverydescriptionandbroughtinwoundedmenleftbehind.He showed throughout an absolute disregard for his

own safety going wherever there were wounded

succoured and his magnificent courage and devotion incontinuing his rescue work in spite of exhaustion andincessant heavy fire of every description he inspired allranksandundoubtedlysavedmanylives.Itwas for theseacts, inwhichhe showedanabsolute

disregard for his own safety, that O’Rourke gained thehighest award – one of the comparatively fewmen whohavebeengiventheVictoriaCrossinthiswarforsavinglifeunderfire.

Years later, when asked about his Victoria Cross, O’Rourkesaid: ‘Sure, Idon’tknowwhatthefuss isallabout, itwasmejob you see to take out the wounded. There was a lot ofmachinegunandsniper fire. Icouldnotdoanythingelsebutkeepongoin’,youknowwhatImean…’He had already won the Military Medal the Battle of the

SommeinSeptember1916forbraveryatMonOuetFarm.Thecitationread:

In the absence of orders he initiated a counter attackagainst the advancing army, who had arrived withinbombingdistanceofour trenches.He led themen inhisimmediate sector over the parapet, maintained hispositionwellinadvance,successfullybombingtheenemyfromseveralpointsofvantage.HeendeavouredtoholdontoNoMan’sLand.

O’Rourke gave his own account in The Daily Province of 10January1918:

TheGermansmany of themgot into a sap [trench] veryearlyinthemorning.Ibombedthemforthreehoursuntilthesuppliesofbombsranout.Then I lay in thehellholesniping.ALewisGunnercameupandIsentforammobutwhile Iwaswaiting hewas killed. I got anotherGunnerfrom the 4th Battalion but the same fate awaited him.Finally I came in contact with a German in a sap. Ourrespectiveconditionsweresuch that Icouldseehimbut

hecouldnotseeme. I locatedabombandthrew itwiththe desired effect intended. I took his rifle and a lot ofbombs called potato markers which also I sent into theenemypositions.

Born in Limerick, Ireland, in 1879, Michael James O’Rourkeserved in the Royal Munster Fusiliers before emigrating toCanada, where he had worked as a miner and served in themilitia inRevelstoke,BritishColumbia.Havingenlisted in theCanadian Expeditionary Force in 1914, he did not have adistinguishedservicecareer,beingdisciplinedseveraltimesfordrunkenness and the use of abusive language. Serving inFranceforovertwenty-sevenmonths,hewashitbyshrapnelinthe thighandgassed, thoughhewasoneof the few fromthe7thBattaliontosurvive.While recuperating in California, he was diagnosed with

shellshock.However,hewasdeniedapensionashisproblemswere‘exacerbatedbyhisdrinkinghabitsandthevicesthatthelifeofminer, livingincampsandminingtowns,wouldentail’.Finally, he won a pension in 1920 after the personalinterventionoftheGovernorGeneralofCanada,FieldMarshalJulianByng,1stViscountByngofVimy.Becausehewaslivingthelifeofadown-and-out,O’Rourke’s

medalswerestolen.Hesuddenlyfoundhimself,asthesecondmost decorated man in Canada, shipped off to BuckinghamPalaceforthetenthanniversaryoftheArmistice,allexpensespaid.Theattentionembarrassedhimandheekedouttherestofhislifeasalongshoreman.Thefinalobjectivewastakenat16.00hourson17Augustby

two freshbattalions, the5thand the10th.Although the10thwere in the secondwave of the assault, they had not had aneasytimeofit.A,BandCCompanieshadattackedtheredoubtontheleftofHill70,knownasthe‘ChalkPit’.ACompanywasmetwithintenseenemymachine-gunfire.Withintwohundredyardsof thepit, theywere forced to takecover in shell-holesforatime.Afterashortrestinthisposition,theywerecarriedforward by the impetus of the advance, reaching a trench

seventy-five yards beyond Chalk Pit, where the Germanoccupantswereeitherkilledorcaptured.The position was being consolidated when Sergeant J.

Wennevold and a party of men of C Company went out toreinforce a post to the right of the new battalion front toprotecttheflankfromacounterattack.Theytriedtodigin,butthe soil was hard and chalky, and they could make littleimpression.Afteranightofhardlabour,theirtoolswereblunt,their backs ached, their handswere sore and the trenchwasbarely two feetdeep.Thisproved littleprotectionagainst thehurricane of fire the Germans poured on themwithmachinegunsandfieldguns.Menwerekilledandwoundedfasterthanothers could take their places. They managed to hold on formostoftheday.ThentheyspottedtheGermanspreparingforanattackontheright.Bythistimeeverywiretoheadquartershadbeencutbythe

enemyartillery.TheyknewthatiftheGermanswereallowedtoattack, thecompanies in the trenchwouldbeannihilatedandthe vital position lost. Without support, the situation wasdesperate. A runner had to get through to tell the AlliedartillerytosmashtheGermanattack.Nineteen-year-oldPrivateHarry Brown and another runner undertook to deliver themessage.The Germans were already bombarding the area behind C

Company’spositiontopreventreinforcementsgettingthrough.The messengers had to run through this curtain of fire thatchurned the ground ahead of them. They had not gone farwhenthemessengerwithBrownwaskilled.SoPrivateBrownwentonalone,knowingthatifhefailed,hiscomradeswouldbewipedouttoaman.Ashemadehisway to the rear,hewasplastered in flying

debris and fell into still-smoking craters, managing to draghimself out. He was hit and wounded, his arm shattered.Bleeding and exhausted, he sat down, dazed anduncomprehending,but finally forcedhimself toget tohis feetagain. Somehow, he staggered onwards towards the supportlines.

An officer standing in a dugout was peering out at thedevastationwhenhesawadark figurestumblingthroughthemaelstrom. It was a young soldier – hatless, pale, dirty andhaggard, with one arm hanging limp and bloody by his side,andhisuniformtornandstained.Whenhereachedthestepsofthe dugout, seeing the officer, he tried to descend. But hisstrength was exhausted and he fell down the short stairway,utterlyspent.Theofficerliftedhimgentlyandbroughthimintothedugout

andlaidhimdown.ThenBrownhandedoverhispreciousslipofpaper.‘Importantmessage,’hewhispered.Fortunately,thetelephonelinebetweenthedugoutandthe

Alliedbatterieswasstillintact.PrivateHarryBrown fell intounconsciousness.Hedied the

following day in a dressing station after having his armamputated.HewasawardedaVCposthumously.Thecitationread:

For most conspicuous bravery, courage and devotion toduty.Afterthecaptureofaposition,theenemymassedinforce and counterattacked. The situation became verycritical, all wires being cut. It was of the utmostimportancetogetwordbacktoHeadquarters.Thissoldierand one other were given the message with orders todeliver the same at all costs. The other messenger waskilled.PrivateBrownhadhisarmshatteredbutcontinuedonthroughanintensebarrageuntilhearrivedattheclosesupport linesand foundanofficer.Hewasso spent thathefelldownthedug-outsteps,butretainedconsciousnesslongenoughtohandoverhismessage,saying‘Importantmessage.’ He then became unconscious and died in thedressing station a few hours later. His devotion to dutywas of the highest possible degree imaginable, and hissuccessfuldeliveryofthemessageundoubtedlysavedtheloss of the position for the time and prevented manycasualties.

Harry Brown was born on 10 May 1898 in Gananoque,Frontenac,Ontario.After leavingschool,hebecameafarmer.At the age of eighteen, he enlisted in the CanadianMountedRifles in London, Ontario. Before he left to go overseas, hemadeawill,leavingeverythingtohismother.HewasburiedattheNoeux-les-MinesCommunalCemeteryandhisdecorationsareheldattheGovernorGeneral’sFootGuard’sMuseum,andthe CanadianWarMuseum in Ottawa has a memorial and aportraitofhim.The Germans were making another counterattack the

following day. By then, the 2nd Battalion relieved the 3rdBrigadeinthetrenchesthatrandownfromtheChalkPit,downHugo Trench to Hurray Alley. The German bombardmentcontinued with ferocious intensity. The line was very thinlyheld. At daybreak on the 18th, the whole strength of thebattalionwasdowntojust614.The German artillery laid down another terrific

bombardmentthatlastedforfortyminutes.Whenit lifted,theGermans attacked, using flamethrowers.On the leftwing theGermans succeeded in entering the trenches held by No. 4Company. But a bombing party was sent, the enemy weredriven out again, leaving behind a flammenwerfer and aconsiderablenumberofdead.Both company commanders had been killed and Captain

O’KillMasseyLearmonthfoundhimself incommandofNos.2and 3 Companies as Acting Major. Although the GermanadvancehadbeencheckedwithinafewyardsoftheCanadiantrenches, some of the enemy had found shelter to a certainextentinasmallwood.Toroutthem,abombingpartyfromNo.3Companywassentforward.TheybombedtheGermansoutofthewoodanddownatrenchnamedHorseAlley,drivingtheminto the open, where the Canadian snipers and machine-gunnerscouldcutthemdown.According to the CanadianWar Records Office publication

Thirty Canadian VCs: ‘Throughout the whole of the attackLearmonthshowedwhathisCommandingOfficerhasnameda“wonderfulspirit”.Absolutelyfearless,hesoconductedhimself

that he imbued those with whom he came into contact withsome of his personality. When the barrage started he wascontinually with his men and officers, encouraging them andmakingsurethatnoloopholewasleftthroughwhichtheenemycouldgainafooting.Whentheattackwaslaunchedagainstthethin Canadian line, Learmonth seemed to be everywhere atonce. When the situation was critical, he took his turn atthrowingbombs.Hewaswoundedtwice,butcarriedonasifhewereperfectlyfitandwhole.Hewaswoundedathirdtime,hisleg this time being broken, but still he showed the sameindomitable spirit.Lying in the trench,hecontinued todirecthismen,encouragingthem,cheeringthem,advisingthem.’At 06.15 hours the battalion headquarters received word

thatLearmonthwasbadlywoundedandwasbeingcarriedoutof the lineonastretcher.But,bythen, theenemyattackhadbeen repulsed andLearmonthhad stayed at his post until hehadseenthejobdone.Atheadquarters,lyingonhisstretcher,he gave valuable information to the officers there before hewas taken tohospital.Hedied there shortlyafterwards,agedjusttwenty-three.ThecitationofhisVCread:

Formostconspicuousbraveryandexceptionaldevotiontoduty. During a determined counterattack on our newpositions,thisofficer,whenhiscompanywasmomentarilysurprised, instantly charged and personally disposed ofthe attackers. Later, he carried on a tremendous fightwith the advancing enemy. Although under intensebarrage fire and mortally wounded, he stood on theparapet of the trench, bombed the enemy continuouslyanddirectedthedefenceinsuchamannerastoinfuseaspirit of utmost resistance into his men. On severaloccasions this very brave officer actually caught bombsthrownathimbytheenemyandthrewthemback.Whenhe was unable by reason of his wounds to carry on thefight he still refused to be carried out of the line, andcontinuedtogiveinstructionsandinvaluableadvicetohis

juniorofficers,finallyhandingoverallhisdutiesbeforehewasevacuatedfromthefrontlinetothehospitalwherehedied.

The first threedays of the battle forHill 70had yielded fourVCs.Anothertwowouldbeawardedbeforetheoperationwasover,sixdayslater.Thirty-year-oldCompanySergeant-MajorRobertHannawas

with B Company when the 29th Battalion moved up on thenightofthe18thandwereinpositionwhenthesecondstageoftheoffensivebeganat04.35onthe21st.At01.00hours, thecompanieshadbegun tomove into the

assemblypositions.At03.15thescoutsreportedthatthetapeshadbeenlaid.Bythenthecompanieswereinpositionbuttheenemywasnowhere tobe seen.Butabout04.10 theGermanartillerybegantoshellthefrontoftheparapet.Theintensityofthebarrageincreasedtowards04.30,whenasuddendelugeof‘fish-tails’ – mortar bombs known for their distinctive fins –descendedonthetrenches.Accompanyingthisbombardmentwasanotherkindofbomb,

akindtheyhadnotcomeacrossbefore.Itwassquareinshape,explodedwithagreatflameandsentoutadense,suffocatingsmoke. One of these dropped in the trench occupied by DCompany,woundingpracticallyeverymaninaplatoon.While attempts were being made to clear the debris,

Sergeant Croll, who was stationed near the corner of Nun’sAlley and Commotion trench, heard the word passed along:‘Heine has broken through the 25th and is coming down thetrench’.Crollcollectedfiveunwoundedmenandkepttheadvancing

Germansatbaybybombingthemuntilreinforcementsarrivedfromthe28thBattalionanddrovetheenemyout.Major Grimmett, who was in command of A Company in

support, heard the bombing and realised that something hadgone wrong with D Company, so he sent forward a platoonunder Captain Abbott. By this time, the Canadians’ openingbarrage had begun and was moving forward. Following it,

Abbott’s platoon tookup the fight, carried it intoNun’sAlleyandestablishedablockthere.The other companies – B, C and the remainder ofD – had

also gone forward behind the barrage. One platoon of Dcompany, which attempted an attack over open ground onNun’s Alley, waswiped out almost to aman bymachine-gunfire.CCompany,whichwasattacking in thecentre,wasalsobadly mauled. The left platoon was cut down by Germanmachine-gun fire before it reached its objective. The rightplatoon had almost reached its objective – Cinnebar trench –whenitranintoastrongenemymachine-gunpostsurroundedbybarbedwire.Alreadywounded,LieutenantCarterwaskilledinanattempttodrivetheGermansoutofthisstronghold.On the extreme right, Lieutenant Sutherland got into

CinnebartrenchandgavetheorderforrapidfireonapartyofGermanswhowereadvancingoveropenground.Whilepickingupariflehewashitbyasniper’sbulletandmortallywounded.Sergeant Stevens, who then took command, was liftingSutherland’s riflewhen he toowas shot through the head. Acorporaltookthesergeant’splace.Amomentlater,hetoowaskilled.Theremainderofthemenfoughtondesperatelyuntilaplatoonofthe28thBattalioncametotheiraid.In the meantime B Company had reached the objective in

Cinnebartrench.BelievingthatallwaswellwithCCompanytotheir left, Lieutenant Gordon, the commander of B Company,was about to send off the pre-arranged signal when it wasdiscovered that the signal cartridgeswerewet.Before otherscouldbefound,wordwasbroughtthatCCompanywasunderintenseattackandall theofficershadbeenkilled.LieutenantMcKinnon was sent with a bombing party to the aid of CCompany,buthewaskilledjustashejoinedthefight.Gordonthenwentalongtothereliefofthecompanyonhis

left, after ordering LieutenantMontgomery to get a party ofsnipersoutsidethetrenchsothattheycouldtakeatollontheenemy. Gordon was badly wounded in the arm andMontgomerywas soon afterwards killed by a German sniper.The leadershipof thecompany then felluponSergeant-Major

Hanna.HannasawthatthecruxofthepositionwasaGermanpost

protectedbyaheavywireandarmedwithamachinegun.Hecollectedapartyofhismenandledthemagainstthepostamidahailofrifleandmachine-gunfire.Rushingthroughthewire,he bayoneted three of the Germans, brained a fourth andseizedthemachinegun.Theredoubtwascaptured.TheGermansarrived in force and counterattacked.Hanna,

whowasnowshortofbombs,managedtodefendtheposition.Again andagain the enemy tried to rushhim, but he andhishandfulofmenheld ituntil theywererelieved later thatday.Next day, the battalion frontage was taken over by anotherCanadianunitandthe29thwentbacktotherear.HannareceivedhisVCfromGeorgeVatBuckinghamPalace

on5December1917.Thecitationread:

For most conspicuous bravery in attack, when hiscompanymetwithmost severeenemy resistanceandallthe company officers became casualties. A strong point,heavilyprotectedbywireandheldbyamachinegun,hadbeaten off three assaults of the company with heavycasualties.ThisWarrantOfficerunderheavymachinegunandriflefire,coollycollectedapartyofmen,andleadingthem against this strong point, rushed through thewireandpersonallybayonettedthreeoftheenemyandbrainedthe fourth, capturing the position and silencing themachine gun. This most courageous action, displayedcourageandpersonalbraveryofthehighestorderatthismost critical moment of the attack, was responsible forthecaptureofamostimportanttacticalpoint,andbutforhisdaringactionanddeterminedhandlingofadesperatesituation the attack would not have succeeded. C.S./M.Hanna’s outstanding gallantry, personal courage anddetermined leading of his company is deserving of thehighestpossiblereward.

Born in Ukraine, Filip Konowal had served in the Russian

ImperialArmybeforeemigratingtoCanada.HewasanActingCorporal in the 47th (British Columbia) Battalion when hearrivedatHill70inFranceon22August.Corporal Konowal was in charge of a mopping-up section

while the main attack swept on. His job was to search therabbitwarrenofbombed-outhousesandtunnelledfoundationswheremanyGermanswithmachinegunswereleft,aconstantdangertofollowingwavesofsoldiers.ThebuildingsalongtheLens-ArrasRoadprovedparticularlydifficulttoclear.Whilethemain body of troops had passed through on their way to theobjectivesbeyond,acoupleofbuildingsstillheldGermansandGerman machine guns, and there was heavy firing upon therear of the advancing men. Entering one of these houses,KonowalsearchedfortheGermans.Findingnotraceofanyoneliving, he dropped daringly into the cellar below. Three menfired at him as he landed, but he miraculously escaped,unharmed. They then fought it out in the darkwith rifle fireandbayonets.Theoddswere three toone.Emerging into thedaylight,Konowalhadbayonetedallthreeoftheguncrew.Hethenmovedon,everalerttothecloserifle-crackthatmightbeasniper.Therewasa largecrater to theeastof the road.From the

Canadianbodiespiledarounditsedge,itseemedobviousthataGermanmachinegunhadbeenpositionedthere.Haltinghismen, Konowal advanced alone. Upon reaching the lip of thecrater he saw seven Germans endeavouring to move theirmachine gun into a dugout. He opened fire at once, killingthree.Thenchargingdownintothecrater,he finishedoff therestwithhisbayonet.The following morning, troops of the 44th Battalion were

heldupbyamachine-gunemplacement in a tunnel.CorporalKonowalhadprovedhismetalatsubterraneanfighting,andhispartysucceededinenteringthetunnel.Throwingtwochargesof ammonal (an explosive) ahead of him, Konowal dashedforward in thedarkness, engaged themachine-guncrewwiththe bayonet, overcoming and killing them all. Altogether hekilledsixteenmeninthetwodaysofbattle.

Duringtheaction,CorporalKonowalhadgunshotwoundstothefaceandtheneck.HewasinvalidedbacktoEngland.Aftertendays inhospital,hewasappointed tocommanddutywiththeRussianMilitaryAttachéinLondonandpromotedtoactingsergeant. He received his VC from George V at BuckinghamPalaceon5December1917.Thecitationread:

For most conspicuous bravery and leadership when inchargeofasectioninattack.Hissectionhadthedifficulttask of mopping up cellars, craters and machine-gunemplacements.Underhisabledirectionallresistancewasovercome successfully, and heavy casualties inflicted onthe enemy. In one cellar he himself bayonetted threeenemy and attacked single-handed seven others in acrater, killing them all. On reaching the objective, amachine-gunwasholdinguptherightflank,causingmanycasualties.Cpl.Konowalrushed forwardandentered theemplacement,killed thecrew,andbrought thegunbacktoourlines.Thenextdayheagainattackedsingle-handedanother machine-gun emplacement, killed three of thecrew, and destroyed the gun and emplacement withexplosives. This non-commissioned officer alone killed atleast sixteen of the enemy, and during the two days’actualfightingcarriedoncontinuouslyhisgoodworkuntilseverelywounded.

Konowal also received the Russian Cross of St George, 4thClass and went on to serve with the Canadian SiberianExpeditionaryForcefromOctober1918toJune1919.Hewasleft with a crippled hand and the partial paralysis of the leftsideofhisface.Soonafter leaving theArmy,hekilledanAustrianman for

insulting the Canadian flag and pleaded insanity. After nineyears in asylums for the insane, he enlisted in the Governor-General’s Foot Guard in Ottawa and travelled to London in1929 for a dinner at the House of Lords. Then he became ajanitor at the Canadian House of Commons. Meanwhile, the

wife he had left behind in Ukraine had disappeared into aSovietlabourcamp.He attended a Garden Party with George VI, who visited

Canadain1939,andwasatthededicationoftheCanadianWarMemorial. Ukrainian veterans raised the money for him toattendtheVCcentenarycelebrationsinLondonin1953.Whenhediedin1959,Konowalwasburiedwithfullmilitaryhonours.HisVCwasboughtbytheCanadianWarMuseuminOttawain1969.

A

CORPORALERNESTEGERTON,19

SHERWOODFORESTERSBulgarWood,Ypres,Belgium,20September1917

s the meat-grinder of Passchendaele ground on, the 17thSherwood Foresters advanced towards enemy posts in

BulgarWood, south-east of theMenin Road, followed by the16th (Chatsworth Rifles). There was a thick mist. Officersadvancedusingcompasses.Amongthementherewasacertainamountofconfusionasthetwounitsgotmixedup,butthemistkeptthenumberofcasualtiesdown.CaptainP.E.Burrows,MC,commandingthe16th’sSupport

Company, locatedenemymachinegunsand ledanattack.Hetook the strongpoint, capturing twomachine guns and thirtyprisoners.Itwasthentakenoverasthe16th’sHeadquarters.At 07.00hours, the 16th pressed on to a second objective.

The rolling barrage fell short, causing casualties, but theysucceededintakingtheenemybysurprise.However, as the mist lifted, Major J.R. Webster, at the

commandpost,spottedthattheadvancingtroopshadmissedastrongpointbristlingwithmachinegunsandsnipers. Itwasaclearthreatandhadtobetaken,despitethedangers.Major Webster wrote later: ‘An attack was quickly

organized, covered by the fire of one of the attachedVickersGunsofthe57thBrigade.Apartywassenttotakethedug-outfromthenorthside,whichwasledinamostgallantmannerbyCorporal Egerton of my Support Company. Several of theenemy were shot, 29 prisoners, including one officer weretakenhere.’

In fact, only one man was responsible. Nineteen-year-oldErnestEgertonhadrunforwardalone,sofastthattherestofthecompanycouldnotkeepup.AccordingtoCaptainLloydofMilitaryIntelligence:

Onthemorningofthe20thofSeptember1917,the16thSherwood Foresters rose from their trenches, andmarched behind the rolling thunder of bursting shellagainst the German defence in Bulgar Wood, which isnear Poelcapelle. They took the first line, and the twoleadingwavesof thebattalionwent forward through thesmokeofthebarragetotheheartofBulgarWood.But,asmust often happen, in the heat and confusion of battle,they left a nest of Germans behind them, untouched.When thestormhadpassedover theirheads, thesemencame up out of their underground sanctuary, a chain ofdeepdugouts,cunninglyhiddenawayamongthelitterofsplinteredtrunksandtreeroots inthesouth-westcornerofthewood.Soitwasthat,whenthethirdwaveenteredthewood,

confidently,lookingfornodanger;suddenly,fromcloseinfrontofthem,cametheevilchatterofamachinegunandaquickgustofbulletsthatbeatthemtotheground.AVickersansweredthechallenge,and,astheGerman

gunnerswunghisweaponroundinsearchofhisnextfoe,a corporal of the Sherwoods, named Egerton, saw hischance and took it. Jumping to his feet with a shout of‘Come on, boys,’ he ran with all his might towards thedugouts, and his companions followed him as best theycould across a tangled wilderness of maimed branchesand treacherous shell-holes. The Germans saw himcomingbut theydidnotkillhim.WhenEgertonwasbuttenyardsaway, thenearestof themflunghisrifle tohisshoulder, but he died before his finger could touch thetrigger. The corporal shot another as he stoodpoised tothrowabomb.Themachinegunnerwasalreadydead,andlayhuddledbehindthesilentgun.Oneofhisfellowstried

to takehisplace,butEgertonwasuponhim,andhe toodiedquickly.Therecklessdaringof thecorporal’sactionhadtakenallthesteeloutoftheGermans,and,whentheremainder of the party came running to the scene, theysaw that it was useless to resist any longer andsurrenderedtoaman.Twenty-nineofthem,includingoneofficer, did the Sherwoods take from that place, beforethey formed up again and passed on in search of newadventuresinBulgarWood.

Ernest Albert Egerton was born on 10 November 1897 atLongton,Staffordshire, the thirdof four sons.After attendingQueen’sStreet,CookeStreetandBlurtonChurchSchools,heenteredFlorenceColliery at the age of sixteen,working as ahaulage hand. On his eighteenth birthday, he enlisted in the3rdNorthStaffordshireRegimentatSheltonrecruitingoffice.His two older brothers also served in the Army. The eldest,ThomasEdward,wasmedicallydischargedfromactiveserviceby December 1917. The second eldest, William Charles, anactingcorporalintheRifleBrigade,waskilledinactionon17August1917,agedtwenty-eight.Hisyoungestbrother,Harold,wastooyoungtoserveinthewar.AfterhearingofWilliam’sdeath,Ernestwrotetohisparents:

‘IamsorrytohearaboutWill’sdeath.Icantellyouitupsetmeverymuch;Icouldnotsayanythingallday.Wehavejustbeeninto action again.We took a large number of prisoners. I ampleasedtosayIhavecomethroughanotherbattlequitesafely.Well,Ihadabitofrevenge,IaccountedforafewGermans,Icantellyou.’After training at Wallsend-on-Tyne, Ernest Egerton was

posted to the 1st North Staffordshires in France, andtransferred to the 16th SherwoodForesters inOctober 1916.Promotedtolance-corporalon21February1917andcorporalon 23 August 1917, he came through the fighting on theSommeandatYpresunscathed.Later, he gave his own account of what had happened at

BulgarWood.

‘ItwasinSeptember,’hesaid,‘Ifeltlostatfirst.Iwasinashell-holeinfrontofsomeconcretedugouts,andsomeonewithamachinegunwascausingheavycasualtiesonourleftflank,which includedsomeNorthStaffords. Icouldsee thedamagetheywereinflicting,soItookit intomyheadtogoforward.IkeptrunningfromshellholetoshellholeuntilIgottothebackof this particular concrete dug out, andhavinggone so far, Icouldsee threemenwithamachinegun. I firstshot themanwho was firing the gun: then I shot the second, who waswaitingwithanotherbeltofcartridges,andIalsoshotthethirdman,whowasabomber.BythattimeIwassupportedbyothermenwho had followedme up, and 29Germans, including anofficer,cameoutoftheirdugoutsholdinguptheirhandsandsurrendered.’Major Webster said it was ‘the most reckless piece of

gallantryIeversaw’.Egertondidnotseeitthatway.‘Ididnotthinkofgettingdonein,’hesaid.‘Iwentoverwith

thehopeofcomingback.’Atthetime,hewasthinkingofthedeathofhisbrother,who

hadbeenkilledinaction.‘I went over with the intention of killing a few, to have

revengeinthenameofmybrother’swife,’hesaid.‘ItwasmyobjectfromthetimeIheardofhisdeathtogetrevenge.Iwaslonging toget into action andpaybackadebt, andnow in ameasure,IfeelIhavedoneit.’MajorWebsterwrote:‘Ishallneverforget20September;it

wasthegreatestdayofmylife.Thedashofthemenwassimplyamazingandnothingcouldstopthem.Theycameoutwiththeirtails rightupandeverymanhadstories to tell of theBoschetheyhadkilled.’The16thSherwoodForestersfoughtalongsidethe16thRifle

Brigade that day. In the 16th (Prince Consort’s Own) wasanother VC winner, Sergeant William Burman, who was justtwo-and-a-halfmonthsolderthanCorporalEgerton.William Francis Burman was born in Stepney, in London’s

EastEnd, on30August1897.EducatedatStepneyRedCoat

School, he joined the cadet force there. At seventeen, heenlistedintheRifleBrigade.SenttoFrance,hewaspromotedtosergeantwhenhewasstillonlyeighteen.Ten days after his twentieth birthday, his company were

advancingacrossno-man’s-land towards theGermantrencheswhensuddenly, fromagroupof shellholes some thirtyyardsaway,amachinegunopenedfire.Menwerefallingallaroundhim, but Sergeant Burman continued, apparently with nothoughtforhisownsafety.Shouting‘Waitaminute,lads,’hesignalledtohisplatoonto

takecoveranddashedforwardaloneacrossthebrokengroundtowards themachinegun. TheGermans sawhimcoming andswungthemuzzleroundtomeethimasheran.Buttheywerenotquickenoughandtheirbulletsflewwide.Beforetheycouldrecover,hewasonthemwithhisbayonet.

Ofthethreeintheshellhole,nonesurvived.The way was now clear and the survivors of the company

continued their advance as Sergeant Burman rejoined hisplatoon,carryingthemachinegun.Fortherestoftheday,theyuseditwithgreateffectonitsformerowners.Soon after he had a second chance to distinguish himself.

HiscompanyhaddriventheGermansoutoftheirtrenches,butthe battalion of their right was still pinned down by heavymachine-gunandriflefirefromtheflank.ButSergeantBurmancouldseewherethefirewascomingfromand,withoutwaitingfor orders, he called out for two volunteers. His call wasansweredimmediately.The three men left the trench and ran out into the open

towardsalowhedgealittledistanceaway,firingtheirriflesastheydidso.TheGermansdidnotrealisethiswasanewdangeruntilSergeantBurmanandhis smallpartyhadworkedroundbehind them and were shooting at them from the rear. SixGermanswerekilledbeforetheremainder–thirty-oneofthemincluding two officers – decided to surrender to the threeEnglishmen.Corporal Egerton received his Victoria Cross from King

George V at Buckingham Palace on 5 December 1917. The

citationread:

OnSeptember,1917south-westofYpres,Belgiumduringanattack,visibilitywasbadowingtofogandsmoke.Asaresult, the two leading waves of the attack passed overcertain hostile dugouts without clearing them. Enemyrifles and machine guns from these dugouts wereinflicting severe casualties. Corporal Egerton at onceresponded to a call for volunteers to help in clearingupthesituation.Hedashedforthedugoutsunderheavyfireat short range. He shot a rifleman, a bomber and agunner.Bywhichtime,supporthadarrivedand29oftheenemysurrendered.

Hewasgivenatumultuouswelcomeinhishometown.Amongthemany letters of congratulationwas one from theDuke ofDevonshire, as the unit took its name fromhis family seat atChatsworth. At an official reception the staff at FlorenceColliery presented himwith an inscribed silver cigarette-caseandwarbondsworth£85.Sergeant Burman got his VC on 19 December 1917. The

citationread:

When the advance of his company was held up by amachine-gun at point-blank range, Sergeant Burmanshoutedtothemennexttohimtowaitafewminutesandgoing forward to what seemed certain death killed theenemy gunner and carried the gun to the company’sobjective, where he used it with great effect. Fifteenminuteslateritwasseenthatabout40oftheenemywereenfilading the battalion on the right. Sergeant Burmanand two others ran and got behind them, killing six andcapturingtwoofficersand29otherranks.

Egertonwasbadlygassedduringtheenemy’sspringoffensivethe following year. After a spell in hospital in France, hereturnedtohisunitandwaspromotedtoSergeanton11May1918. He left the battalion on 20 August and returned to

England for officer training, though he eventually declined acommission and joined the 3rd Sherwood Foresters as asergeant-instructor. He was discharged on 25 April 1919 onmedicalgrounds.Thegassinghadcausedtuberculosisandhewasonlygivenafewmonthstolive.However,hetrainedasagamekeeper and working out in the fresh air led to a greatimprovement in his health. He served in the Home Guard inWorldWarIIandlivedtotheageofsixty-eight.Burmanalsosurvivedinthewar.In1929,atthedinnerfor

VCwinners,hefoundhimselfsittingnexttoHRHthePrinceofWales.‘Naturally,IwasexcitedbutIsoonfoundthatIhadnoneed

to be embarrassed,’ he said. ‘The Prince soon put me at myeaseandwehadalongchat.Infact,itwasliketalkingtoyourbrother.Whenheheard that Iwasa chauffeur,wediscussedcarsandheaskedmewhichIlikedbest.’Helivedtotheageofseventy-seven.Modesttheend,when

askedabouttheactionthatwonhimtheVC,hesaid:‘Icouldn’thelp it. Itwasacaseofgoingonorgoingback. Icouldn’tgoback.’

B

PRIVATETHOMASHOLMES,19

2NDBATTALION,CANADIANEXPEDITIONARYFORCE

Passchendaele,Belgium,26October1917

yOctober1917,therehadbeentwofailedattemptstotaketheheavilyfortifiedBellevuespurduringtheThirdBattleof

Ypres.TheNewZealandershadmadethefirstattempt.Then,on 12 October, the Australians were repulsed. After nearlythreemonths fighting,FieldMarshallHaighadbegun togiveupontheideaofmakingabreakthrough.Instead,heplannedto secure a defensible line for the winter and to divert theenemy’s attention from preparations for a large-scaleengagement fiftymiles to the south at Cambrai, where largeformationsoftankswouldbeused,togreateffect,forthefirsttime.TheCanadianCorpswerebroughtupfromLens.Theattack

was to begin on 26October.Heavy rain had been falling fortwodaysbeforethe4thCanadianMountedRifleswadeduptotheir positions in the front line, between Wallemolen andBellevue. All the dykes and ditches of the low country therewerefullandoverflowing.Eventhegroundthathadbeenfirmandsolidhadnowturnedintoadangerousswamp.Nevertheless, the men pushed on through the darkness,

slipping and splashing. There were long halts. With fewlandmarksleft intact, itwaseasytogetlost.Finally,by05.00ofthe25th,theywereinposition.Duringtheday,theweathercleared.Thesunandwindconsiderably improvedtheground.In the clear weather, the men were able to seen their

objectives for the following day’s attack. They had somemisgivings.Thereseemedentirelytoomuchwateraroundthelowhills and copses they had to cover. And, though thewirehadbeenbrokeninplaces,thepillboxesalongthecrestofthespurwerestilllargelyintact.Nineteen-year-oldPrivateThomasHolmeswaswith the4th

CanadianMountedRifles(CMR),whowereontheextremeleftof the Canadian Corps front, with the 43rd (CameronHighlandersofCanada)and58thBattalionof the9thBrigadeontheright.TheirobjectiveswereWoodlandCopseandSourceFarm. Itwashoped theycouldconsolidateastrong lineuponWallemolen Ridge, all with a view to the establishment of agood jumping-off line for the capture of Passchendaele townitself.Whiletheclearweatherhadgreatlyimprovedtheground,it

also made visibility much better. From the high ground, theGermanartilleryandriflemenhadaneasytaskshootinguponthe Canadians’ hastily improvised communication lines. Thepersistent bombardment became very severe indeed. Gallantattemptsweremadetosupplythesoldiersinthefrontlinewithmunitions, but regularly partieswerewiped out and suppliesdispersed by the incessant shells. Eventually enoughammunitionmadeitthrough,butthemenwentintoactionthefollowingday,carryingemptywaterbottles.Soonafter05.00onthe26th,CandDCompaniesofthe4th

CMRadvancedfromthefrontline,withAandBCompaniesinclose support. The barrage opened up at 05.40. So did theheavyrain,makingthegroundslipperyanddifficult.Almostatonce, concentrated machine-gun fire erupted from a line ofpillboxesacrosstheflanksofthelowhills.Eachofthesesmallfortresseshadtobestormed,usingbayonets.Theydidnot take long toclear,andaftera fewminutesof

close bayonet work the Canadians swept through. On theWallemolen-Bellevue line, they found stout resistance. To thenorth-eastofWolfCopse,therewasaGermanpillbox,itsownstrongdefencessupplementedbymachinegunsmountedclosetothebuildingoneachside.Themenhadtoadvanceagainst

their fire, at times up to their waists in water. It was notpossible to advance quickly, and oneman after another fromthesmallattackingforcedisappearedintothemud.ReinforcementsfromACompanycameupontheright,anda

series of gallant attempts were made to rush the enemy’sposition,whichwasholdingup theentireadvance.Each timethemen failed to reach the pillbox, and were forced to takewhatevercoverwaspossible,somefiftyyardsfromit.It was then that Private Holmes advanced alone. Ignoring

theconcentratedfireofthetwoguns,hemadehiswayforwarduntil he reached a point where he could throw his bombs.Coolly,hehurledthegrenades,knockingoutthetwogunsoneafteranother,andkillingorwoundingeverymanaroundthem.Butthisresultwasnotsufficientforhim,andhereturnedtohiscomrades formore ammunition. Taking another bomb fromafriend,Holmesranforwardaloneagain.Thistimehegotclosetothepillboxitselftothrowthegrenadeintotheentranceway.Theenemysoldierswhohadnotbeenkilledorwoundedintheblast – nineteen in all – came out with their hands up,surrendering.TheCanadianadvancecouldcontinue.Thirty Canadian VCs (a book compiled by various authors

andtheCanadianWarRecordsOffice)says:

Making hisway forward, indifferent to the concentratedfireof thetwoguns,Holmesreachedapoint fromwhichhe could throw his bombs. Then, with marvellouscoolness,hehurledhismissiles,withsuchprecision thathe succeeded in knocking out each gun, one after theother,killingorwoundingeverymanaboutthem.Butthisresultwas not sufficient for him, and he returned to hiscomrades for more ammunition. Securing another bombfroma friend,oncemoreHolmesran forwardalone, thistimegettingclose to thepillbox itself.Landinghisbombwithin theentranceof the concrete fort, he caused suchan explosion in the confined space that the unhappysurvivors of the garrison crawled out and surrendered.One does not know how Private Holmes escaped the

sweeping fire thatwaspoureduponhim,but there isnodoubtthathisgallantactionsavedacriticalsituation,andallowedourmen to push forward and establish a stronglineinadvanceoftheirintermediateobjective.Heretheyheldbackcounterattackaftercounterattack,subjectedtointense bombardment and heavy machine-gun fire fromthe high ground on the right, until later in the day thegallant capture of Bellevue Spur by the 43rd and 52ndBattalions cleared the situation, and permitted theconsolidationofastrongline.

A Company’s commander,MajorHarold Archibald Scott, wastaking coverwithhis companywhen the troops in theenemypillboxopenedfire.Hewitnessedtheincredibleheroismofoneofhismenandwantedtoensurehewasdecorated,butdidnotknowwhoexactlyhadcarriedout theattack.HesentPrivateHerbertHawleyforwardtoidentifythehero.ButwhenHawleyreturnedhediscovered thatMajorScott had just beenkilled.Other men had also witnessed the action and recommendedHolmesforanaward.BorninMontreal,Quebec,on17August1898,andraisedin

Owen Sound,Ontario, ThomasWilliamHolmes lied about hisage when he enlisted in the 147th Battalion, CanadianExpeditionary Force, in December 1915. He claimed to beeighteen, the minimum age to see service overseas. He wasdescribedas‘afrail,delicateyouthwithacontagioussmile’.Atthetimeofhisenlistmenthewasfivefootfiveinchestall,withfair hair and blue eyes. He had no military experience, stilllivedathomeandworkedonachickenfarm.AftersailingtoEuropewiththe147thBattalion,Holmeswas

sent to a reserve battalion before being moved onto the 4thCMR.Hewaswounded in the left armduring the fighting atVimy Ridge in April 1917 and had only just returned to thebattalion before the fighting at Passchendaele began. At thetimeoftheawardofhisVictoriaCross,HolmeswasreportedlytheyoungestCanadiantoreceivetheEmpire’shighestmilitaryhonour.

Gazettedon11January1918,thecitationread:

For most conspicuous bravery and resource when theright flank of our attackwasheldupbyheavymachine-gun and rifle fire from a ‘pillbox’ strong point. Heavycasualties were producing a critical situation when Pte.Holmes, on his own initiative and single-handed, ranforward and threw twobombs, killing andwounding thecrews of two machine guns. He then returned to hiscomrades, secured another bomb, and again rushedforwardaloneunderheavy fireand threw thebomb intothe entrance of the ‘pillbox’, causing the nineteenoccupants to surrender. By this act of valour at a verycriticalmomentPte.Holmesundoubtedlyclearedthewayfortheadvanceofourtroopsandsavedthelivesofmanyofhiscomrades.

Discharged as a sergeant at the end of thewar, he returnedhome toahero’swelcome.However,his time in the trenchesunderminedhishealthandhe suffered from tuberculosis.HisVCwasstolenbyburglarsin1935.Areplacementpresentedtohissisternineyearsafterhisdeathin1950wasalsostolen,butwaseventuallyreturned,minusitsribbon.While Private Holmes’s action had allowed the 4th CMR’s

advance tocontinue, the58thBattalionon therightbegan tostall. By 06.30 hours,men of the CameronHighlanderswereseenagainsttheskylinegoingoverthecrestofBellevueSpur.TheGermanartillery firehadbeen immediateandheavy,andformidable pillboxes on the top and flanks of the hillmaintainedsteadyfireuponourtroops,causingmanygaps inthewavesof infantry stumblingandslippingupon themuddyslopes.SoonBandCCompanies,whowereleadingtheattack,foundthemselveswithoutofficers.DCompany,ledbyCaptainD.A.GaltandLieutenantRobert

Shankland,made good progress up the hill, until checked bytheheavyfireofamachineguninastrongemplacementtotherightfront.Withafewmen,CaptainGaltattemptedtocapture

it,whileLieutenantShanklandcontinuedtheadvancewiththeremainder of the company. He reached the crest of the hill,whereclosefightingwonthe43rdmoreground.Thepillboxeswere captured, but a trench some fifty yards beyond themchecked the advance again, and the weary survivors of theattackdugthemselvesinasbesttheycould.Ontheright,the58thBattalionwasheldupbydetermined

resistanceandtheconcentratedfireofmanymachinegunsatSnipeHall.Unabletomakegoodtheirobjective,thewoundedbegan drifting back in twos and threes to the comparativesafetyofthejumping-offline.NeverthelessafewheldoutwithShankland’s company on the crest, making a rough anddisjointedlineofshell-holesacrossthehilltop.TheGermanspoureda streamof leadonto this line.Atno

timebeforehadthemenexperiencedsuchrelentlessshelling.TheexplodingshellsthrewupmudandwaterthatcloggedtheCanadians’ weapons. Despite this Lieutenant Shankland heldhis battered line for four hours along the crest of the Spur,keepinghismentogetherandingoodspirits.Healsorecruitedthe soldiers of other companies who were without officers,holding the position that had cost so much to win against aheavycounterattack.Shankland had established rough connection with the 8th

Brigadetohisleftbutnowtheywereforcedtowithdraw,whilehis right flank was completely exposed. German troops wereadvancingfromthedirectionofSnipeHall,andhadenfiladedhislineandthreatenedtocuthimoffaltogether.After a careful survey of the whole position, Shankland

handed over the command to the Machine-gun OfficerLieutenant Ellis, who, though wounded, had refused to leavethelinewhilehisgunswereinaction.Shanklandthenmadehisway back to Headquarters and handed in a report, giving aclearsummaryofacriticalsituation,andenablingstepstobetakenthatpreviouslackofinformationhadrenderedunwise.Inviewofthisvaluableinformation,anewplanwasdevised.

Whilethemenofthe52ndand58thBattalionsdrovebacktheenemyontheflanks,Shanklandheadedbackthroughthemud

andshellfiretohisowncompanyonthehilltop.Meanwhile the Germans had attempted to rush this

precarious position and had been beaten back by the Alliedforce’smachine-gunfirewithheavylosses.Theadvanceofthe52nd Battalion drove many of the Germans back across thefieldoffireofShankland’scompany,whowereonthecrestoftheSpur.Eventually,theflankswerefirmlyestablishedandtheCanadians consolidated the new line. The objective of theattackhadbeenaccomplished,thoughtheyhadnotpenetratedasfarintoenemycountryastheyhadhoped.Lieutenant Shankland was awarded the VC. His citation

read:

Having gained a position at Passchendaele on 26thOctober 1917, Lieutenant Shankland organized theremnantsofhisownplatoonandothermenfromvariouscompanies to command the foreground where theyinflictedheavy casualties on the retreatingGermans.Helaterdissipatedacounterattack,allowingforthearrivalofsupport troops. He then communicated to his HQ adetailed evaluation of the brigade frontage. On itscompletion he rejoined his command, carrying on untilrelieved.Hiscourageandhisexampleundoubtedlysavedacriticalsituation.

Afterthewar,Shankland,animmigrantfromScotland,stayedon in themilitia. InWorldWar II, hewent overseaswith thebattalion as Officer Commanding Headquarters Company. Attheageoffifty-three,hewastoooldforcombatduty.Promotedto lieutenant colonel, Shankland was appointed campcommandantof theCanadianArmyHeadquarters inEngland,inDecember1940.Twenty-one-year-old Lieutenant (Acting Captain)

ChristopherPatrickJohnO’Kellywaswiththe52ndBattalion,who were in support during the attack on Bellevue spur. Atfirst, everything seemed to be going well, but by 08.30 thesituation had changed. Weary parties of survivors were

stragglingbackintwosandthreestothejumping-off lineandthe 52nd Battalion knew that their services would soon berequired.Colonel Foster, the Commanding Officer, went forward to

thefrontlineandreturnedwithnewsofacriticalsituation.Onthe right the 58th had encountered terriblemachine-gun fireandhadbeenunable tomakeanyprogress,while some fortymenofLieutenantShankland’scompanyofthe43rdhadfoughttheirwaytothecrestofthespurandwereroughlyentrenchedthemselves, being able to advance no further. But they werestillholdingoutafter fourhoursof steady fightingandunderheavy close-quarter fire from pillboxes on the ridge. What’smore theywere inconstantdangerofa flankingmoveby theenemyoneitherside.LieutenantO’Kelly,commandingACompany,wasorderedto

go to theirassistance,advancingon the left flankof the43rdBattaliontofillthegapbetweenthe8thand9thBrigades.Drenched by the steady rain and pounded by the enemy’s

shells,themenofthe52ndwerekeentogetintoaction.Theymoved forward rapidly through the German barrage on theflankwithoutheavylossesandmadegoodprogressupthelownorthernslope.When they reached thecrestof thespur theyfoundthatthemenofthe43rdweredoingsuchaneffectivejobthat theyhadprevented theGermans frompaying verymuchattentiontothemanoeuvresofthe52nd.Evenso,themachine-gunpositionsalongthetopofthehill

caused a number of casualties, but no delays. As LieutenantO’Kelly’smensweptoverthebrow,theycaughttheflankoftheenemyadvancingagainstthe43rd,drivingtheGermansbeforethemandshootingthemdownastheyran.Foramomentitwasalmost a successful rout. But then the fire from the pillboxesgrewheavier.Canadian troops rushed pillbox after pillbox, with small

parties of men trying to get close to the walls of each fort,while sections to the rear bombarded every opening andloopholewithbulletsandrifle-grenades.Thismade itdifficultfor theGermans to take aim, allowing the forward assailants

thechanceof takingthedeadgroundclosebeneaththewallsandhurlingbombs inside throughanyaperture.Theeffect ofquiteasmallbombgoingoffintheconfinedspaceofapillboxwas terrible.Usuallyonewasenough tocompel thesurvivorstosurrender.Even so, taking these hilltop forts was a costly business.

Often,theattackerswouldgetcaught intheopeninthezoneof fire of amachine gun andwould be practicallywiped out.However,onmore thanoneoccasion, theattackwasbroughtto a successful conclusion by two or three survivors, whoforcedthesurrenderofthirtyorfortydefenders.Through all this fighting Lieutenant O’Kelly led these

assaults, selecting the point and method of attack with coolprecision. He also never lost sight of his main objective – togain ground and consolidate the ridge. Finally, his forcewasjoinedbyBCompanyofthe52nd,andtogethertheycontinuedtheadvance.The buildings of Bellevue Farm proved excellent cover for

the retiringGermansand therewas stubborn fightingaroundtheruinedouthousesbeforetheCanadiansgotthrough.Halfamileofgroundwascapturedandconsolidated.TheCanadiansreachedtheWallemolen-BellevueRoad.TheGerman artillery continued shelling even though there

were pockets of German soldiers among the Canadians. AndwhenthenewlineformedtheGermanshellingbecameintensebeforetheinevitablecounterattackdevelopedattwopointsoftheAllies’thinly-heldline.Nevertheless,O’Kelly’smenfeltthattheyhadsavedtheday

andthemenofthe52ndhadnointentionofgivingupafootofthe ground they had won. They rained down such heavy firethat the counterattack was shrivelled and dispersed twohundredyardsfromtheirline.During the night Lieutenant O’Kelly’s men went forward

again and raided several strongpoints that might havehampered the advance of theirmen in the next phase of theoffensive.Thatdayalone,the52ndBattalionhadcapturednineofficers, 275 men and twenty-one machine-guns – and had

savedaverycriticalsituationindeed.LieutenantO’Kelly’sVCcitationread:

Formostconspicuousbraveryinanactioninwhichheledhis company with extraordinary skill and determination.Aftertheoriginalattackhadfailedandtwocompaniesofhis unit had launched a new attack, Capt. O’Kellyadvancedhiscommandover1,000yardsunderheavyfirewithoutanyartillerybarrage,tooktheenemypositionsonthe crest of the hill by storm, and then personallyorganised and led a series of attacks against ‘Pillboxes’,his company alone capturing six of them with 100prisonersand10machineguns.Lateronintheafternoon,under the leadership of this gallant officer, his companyrepelled a strong counterattack, taking more prisoners,and subsequently during the night captured a hostileraiding party consisting of one officer, 10 men and amachine gun. The whole of these achievements werechieflyduetothemagnificentcourage,daringandabilityofCapt.O’Kelly.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, O’Kelly was nineteen when hejoined theCanadianExpeditionForce fromSt John’sCollege,wherehewasanundergraduateinOctober1915.Hewassentoverseasasalieutenant.ReachingthetrenchesinMarch1917,hesoonwonareputationasadaringleader,winningaMilitaryCrossforchargingatrenchintheAvion-Méricourtsector.He came through Passchendaele unscathed, though a

reporterwho interviewedhim latersaid: ‘Hewasveryyoung.Hismannerwasquietandsomewhatgrim,asifhehadlookedtoocloselyintoahundredfacesofdeath.’Afterthewarhebecameaprospectorand,in1921,rejoined

theWinnipegRiflesasamajor.On15November1922,O’Kellywas drowned during a storm on Lac Seul, near Kenora,Ontario.Hisbodywasneverfound.Hewasjusttwenty-six.

D

LANCE-CORPORALROBERTMCBEATH,19

SEAFORTHHIGHLANDERSRibecourt,nearCambrai,France,20November1917

uring the British advance near Cambrai on 20November1917, the SeaforthHighlanders and the battalion to their

rightwereheldupbyheavymachine-gunfire,whentheywereonlya shortdistance from the railway line to thewest of thevillage of Ribecourt, which was their objective. The fireappearedtobecomingfromsomehousesatthewesternendofavillagetotheirright.ThecompanycommandercalledforaLewisguntodealwith

theseGermanmachineguns.Nineteen-year-oldLance-CorporalRobertMcBeath immediately volunteered and went off alonewith his Lewis gun on his shoulder‚ carrying a spare tray ofammunitionandarevolver.AsheapproachedthevillagehesawaGermanmachinegun

inaction.Workinghisway towithin twentyyardsof thegun,he shot the gunner with his revolver. There were four othermachine guns near the same spot – and Lance-CorporalMcBeathwasnowfully150yardsawayfromthenearestmanof his company. But he never thought of going back. Hemanaged to attract the attention of a tank, and with thisformidable ally at his side he charged down upon theastonished gun crews. The Germans turned tail, and fled forshelterinadeepdugout.But Lance-CorporalMcBeathwould not be deprived of the

fruits of his victory.Hepromptly diveddown into the dugout

after them. He was halfway down the steps when the lastGermanturnedandfiredathim.ThebulletgrazedMcBeath’shead,andburieditselfinthewoodworkofthesteps.McBeathreturnedfirewithhisrevolverandtheGermanfelldead.Insidethe dugout he found thirty men and three officers huddledtogether. Later, it was discovered that this was a battalionheadquarters.Captain Lloyd, who was with Military Intelligence, said:

‘MacBeath[sic],however,atthatmoment,hadlittlerespectforthe dignity of the German Staff, and drove his terrifiedprisonersbeforehimthroughanotherdoorwayandupintothetrenchabove.’There would soon be confirmation of McBeath’s

extraordinaryheroism.‘By this time a secondman of his battalion had come up,’

Captain Lloyd recorded, ‘and he was just in time to see theexodusfromthedug-out.L/CMacBeath[sic],aftershowinghiscaptivestheirwaytotherear,placedthenewcomerassentryover the entrance to the dugout, and himself entered it oncemore.He searched it thoroughly, and shot twoGermanswhowerestilllurkinginitsrecessesandshowedsomefight.‘His search concluded, he returned to his company. A

sergeant who arrived on the spot shortly afterwards sawstrangethingsaroundthedug-out.Hecouldread,aswellasifhe had been there himself, the incidents of MacBeath’s [sic]whirlwind charge. Lying dead around the first machine gunwerefourGermans.Thegunnerlaydeadwithhisweaponstillat his shoulder and his finger on the trigger. The fourremainingmachinegunsweresurroundedbyalitterofemptycartridgecasesandoneof themhadahalf-emptybelt still inthefeed-block.Thetrampledearthoutsidethedug-outshowedthe hastewithwhich theGermans had bolted for cover fromthe onslaught of the Scotsman. Halfway down the stairs thewhitescarofnewlysplinteredwoodtoldhownarrowhadbeenthecorporal’sescape.‘It was entirely owing to MacBeath’s [sic] courage and

resource that both battalions were enabled to continue their

advanceandcapturetheirobjectives.Hisconduct,notonlyonthat day, but also on the following days, during which thebattalionwasheavilyengaged,wasbeyondallpraise.’Thebrigade’sWarDiaryrecorded:‘Lance-CorporalMcBeath

hasalreadylostthreebrothersinthewarandheisabsolutelyregardlessofhisownsafetysolongashecankillGermans.’And there was plenty of opportunity. Once Ribecourt had

beentaken,theSeaforthsandthe9thNorfolkBattalionmovedonthevillageofFlesquières,athousandyardsbeyond.‘Here very heavy fighting took place,’wroteDouglasHaig.

‘The stoutbrickwall skirting theChateaugroundsopposedaformidable obstacle to our advance, while German machinegunsswept theapproaches.Anumberof tankswereknockedout by direct hits from German field batteries in positionbeyondthecrestofthehill.Nonetheless,withtheexceptionof the village itself, our second objectives in this area weregained before midday. Many of the hits upon our tanks atFlesquièreswere obtained by a German artillery officerwho,remaining alone at his battery, served a field gun single-handeduntilkilledathisgun.Thegreatbraveryofthisofficerarousedtheadmirationofallranks!’BythetimetheSeaforthsreachedFlesquières,theyfoundit

abandoned. They moved on until they could look down onCambrai.ItwasstillinGermanhands,buttheyhadcrossedtheHindenburgLine,theGermans’lastgreatlineofdefence.Lance-CorporalMcBeath’s VC was gazetted on 11 January

1918.Thecitationread:

Formostconspicuousbraverywhenwithhiscompany inattack and approaching the final objective, a nest ofenemymachine-gunsinthewesternoutskirtsofavillageopened fire both on his own unit and on the unit to theright. The advance was checked and heavy casualtiesresulted.When a Lewis gun was called for to deal withthesemachine-guns,L/Corpl.McBeathvolunteeredfortheduty,and immediatelymovedoffalonewithaLewisgunand his revolver.He located one of themachine-guns in

action, and worked his way towards it, shooting thegunner with his revolver at 20 yards range. Findingseveralofthehostilemachine-gunsinaction,he,withtheassistanceofatank,attackedthemanddrovethegunnerstogroundinadeepdugout.L/Corpl.McBeath,regardlessof all danger, rushed in after them, shot an enemywhoopposedhimonthesteps,anddrovetheremainderofthegarrison out of the dug-out, capturing three officers and30 men. There were in all five machine-guns mountedround thedug-out, andbyputting themout of actionhecleared the way for the advance of both units. Theconduct of L/Corpl. McBeath throughout three days ofseverefightingwasbeyondpraise.

Robert McBeath was born on 22 December 1898 inFraserburgh,Caithness,butwasbroughtup inKinlochbervie,Lairg, Sutherlandshire by his adoptive parents. He went toInsheganSchool there.At sixteen, he enlisted as a private inthe1st/5thSeaforthHighlanderson12August1914andwaspromotedtolance-corporalon24July1917.HewaspresentedwithhisVCbyGeorgeVatBuckingham

PalaceandwasawardedafarmunderaschemesetupbytheDukeofSutherland.But thisdidnot suithim.AfteraGardenParty forVCwinners atBuckinghamPalace in June1920, heemigrated to British Columbia, joining the Vancouver CityPolice on 12 August 1921. On 9 October 1922, he and acolleague stopped a car. The driver shot them both dead.McBeathwasjusttwenty-threeyearsold.

I

SECONDLIEUTENANTALAN‘BABE’MCLEOD,18

NO.2SQUADRON,ROYALFLYINGCORPSArras,France,27March1918

nWorldWar I, youngheroesalso took to theair.Onesuchwas Alan McLeod, born on 20 April 1899 in Stonewall,

Manitoba, to Scottish immigrant parents. It seems he was adaredevilfromtheoutset.Attheageofnine,heremovedatrapfromthefootofastraydoganddidnotseewhyeveryonemadesuch a fuss about it. In January 1909, the Stonewall Argusreported:

MasterAlanMcLeodwasobserved toperforma feat theother day which called for some endurance and somenerveonthepartofsoyoungalad.Italsogaveevidenceof his kindly disposition. A dog passed along the streetandwasseentohaveatraponitsfoot.Agentlemantriedtocatch it,butdidnotsucceed.Alanstartedafter itandafterfollowingitfornearlyhalfamileandcomingupwithitseveraltimessucceededinstoppingitandremovingthetrap. He let the dog go and returned the trap to theconstable.Askedhowthedogbehavedheexplainedthatitshoweditsteethatfirst,buthegotittounderstandaftera little. Not the least praiseworthy feature was hisseemingunconsciousness that he haddone anything butwhatanyboywoulddo.

McLeodwas fascinatedwith all thingsmilitary from an early

age.Atfourteenhewentonmilitiatrainingwiththe34th(FortGarry)Horsewithadetachment fromStonewall.WhenWorldWarIbrokeoutin1914,hetriedtoenlist,butatfifteenhewasstilltooyoung.Having failed to passmuster inWinnipeg, at seventeen he

tried to join the cadet wing of the Royal Flying Corps inToronto, but when the recruiting officer saw his birthcertificatehewas told towaituntilhisnextbirthday.Finally,he received word to report for a medical examination on 23April 1917. His last day of school fell on his birthday; hisclassmatesandteachersgavehimarousingsend-off.The next day he was sent for training at Long Branch in

Deseronto,Ontario.Hemadehisfirstflighton4Juneinadual-control Curtiss JN-4 – a ‘Jenny’ biplane. It lasted just tenminutes.Threedayslater,hetookovercontroloncetheplanewasat

asafeheight,andhisfirstflightwason9June,after justtwohoursfifty-fiveminutes’instruction.ItwasonanAvro504–thefirst plane to be shot down by the Germans inWorldWar I.Thenhemovedon toCampBorden,Ontario,wherehe joinedNo.42Wingforadvancedtraining.Writinghomeon19 June1917,hesaid: ‘IarrivedatCamp

Bordenyesterday.Itisanawfulhole.IguessI’llgetusedtoitbut it’s lonely here, just a mass of sand and tents… we aresleeping in tentswithout floors, thereare lotsofus ina tent,wehavenodressersorwashstands,wehavetowalkabout¼miletothebuildingtogetwashed…wehavetogetupat3.45amandthereisnotimetosparetillnoonandwejusthavetwohours fordinner, then in theafternoonafterdinner,weworktill4.30thenhavealunchandflytill8.15,thenwehavesupperandaftersupper,therearelecturesfrom9–10.30,thenwegotobed.WehavelotsofdrillandhavetopolishourbuttonsandbootsorgetCain.Wecanhaveaweekendpassonceamonth…Ijusthatethisplace.’Evenso,hestuckatit.On31Julyhewasgivenhiswings–

stillwithonly fiftyhours’ flyingtime–andwascommissionedsecond lieutenant on 19 August 1917. The following day, he

embarkedforEnglandonboardtheSSMetagama.MenacedbyU-boats,theyputintoportinIrelandforafewdaysontheway.Arriving in England on 1 September, he went on a short

refresher course in Winchester before reporting to 82Squadron at Waddington in Lincolnshire. The squadron wasequipped with the heavy Armstrong Whitworth FK8 biplaneknownasthe‘Ack-W’or‘BigAck’.Over thirty feet in lengthandwithawingspanof just over

forty-threefeet,theFK8wastypicallyusedforreconnaissance,artilleryspottingandlightbombing.Itssingleenginegaveitatopspeedofninetymilesanhourandarangeof240miles,anditcouldclimbtoanaltitudeof13,000feet.Alongwithitspilotand observer or gunner, the Ack-W could carry a mere 150pounds of bombs. It was typically fittedwith a fixed forwardVickers machine gun and a Lewis machine gun on a swivelmount. Somewhat ungainly in appearance, it was sturdy,reliable and not very agile. McLeod said it had ‘theaerodynamicsofacow’,thoughitwaspopularwithpilots.The squadron was moving to France in November, but

McLeod was not allowed to go with them as he was not yetnineteen. Instead, he was transferred to 51 Squadron as anightfighterdefendingLondonagainstGermanairraids.HewassenttotheHomeDefenceSquadronflyingtheFE2b

– the Royal Aircraft Factory Farman Experimental 2b two-seater pusher biplane known as ‘Fees’. The propeller was atthe back because they had not yet perfected the gearing toallowaforward-facingmachineguntofirebetweentheblades.OntheFE2b,thegunwasmountedinanacelle,orhousing,onthefrontoftheplane.GoingintoactioninanFE2bwasdescribedbyAmericanace

FrederickLibby: ‘Whenyoustooduptoshoot,allofyoufromthekneesupwasexposedtotheelements.Therewasnobelttoholdyou.Onlyyourgriponthegunandthesidesofthenacellestoodbetweenyouandeternity.Towardthefrontofthenacellewasahollow steel rodwitha swivelmount towhich thegunwas anchored. This gun covered a huge field of fire forward.Betweentheobserverandthepilotasecondgunwasmounted,

for firing over the FE2b’s upper wing to protect the aircraftfromrearattack.Adjustingandshootingthisgunrequiredthatyou stand right up out of the nacelle with your feet on thenacelle coaming [raised lip]. You had nothing toworry aboutexcept being blown out of the aircraft by the blast of air ortossedoutbodily if thepilotmadeawrongmove.Therewerenoparachutesandnobelts.Nowondertheyneededobservers.’There were other dangers. Night flying was in its infancy

and therewas always the constant risk of amid-air collision,either with the enemy or another British plane. For the nexttwomonths,McLeod flew the black-painted fighters over theskies of London at night in search of German Zeppelins andGothabomberaircraft.Once he was shot down, butmanaged to land the aircraft

safely and considered the event amusing rather than life-threatening.Hisenthusiasmforcombatcameto theattentionofhiscommander,whopulledsomestrings,andMcLeodfinallyfoundhimselfbeingsenttothefront.On29November1917,hereportedtothePilot’sPoolatSt

OmerandwaspostedtoNo.2SquadronatHesdigneul.Whenhe arrived, his commanding officer said: ‘What’s this, anursery?Thekidcan’tbemorethanfifteen.’He became known as ‘Babe’, though others called him

‘Buster’ or ‘Bus’. Hewas attached to B flight, where hewasassessed by Lieutenant Higgins, senior observer with thesquadron,whopassedhimfit forcombat.AgainhewasflyingWhitworthFK8s,onphoto-reconnaissance,nightbombingandartillery-spotting missions, and proved himself to be a first-classpilot.HemadehisfirstflightoverFranceon30November1917.

On19Decemberheandhisobserver,LieutenantJ.O.Comber,had a ‘Scrap with 8 huns’ – [German Albatros scouts] –claimingthat‘1spunaway’.Themostdangerousmissionswerefortheartillery.Thepilot

hadto flysteadilyover theenemypositionsandreportwheretheAlliedroundswerelanding.Thismeanttheywereasittingtargetforenemyanti-aircraftfireorfighters.Evensmallarms

fire from German riflemen aiming to take a pot shot was adanger.While therewas littlehe coulddoabout that,whenenemy

fighters came up after him, he turned and took them on,believingattackwas thebest formofdefence.OncewhenanenemyAlbatroswasonhistail,McLeodgrewannoyedthathisgunnerwasnot firingonhim.Afterarapidexchangeofhandsignals, he understood that the observer’s gun had jammed.Dodging the bullets, McLeod performed a series of daringmanoeuvresthatshookhispursuer.Afterhehadlandedsafely,he discovered that the gun had not jammed at all: the safetycatchwasstillengagedandtheobserverhadsimplyforgottentoreleaseit.McLeodwasnotjustadangertoenemyairmen;Germanson

thegroundhadreasonstofearhimtoo.On3January1918,hespotted a concentration of enemy troops near La Bassée inFlandersandwentin,gunsblazing.On 14 January, he was mentioned in despatches when he

attacked a German observation balloon accompanied byobserver Lieutenant Reginald Key, an Englishman fromNorthampton.Thiswasconsideredaverydangerousbusinessas balloons were frequently ringed with anti-aircraft guns. Itwasahazardousactusingafast,manoeuvrablefighterplane,but in a lumberingmachine suchasanArmstrongWhitworthFK8itwasalmostfoolhardy.Knowingtheheightoftheballoon,gunnerswould also know the height to the attacking aircraftand set the fuses of their shells appropriately. McLeod haddiscoveredawaytodealwiththis.Hewouldclimbhighabovetheflak,thendiveontheballoon,pullinguplevelwithitatthelastmoment,allowingtheobservertorakeitwithmachine-gunfire.Asthehydrogen-filledbagexplodedandthespottercrashed

toearth,McLeodturnedforhome,onlytobesetuponbythreeAlbatrosscouts.McLeodthenturnedtoengagethem.Gettinginto a position where his observer could return fire, theydownedoneofthem;theothertwofled.Twodayslater,McLeodandKeywerenearLaBasséeagain,

directing artillery fire, when they were shot at by an anti-aircraft battery and small-arms fire from surroundingbuildings.Ignoringtheheavybombardment,McLeoddivedontheguns,droppingbombs,whileKeyrakedthemwithmachine-gunfire.Havingsilencedthem,heattackedacolumnofenemysoldiers,beforeresuminghisdutiesartilleryspotting.The guns he had taken out had been menacing airborne

artillery spotters for some timeand,whenhegotback to theairfield, he was granted two weeks’ leave. He took this inLondon, though he might have been safer in France. On hissecond night in England, the Germans dropped a bomb neartheSavoyHotel,whichkilledforty-ninepeopleandinjured147.When McLeod returned to France, Key was moved to

another squadron,buthe laterwrotea testament toMcLeod:‘Alanwouldtakeonanything,andIwaswillingtogoanywherewithhim.HewasthefinestpilotIhaveeverflownwith,devoidoffear,andalwaysmerryandbright.Wewereinmanyscrapstogether andoftenaftergettingout of a very tight cornerbysheerpiloting,withsixorsevenHunsonourtail,hewouldturntomeandlaughoutloud.’McLeod’s newobserverwasLieutenantWilliamHammond,

who had alreadywon theMilitary Cross. At the beginning ofthe German Spring Offensive in 1918, their squadron wasordered to fly south to the Amiens battle area and bomb theenemy troop concentrations advancing near Bapaume. Thethreat of a German breakthrough had them flying day andnight.Atthesametime,BaronvonRichthofen’s fightersquadron,

Jasta11,movedintothearea.VonRichthofenhadalreadybuilta formidable reputation and, to distinguish himself, had hisAlbatrospaintedred–earninghimselfthenickname‘TheRedBaron’. The rest of his squadron followed suit, painting theiraircraftinbrightcolours,andwereknownbytheAlliesas‘TheFlyingCircus’.Theywere tooccupyLechelle airfield,directlyacrossthefrontlinefromNo.2Squadron’sbaseatHesdigneul.Onthemorningof27March1918,BFlighttookofftobomb

and strafe German infantry in the area of Bray-sur-Somme.

TheyflewintoathickfogandMcLeodlosttouchwiththerestoftheformation.Fortwohourstheyflewblindbeforefindingabreak in the cloud. Spotting the airfield at Avesnes-le-Comtewhere 43 Squadronwas based, they put down. As theywerestill carrying a heavy load of bombs, the small skid thatsupportedthetailbrokeandtheyhadtowaitforanothertobedeliveredandputon.At13.00hours,theplanewasrepairedandrefuelled.Taking

offagain,theyheadedforthetargetarea.Buttheweatherhadgotnobetter.McLeodwasabouttoabortthesortieandheadforhomewhenhespottedaGermanobservationballooninthedistance.He began his attack, as usual, from a height. As he dived

towardstheballoonaFokkerTriplanecameintoview.McLeodswitchedhisattacktotheenemyfighter.HammondsprayeditwithbulletsandtheFokkerwentintoanuncontrollabletailspinandcrashedoutsidethevillageofAlbert.However, eight Fokker Triplanes from Baron von

Richthofen’s‘FlyingCircus’hadwitnessedtheengagementandcameinforrevenge.AsMcLeodputitinalettertohisparentslater:‘WewentquiteapieceoverthelineandwerejustgoingtodropmybombswhenallofasuddenawholeflockofBoschcame out of the clouds on us theremust have been 8 or 10anyway,Ifoolishlystayedtoscrap[with]them.’As the German planes attacked, the first was felled in

flames. The rest came in from all angles. Two more weredowned. But the numerical advantage and superiormanoeuvrabilityoftheFokkertriplanessoonprovedtoomuchforthelumberingArmstrongWhitworth.Leutnant Hans Kirschstein managed to get below McLeod

and raked the FK8 from nose to rubber, seriously woundingHammondtwice.AsecondFokkerattackedfromthebeam,hittingMcLeodin

thelegandwoundingHammondathirdtime.Nevertheless,hestill managed to level his machine gun and hit the secondFokkerinthefueltanks.Itexplodedinflames.Leutnant Kirschstein banked steeply, turning his Spandau

machine guns onMcLeod’s plane.He hit the FK8 in the fueltank. Flames burnt away the superstructure between thecockpitsandthecockpitfloor,meltingknee-lengthflyingbootsandburningthehemofMcLeod’sleathercoat.McLeod and Hammond were forced to quit their cockpits.

Had they worn parachutes in those days, they would havejumped. Hammond clung onto the gun mount, sitting on thecoamingwithhis feet on thebracingwires at the side of thefuselagetopreventhimselfbeingsweptawayintheslipstream.McLeodputtheplaneintoaside-sliptodirecttheflamesawayfromHammondandtopreventhimfrombeingburntalive.Hekeptonfiring,hittingtwootheraircraft.Whenthefirecametooclose,McLeodswungalegoutofthe

cockpit.Withonefootonthelowerleftwing,theotherontherudder pedal, and his hands on the smouldering controlcolumn,hesteeredtheplanetowardstheAlliedlines.TheFK8wasnowboundtocrash.AFokkertriplanefollowed

themdownandHammondmanaged todownhimwitha finalburstonhismachinegun.McLeod’s plane crashed in no-man’s-land during heavy

fighting.Thoughwounded,hemanagedtodragHammondfromthewreckagebeforethebombsexploded.AGermanmachine-gunnerrakedthemwithfireandtheytookrefugeinafoxhole.There,McLeodwaswoundedagain,thistimebyshrapnel.Eventually, they were rescued by South African troops. In

therelativesafetyoftheiroutpost,McLeodcollapsed.Forthenext five hours they were trapped there until the Germanbarrage lifted. Then they were moved to a dressing stationundercoverofdarkness.AfterbeingtreatedatÉtapesHospital,theywereevacuated

to the Prince ofWales’ Hospital in London. AsMcLeod’s lifehunginthebalance,Hammondhadhislegamputated.The official citation for the award of the Victoria Cross to

SecondLieutenantAlanArnettMcLeod,RoyalAirForce,wasgazettedon1May1918.Itread:

Whileflyingwithhisobserver,LieutenantA.W.Hammond,

M.C.,attackinghostileformationsbybombsandmachinegunfire,hewasassailedataheightof5,000feetbyeightenemy triplanes which dived on him from all directions,firing from their front guns. By skilful manoeuvring heenabled his observer to fire bursts at each machine inturn,shootingthreeofthemdownoutofcontrol.BythistimeLieut.McLeodhad received fivewounds, andwhilecontinuingtheengagementabulletpenetratedhispetroltankandsetthemachineonfire.He then climbed out on to the left bottom wing,

controllinghismachinefromthesideofthefuselageandbyside-shipping[sic]steeplykepttheflamestooneside,thus enabling the observer to continue firing until thegroundwasreached.The observer had been wounded six times when the

machinecrashedin‘NoMan’sLand’and2nd.Lt.McLeod,notwithstandinghisownwounds,draggedhimawayfromtheburningwreckageatgreatpersonalrisk[from]heavymachine-gunfirefromtheenemy’slines.Thisverygallantpilotwasagainwoundedbyabombwhileengagedinthisact of rescue, but he persevered until he had placed Lt.Hammond in comparative safety, before falling himselffromexhaustionandlossofblood.

LieutenantHammondgotabarforhisMC.HelateremigratedtoCanadaandservedintheRoyalCanadianAirForceinWorldWarII,asdidReginaldKey.With twenty-seven aerial victories to his credit, Leutnant

KirschsteinwasawardedthePourLeMéritemedal,knownasthe‘BlueMax’.HewaskilledinanairaccidentwhileflyingasapassengerinJuly1918.Theinexperiencedpilotstalledat150feet.McLeod’s fathersailedover fromCanadatoaccompanyhis

son, then on crutches, to receive his VC at an investiture atBuckingham Palace on 4 September. He was the youngestairmantoreceivethemedal.Fellow pilot Billy Bishop, the first Canadian airman to be

awardedtheVictoriaCross,hostedachampagnedinnerattheSavoyHotel afterwards.HehadwonhisVCat thegrand oldageof twenty-three.Gazettedon11August1917,hiscitationread:

For most conspicuous bravery, determination, and skill.Captain Bishop, who had been sent out to workindependently, flew first of all to an enemy aerodrome;finding no machines about, he flew on to anotheraerodrome about three miles southeast, which was atleast12milestheothersideoftheline.Sevenmachines,somewiththeirenginesrunning,wereontheground.Heattackedthesefromaboutfiftyfeet,andamechanic,whowasstartingoneof theengines,wasseen to fall.Oneofthemachinesgotofftheground,butataheightof60feet,CaptainBishopfired15roundsintoitatverycloserange,and it crashed to the ground. A secondmachine got offthe ground, into which he fired 30 rounds at 150 yardsrange, and it fell into a tree. Two more machines thenrose from the aerodrome.One of these he engaged at aheight of 1,000 feet, emptying the rest of his drum ofammunition. This machine crashed 300 yards from theaerodrome, afterwhichCaptain Bishop emptied awholedrumintothefourthhostilemachine,andthenflewbackto his station. Four hostile scoutswere about 1,250 feetabovehimforaboutamileofhisreturnjourney,buttheywouldnotattack.Hismachinewasverybadlyshotaboutbymachinegunfirefromtheground.

The co-host at thisSavoydinnerwasArthurRichardson,whohad won the VC in the Boer War. Born in Southport,Lancashire, in 1872, he had emigrated to Canada as a youthandwas the first solder to be awarded the VCwhile servingwiththeCanadianunitunderBritishcommand.Gazettedon14September1900,thecitationread:

On the 5th July, 1900, at Wolve Spruit, about 15 milesnorth of Standerton, a party of Lord Strathcona’s Corp,

only38innumber,cameintocontact,andwasengagedatclosequarters,withaforceof80oftheenemy.Whentheordertoretirehadbeengiven,SergeantRichardsonrodeback under a very heavy cross-fire and picked up atrooperwhosehorsehadbeenshotandwhowaswoundedin two places and rodewith him out of fire. At the timewhen this act of gallantry was performed, SergeantRichardsonwaswithin300yardsof theenemy,andwashimselfridingawoundedhorse.

McLeodandhisfather leftEnglandwhenhewaswellenoughto travel. When they arrived on Winnipeg on 30 September1918, thousands of Winnipeg citizens and hundreds fromStonewall were there to give the hero a fitting reception.Stonewalldeclaredacivicholidayinhishonour.Amodestman,McLeod said he did not wish people to be ‘thinking that I’msufferingfromaswelledheadinsteadofwounds’.Hewaspromotedtocaptainandsaidhewaslookingforward

toreturningtothefrontoncehehadrecuperated.However,inOctober, he contracted theSpanish flu.Alreadyweakenedbyhiswounds,hegotpneumoniainWinnipegGeneralHospitalon6November1918anddied.His funeralwasheld onSaturday, 9November. Thousands

linedthestreetashisbodywasborneonaguncarriagedrapedin the Union Jack. He was buried in Kildonan PresbyterianCemeterywith fullmilitaryhonours.Thepallbearerswere sixofficersoftheRoyalAirForce.Theguardofhonourconsistedofahundredofficersandmenof the1stDepotBattalionandfiftymenof theEngineeringandConstructionunit.The firingpartyweretroopersoftheFortGarryHorse,aswasthebuglerwhoplayed‘TheLastPost’.Although his death had been front-page news in the

Manitoba Free Press of 7 November, the coverage of hisfuneralwasrelegatedtopagetenas,thatday,thenewspaperswere reporting the Armistice in Europe and theFree Press’sfrontpageheadlinewas:‘HunsQuit;WarIsOver’.McLeod’smedalsandlettersweredonatedtotheCanadian

WarMuseum,buthisVChadbeenonloananddisplayedintheBishop Building, Headquarters of 1 Canadian Air Division inWinnipeg.HisnamecanbeseenonmanymilitarybasesacrossCanada,aswellasonstreets,buildings,conferencerooms,andevenanairannexmuseum.No.301RoyalCanadianAirCadetSquadron (‘Alan McLeod, VC’ Squadron) was officially re-formedinStonewallinMay2009.

B

RIFLEMANKARANBAHADURRANA,19

3RDQUEENALEXANDRA’SOWNGURKHARIFLES

ElKefir,Egypt,10April1918

orn on 21 December 1898 in the village of Litung in theBaghlungdistrictofNepal,KaranbahadurRana joined the

2ndBattalionofthe3rdQueenAlexandra’sOwnGurkhaRiflesat the age of sixteen. In 1914, soon after the Declaration ofWar, thebattalionwas sent toFranceaspartof theGarhwalBrigadeofthe7th(Meerut)Division,aninfantrydivisionoftheBritishIndianArmy.Their first large-scale action came at La Bassée on 12

October,duringtheinitialphaseofthewarknownas‘Racetothe Sea’, before the lines of trenches were established. ThebattalionwasinvolvedinthedefenceofFestubertinNovemberandofGivenchyinDecember.Soldiersfromthesub-continentthenspentthewinterinFrance.InMarch, the2ndBattalion then tookpart in theBattleof

Neuve Chapelle, followed by the battles of Festubert andAubers in May. In September, at the Battle of Loos, KulbirThapa of the 2ndBattalion became the firstGurkha towin aVC.Thecitationread:

Formost conspicuous bravery during operations againsttheGermantrenchessouthofMauquissart.When,himselfwounded,onthe25thSeptember,1915,hefoundabadlywounded soldier of the 2nd Leicestershire Regiment

behindthefirstlineGermantrench,and,thoughurgedbytheBritishsoldiertosavehimself,heremainedwithhimall-day-and-night. In the early morning of the 26thSeptember,inmistyweather,hebroughthimoutthroughthe German wire; and, leaving him in a place ofcomparativesafety,returnedandbroughtintwowoundedGurkhasoneaftertheother.Hethenwentbackinbroaddaylight for the British soldier and brought him in also,carrying himmost of theway and being atmost points,undertheenemy’sfire.

Thiswasall themoredaringas itwasreportedthatGermanswere scouring the battlefield shooting or bayoneting thewounded.Boththeofficersofthe39thGarhwalRiflesandthe2ndLeicestersrecommendedhimfortheaward.KulbirThapareceivedhisVCfromGeorgeVatBuckinghamPalace.Afterhehad recovered from his wounds, he rejoined his battalion inEgypt, where they were defending the Suez Canal, on 4January 1916. He was promoted to Naik, or corporal, thefollowingday.The unit then joined the campaign in Palestine, fighting in

theBattleofGazaonthenightof1–2November1917andtheBattle of Mughar Ridge – also known as the ‘Action of ElMughar’–on13November.TheyalsotookpartinthecaptureofJerusaleminDecember.The7thIndianDivisionwaswithXXIstCorpstothesouthof

Gaza. In April 1918, they were involved in an attack on anenemypositiononthetopofarockyslopeatElKefir.Whilethedefenderswere hidden by scrub, the attackerswere on openground,andvisibletothemachine-gunnersabove.KaranbahadurRanawaswithNo.2LewisgunsectionofB

Company,whohadalready lost theircommandingofficerandsufferedheavylosses,whileNo.1Lewisgunsectionhadbeenwiped out. It was clear that they had not knocked out theenemy machine gun. During the action, Karanbahadur Ranaalsorescued theircompanycommander,LieutenantFrederickBarter,whohadwonhisownVCwiththeRoyalWelshFusiliers

attheBattleofFestubertwhenhewastwenty-two.Thecitationread:

For most conspicuous bravery and marked ability atFestubert on 16th May, 1915. When in the first line ofGerman trenches, company sergeantMajorBarter calledfor volunteers toenablehim toextendour lineandwitheight men who responded he attacked the Germanpositionwithbombs,capturing3Germanofficersand102men along with 500 yards of their trenches. Hesubsequently found and cut eleven of the enemy’s mineleads,situatedabout20yardsapart.

During the attack at El Kefir, Lieutenant Barter had fallendownandwasfeigningdeath.Accordingtothebrigade’sWarDiary, at 12.45: ‘Lieut Barter turned up at the ridge; he hadbeen lying within 30 yds of a German gun for 5½ hourspretendingtobedead.ThemachinegunwasputoutofactionbyaLewisgunnerNo4146RfmKaranbahadurRanaenablingLieutBartertogetaway.AfterNo.1hadbeenshotdeadthismanNo.2pushedNo.1’sbodyoffandkilledorwoundedthewholemachineguncrewandescort.’For this action, nineteen-year-old Rifleman Karanbahadur

RanawontheVC.TheawardwaslistedinTheLondonGazetteon 21 June 1917 and inTheGazette of India on 6December1918.Thecitationread:

Formost conspicuous bravery, resource in action underadverseconditions,anduttercontemptfordanger.Duringan attack he, with a few other men succeeded underintense fire, in creeping forward with a Lewis gun, inordertoengageanenemymachinegunwhichhadcausedsevere casualties to officer and other ranks who hadattemptedtoput itoutofaction.No.1of theLewisgunopened fire, and was shot immediately. Without amoment’s hesitation Rifleman Karanbahadur pushed thedeadman off the gun, and in spite of bombs thrown athim,andheavy fire fromboth flanks,heopened fireand

knocked out the enemy machine gun crew; then,switchinghis fireonto theenemybombersandriflemeninfrontofhim,hesilencedtheir fire.Hekepthisgun inaction, and showed the greatest coolness in removingdefects which on two occasions prevented the gun fromfiring.Duringtheremainderofthedayhedidmagnificentwork and when a withdrawal was ordered, he assistedwithcoveringfireuntiltheenemywerecloseonhim.Hedisplayed throughout a veryhigh standardof valour anddevotiontoduty.

Lieutenant Barter was awarded the Military Cross for theaction at El Kefir. It was gazetted on 26 July 1918 and thecitationread:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty whenorderedtomakeaflankattack.Heledhistwoplatoonsupa precipitous hill, and turned the enemy’s flank. Then,placingoneplatoonwithtwoLewisgunstocommandtheenemy’slineofretreat,hegallantlyledanattackwiththeotherplatoonfromtherearandflank,killingorcapturingpracticallythewholegarrison.

KaranbahadurRanawaspromotedtoNaik.InAugust1919,hetravelled toLondon for the investitureatBuckinghamPalace.Around two thousandmen of the Indian Armymarched fromWaterlooStation to thePalace through streets throngedwithcheeringcrowds.Theyassembledonthewestlawn,wheretheywere inspected by the King, before Karanbahadur Ranareceivedhisdecoration.Addressingthetroops,GeorgeVsaid: ‘It iswithfeelingsof

pride and gratification that I welcome here in my home thisrepresentative contingent of British and Indian officers andmen of my Army in India, and I am especially glad that thismeetingshouldtakeplacewhenwearecelebratingpeaceaftervictory. I deeply regret that unavoidable circumstancesprevented your joining the troops of the Empire and of ourAllies in theVictoryProcessionon19July. I thanktheBritish

troops for their magnificent services in the field. I gratefullyrecognisethepromptandcheerfulresponseoftheTerritorialsto theircountry’scall, theirpatientenduranceofaprolongedseparation from their homes, and the sacrifices theymade ingiving up their occupations in civil life. When temporarytrouble arose in India they, in common with their comradesfromMesopotamia,whowereontheirwayhome,oftheirfreewill remained at their posts (though home-coming was athand). The exemplary conduct of all has filled me and theircountrymen with admiration. I heartily thank all my Indiansoldiers for their loyal devotion tome and tomyEmpire, fortheirsufferings,cheerfullyborne, in thevariouscampaigns inwhichtheyhaveservedinlandsandclimatessodifferentfromtheirown.Attimestheirheartsmusthavebeensadatthelongseparation from their homes; but they have fought and diedbravely. Theyhave rivalled thedeeds of their ancestors; theyhave established new and glorious traditions which they canhandontotheirchildrenforever.IamgladtoseeamongyourepresentativesoftheImperialServiceTroops,andIthankthePrincesofthenativeStatesofIndiaandtheirsubjectsfortheirnoble response to thecallmadebyme for thedefenceof theEmpireand for thecause inwhich theAllieshave foughtandconquered. I know you will all unite with me in gratitude toGod for the victory we have achieved. I trust you will enjoyyourvisittoIndia.Mayyoureturninsafety,andtakewithyoutoyourhomesandvillagesmypersonalmessageofthanksandgoodwill.’Colonel Edmund Costello, commanding, called for ‘Three

cheersforourKinganEmperor’.Thenhecalledforthreemore‘forourQueenEmpress’.ColonelCostellohadwonhisownVCat theageof twenty-threeduring theMalakandFrontierWarwiththe24thPunjabInfantry.Thecitationread:

On 26 July 1897 at Malakand on the Indian Frontier,LieutenantCostellowentout fromthehospitalenclosureand with the assistance of two sepoys, brought in awounded lancehavildar who was lying 60 yards (55 m)

away, in the open, on the football ground. This groundwasatthetimeoverrunwithswordsmenandsweptbyaheavy fire from both the enemy and our own men whowereholdingthesapperlines.

Karanbahadur Rana left the Indian Army in the 1930s andreturnedtohisvillageinNepal.In1971,ajournalistfromthemagazine Weekend found him, reporting that: ‘The formerrifleman,whohadlostaneyeinthewarisalwaysathomeinLitunginNepal…heisawizenedmanof80withoneeyeandhedoesn’tgofarthesedaysfromthedarkofhistinymudhut.ButashesitsamongthechickensandpigsthatsharehishomeKaranbahadurcanrecallthetimewhenhishomewasthetoastof the pink-gin sipping colonels who were around when therifleman’sconspicuousbraveryanduttercontemptfordangerwonhimtheVictoriaCross.’Twoyears later,hedied.HisVCandothermedalsarenow

heldattheGurkhaMuseuminWinchester.

J

PRIVATEJACKTHOMASCOUNTER,19

KING’SREGIMENT(LIVERPOOL)BoisleuxStMarc,France,16April1918

ack Thomas Counter was born on 3 November 1898 atBlandfordForum.Oneofthreechildren,hewaseducatedat

BlandfordNationalSchool,thenwenttoworkatInternationalStoresinthetown.Attheageofseventeen,hejoinedtheArmyin February 1917 and was posted to the 1st Battalion, TheKing’sLiverpoolRegimentandservedwiththeminFrance.InMarch1918theGermanslaunchedtheirSpringOffensive

onafifty-milefrontoppositetheBritishThirdandFifthArmies.This was Germany’s last-gasp attempt to defeat the WesternAlliesbeforetheoverwhelmingmightoftheUnitedStateswasfully deployed against them. For the moment they had theadvantage because nearly fifty divisions had been freed fromthe Russian front after the Bolshevik revolution led to theBrest-Litovskpeacetreatybeingsignedon3March.The main attack was an attempt to break through Allied

lines,outflanktheBritishanddefeatthem,forcingtheFrenchto surrender. Over the following days and weeks the Allieswere forced to retirebefore theGermanonslaught,givingupground. Though the British fought fiercely they were on theback foot. The Germans only paused briefly to re-form andbring fresh troops forward to replace casualties beforelaunchingfurtherattacks.TheKing’sLiverpoolRegimentwerepartofthe6thBrigade,

2ndDivisionandthebrigadehadbeendeployedontheleftof

theBritishsectortothesouthofArras.ThetrenchesoppositethevillagesofBoyellesandBoisleux-StMarcwereoccupiedbythe1stBattalion.Asunkenroadranbetweenthetwovillages,whichprovidedgoodcover for theenemyas theyapproachedtoattackthebattalion.On the morning of 16 April, the British front line was

subjectedtoaheavyartillerybarrage,beforeitliftedontothesupportandreservepositions.Theshellingofthefrontlinehadcausedheavy casualties and theGermanswere able to breakthrough the line in numerous places. In the chaos of battle,battalionheadquartersfoundthemselvescutofffromthefrontline.Togetreliablereportsofthesituation,headquartershadtosendmendownthesunkenroadandacrossaforwardslopeofsome250yardsinfullviewoftheenemy.BattalionHQhadsent a party of runners to get to the front line, but all hadbecome casualties. Aware of the risk and the likelihood ofdeath, Private Jack Counter volunteered to try to get to thefrontlineandbringbackinformation.CaptainLloyd,withMilitaryIntelligence,takesupthetale:

Early on the morning of the 16th of April 1918, nearBoisleuxSt.Marc,theGermansattackedthe1stBattalionoftheKing’sLiverpoolRegiment.Machinegunsandriflepelteddeath intotheranks,as

they crossed no-man’s land, but nothing could stay thattideofmenwhichflowedslowlyoverthebrokenground,andpouredatlastintotheBritishtrenches.Hereand thereapostheldout, likesomesullenrock,

surrounded by a sea of enemies. So it was with No. 8platoonofBCompany.WithGermansinfrontofthemandon each side of them they battled on, fighting grimly,hopingthathelpwouldcometothem.Theycouldsendnonewsoftheirdesperateplightbackalongthesunkenroadthat climbed the ridge behind them, for every inch of itwassweptbyGermanmachineguns.At9.30,No.7,thereserveplatoonofBCompany,had

marched up to the support trenches that ran along the

crest of the hill 250 yards behind. Two hours later thecompany-commandersentwordtotheofficerinchargeofNo. 7. platoon, bidding him at all costs to get in touchwithNo.8.Platoon,andtofindoutwhethertheystillheldtheirgroundastridethesunkenroad.So from the support trencheswent out 6men and an

NCO, and began that perilous journey along the sunkenroad. No sooner had they shown themselves above thecrestthantheywereatargetforeverymachinegunintheGerman lines. The NCO was killed, one man waswounded,andtheotherscouldgonofurtherforthestormofleadthatbeatdownbetweenthosesteepbanks.Thenonemanwentoutaloneandgambledwithdeath

upon the sunken road. And he died. A second followedhim,andhe,too,fell,asthefirstmanhadfallen,whenhecametothecrestoftheridge.But,as isthehabitoftheBritish soldier, a third man volunteered to sacrificehimself, then a fourth, and a fifth; but theGermans sawthem,andtheyalldiedthereinturnonthesunkenroad,beneaththeeyesoftheircomrades.Five men had gone out, and five men had died, but

therewasstillanothermanwhowasnotafraidtogotheway that his comrades had gone. This was Private JackThomasCounter,asoldierwhowasnotyet19yearsold.Itwas then two o’clock. TheGermans caught sight of

himashecameovertheridge.PrivateCountersawalltheroad in front of him lashed with bullets, but neverflinched. Keeping close to one of the high banks, he layflat onhis face, anddraggedhimself, footby foot, downthe road. Twice, where the road was stopped byentanglementsofbarbedwire,hehadtocrossittocrawlthrough a gap on the further side. Hewas very near todeathmany times, buthe came tohis goal unharmedatthelast.Itwasawonderfulthingthathereachedthefrontline

atall.Itwasamiraclethathecameback.Buthedidso,andbythesameway,anhourlater,andhebroughtback

withhimnewsthatwasworthmuchtohisside.Actionon the information thathebrought, his colonel

that evening launched a counter-attack, and drove theGermansbacktotheirtrenchesoncemore.

By 18.30 that evening, all the British positions had beenretaken and the line restored. This was all due to PrivateCounter’sdaringandhewasawardedtheVC.Itwasgazettedon23May1918andthecitationread:

For most conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Itwas necessary for information to be obtained from thefront line inwhich the enemyhad effected a lodgement.The onlywaywas from the support line along a sunkenroadandthencedownaforwardslopeforabout250yardswithnocoverinfullviewoftheenemyandsweptbytheirmachine-gun and rifle fire. After a small party had triedunsuccessfully (the leader having been killed, anotherwoundedbefore leaving the sunken road) itwas thoughtthat a single man had more chance of getting through.Thiswas attempted five times, but on each occasion therunnerwaskilled in full viewof theposition fromwhichhehadstarted.PrivateCounterwhowasnearhisofficeratthetimeandhadseenthefiverunnerskilledoneaftertheotherthenvolunteeredtocarrythemessage.Hewentoutunder terrific fire and succeeded ingetting through.Hethenreturnedcarryingwithhimvitalinformationwithregardtotheestimatednumberofenemyinourline,theexactpositionofour flankandtheremainingstrengthofour troops. This information enabled his commandingofficer to organise and launch the final counter-attack,which succeeded in regaining thewhole of our position.Subsequently thismancarriedbackmessagesacross theopen under a heavy artillery barrage to companyheadquarters.PrivateCounter’sextraordinarycourageinfacingalmostcertaindeath,becauseheknewthatitwasvitalthatthemessageshouldbecarried,producedamost

excellent impression on his young and untriedcompanions.

Private Counter received the medal from George V at aninvestitureatBuckinghamPalaceon28 June1918.Returningto Blandford with his father later in the day, they werewelcomedattherailwaystationbyaguardofhonourmountedby local volunteers, the town band, borough officials andenthusiasticcitizens.Afterashortspeechofwelcomethelocalhero and his father were driven in an open landau toBlandford’sMarketSquare,whereaplatformhadbeenerectedin front of the municipal buildings for an official receptionbeforeacheeringcrowd.TheMayorexpressed the town’spride inPrivateCounter’s

exploits in France and read out the official citation. He wasthen made Private Counter, the first Honorary Freeman ofBlandford Forum, and presented with £100 in War SavingCertificates and a gold watch and chain, inscribed by theInternationalStores.TheMayor also read out a letter from the chairmanof the

International Stores, which said: ‘We hear with very greatpleasure of the honour that has been conferred upon JackCounter, andwe are pleased to join in the public testimonialthat is being presented to him to commemorate his gallantdeed.Aspriortothewarhewasintheserviceofthiscompanywedesiretopresenthimwiththeaccompanyinggoldwatchasrecognitionofhisbraveryandshallbeverygladifyouwillbeso good as to present it to himwith our best wishes for thefuture.’Jackreplied: ‘MrMayorandfellowcitizens, it iswithgreat

pleasure I receive the honorary freedom of my native town,also the War Saving Certificates and the watch and chain. ImaysaythatinwhatIwasabletoaccomplishIwasonlydoingmyduty as a soldier of theKing. I thank you one and all foryourkindnesstomethisevening.’After a lengthy applause and the playing of the National

Anthem, theprocessionwasreformedandJackandhis father

wereescortedtotheirhomeinDorsetStreet.ReturningtohisregimentJackCounterVCwaspromotedto

corporal.Hewasallegedtohavesaidthatheonlyacceptedittogetoutof ‘spudbashing’.After theArmistice,hisregimentwenttoJersey,wherehewasdemobilisedin1922.Decidingtostayonthe island,hetooka jobasapostmanat theStOuenPost Office, working there for three years. In 1925, he wasseconded to the Post Office at Sudbury Common,Middlesex,butreturnedtoJerseyfouryearslater.He joined the Jersey branch of the British Legion in 1930,

regularly taking the role of standard bearer. Throughout theGerman occupation of theChannel Islands duringWorldWarII, he continued to work as a postman in St Helier and waslaterawardedtheImperialServiceMedal.Whilebeingaquiet,unassumingman,heattendednumerous

VCfunctions,includingaGardenPartyforVCrecipientsgivenby George V at Buckingham Palace in 1920; a VC ReunionDinnerattheHouseofLordsin1929;theWorldWarIIVictoryDay Celebrations at the Dorchester Hotel in 1946; the VCCentenaryheldinHydeParkin1956andaGardenPartygivenbyQueenElizabethIIatBuckinghamPalacein1962.On 17 September 1970, Jack Counter went back to

Blandford Forum to visit his sister-in-law. There he suddenlycollapsed and died. He was seventy-one. His ashes werereturned to Jerseyand interredwithhiswifeanddaughter inStAndrew’sChurchyard,FirstTower,StHelier.The following year, his likeness appeared on a 7½d stamp

issued by Jersey Post Office to commemorate the fiftiethanniversaryofthefoundingoftheBritishLegion.HisnameisinscribedonmemorialplaquesinsideandoutsideStAndrew’sChurchandablockofflatsatStSaviour’sfortheelderlywasnamed‘JackCounterClose’.ABluePlaquewaserectedonthehouse in Dorset Street, Blandford, where he had lived and aroadinthetownisalsonamedafterhim.His VC and other medals are on display at the Jersey

MuseumatStHelier.

W

ABLESEAMANALBERTMCKENZIE,19

HMSVINDICTIVEZeebrugge,Belgium,22–23April1918

hile the war along the Western Front remained astalemate, the two sides tried to starve each other out.

GermanywaseffectivelycutofffrominternationaltradebytheRoyal Navy’s hold on the North Sea. However, the GermanNavy retaliated with submarines. U-boats were sent out intotheAtlantictosinkshipsbringingfoodandmaterieltoBritain.In1917,theAdmiraltydrewupplanstoblocktheentrances

toZeebruggeandOstendinBelgium,whichtheGermanswereusingassubmarinebases.EarlyattemptstoclosetheportshadfailedandOperationHush,anattempttomakeanamphibiousassault behind the lines on the River Yser, just three milessouthofOstend,wasthwartedbytheGermans.At Zeebrugge the objective was the mouth of the Bruges

CanalastheU-boatpensweresomewayinland.Theaimwasto sink a number of blockships there and at the same timedamage theport installationsasmuchaspossible.But itwaswelldefendedwithadozenheavyguns–some5.9-inch–anti-aircraftguns,machinegunsandagarrisonofathousand.TheGermanshadremovedthebuoysthatmarkedsunkenhazardsand thewholeharbourwasprotectedbya1½-milemole, thelongestintheworldatthetime.Anyattempttosailblockshipsround it and through Zeebrugge harbour into the canalentrance would draw the fire of five guns. The plan was tocreateadiversionbyattackingthemole.

ThiswouldbedonebyaraidingpartyfromHMSVindictive,a twenty-year-old, three-funnelled, coal-burning light cruiser.ShewouldbeaccompaniedbytwoMerseyferries,theDaffodiland Iris II. The ferry boats were used as they have a veryshallow draught and, it was hoped, they could ride over andclearanymines.The Vindictive was fitted with flamethrowers, mortars,

pompoms and Lewis guns, along with armour plating andfenders to protect the hullwhen she ran alongside themole.ShewastobecommandedbyCommanderAlfredCarpenter,astaff officer who had the one advantage of havingworked indetailontheplanforthehugestructurewithitsarchitectVice-Admiral Roger Keyes. Carpenter then had to be promoted toacting captain as the commander of the assault was CaptainHenryHalahan,DSO.Theassaultwouldbemadeby730menfromthe4thRoyal

Marine Battalion.With themwould be eight officers and twohundredsailorsrecruitedfromtheGrandFleetinScapaFlow.Divided into three seaman storming companies, each fifty-strong, they would be commanded by thirty-two-year-oldLieutenant-CommanderArthurHarrison,arugbyinternationaland gunnery officer from HMS Lion. The other fifty sailorswould join twenty-twomarines inademolitionparty towreckthedockfacilitiesandenemyinstallations.Intheend,therewouldbeeighty-sixofficersand1,698men

onboard142vessels–seventy-threeboundforZeebruggeandsixty-sevenforOstend.Theysetout fromDoveron11and14April, but had to turn back on both occasions due to badweather.Finally,theymadeitacrosstheChannelon22April,arrivingofftheBelgiancoastataround11.00hours.Thewindwasblowingtowardsthelandandtherewasalightrain.Still a mile from the harbour, the armada prepared to

deploy. The coast was regularly shelled by monitors, heavilyarmoured ships used for coastal bombardment, so the enemywerenotalertedthenwhenthebarragestartedthatnight.Atthe same time, the fleet began making smoke to hide theirmovements. At 23.30, Coastal Motor Boats raced forward to

torpedoanyenemyshipping.OnlythendidtheGermansrealisetheywere under attack, and put up a star shell to illuminatethescene.At the samemoment, the wind changed direction, robbing

theVindictiveofitscloakofsmoke.‘At once the guns on themole opened fire. From our dark

baywecouldseetheirquickflashesonourportbow,andtherewas a faint popping in the sea all round the ship,’ wroteLieutenant EdwardHilton-Young, who had been commandingthereargunoftheVindictive. ‘Moreaccustomedtothecrashwhichashellmakeswhenitburstsashore,Ididnotrealizeatthe time that thiswas the noise of shells that hadmissed usandwereburstinginthesea.Duringthenextfewminuteswehadbyfarthegreaterpartofourheavycasualties.Therewereswift, shaking detonations close by, and one blinding flash ofbluelightrightinoureyes.ItwasatthismomentthatCaptainHalahan andColonel Elliotwere killed on the landing-deck afewfeetaway;butatthetimemyattentionwassowhollyfixedinlisteningimpatientlyforthefirstshotfromthetop,inorderthat the six-inch guns might begin too, that I hardly noticedwhatwasgoing on. Itwas afterwards that I remembered theeruptions of sparks where the shells struck, the crash ofsplintering steel, the cries, and that smell which must hauntthememoryofanyonewhohasbeeninasea-fight–thesmellofbloodandburning.’Casualtieswereparticularlyheavyamongthelandingparty.‘Nosoonerhadthesecondburst,theenemyscoredadirect

hitonourafterfunnel,practicallyblowingit topieces,’wroteLeading Seaman Childs. ‘It seemed like hell let loose. Theshrapnel and pieces of funnel caused havoc among themen,andtheairwasfullofthecriesofthewoundedanddying.TheHunswere hitting us every round they fired.At this timemysandbag dugout was demolished by two shells that hit us,takingawaybothsides,butnot touchingthe front.Thesetwoshellswoundedsevenofus(myselfonlyslightly),theonlyoneof our crew not being wounded being AB Lodwig of ACompany’sLewisgun.’

Nineteen-year-old Able Seaman Albert McKenzie waswoundedtoo.Despite the terrible damage, theVindictive ploughed on at

fullspeed.Withthemoleonlyfeetfromtheship’sside,CaptainCarpenter turned hard to starboard, putting her parallel andthrowingherenginestofullspeedastern.At00.01on23April,theshipbumpedthemole,takingtheblowontwofendersandonthebulgeontheportsideoftheforecastle.Thebumpwasslight and the fenders remained intact. Carpenter then gavetheordertoletgothestarboardanchor.While theVindictive had reached themole just oneminute

behindschedule,shewasaquarterofamilefromherintendedlanding point. The starboard anchor jammed, so the portanchorwaslowered,butthismadeitdifficulttoholdtheshipagainstthemole.Two gangways were swung out precariously from the

Vindictive and the landing party began to disembark as bestthey could as the vessels lurched to and fro. Adding to theirmisery,theywerenowbeingrakedwithmachine-gunfire.‘We’dhadthingscalled“brows”constructed–asortoflight

drawbridge with a hinge in the middle,’ wrote CaptainCarpenter. ‘Thesewere loweredaway,but thecurrentwassostrong against the mole, and the Vindictive bounced up anddownsonimbly,thatthemenhadthedevilofajobtodroptheendsofthesebrowsonthewall.Allthistime,naturallyenough,theHunswereblazingatuswitheverythingthey’dgot.’AfewminuteslatertheDaffodilarrived.Shehadalsobeen

badly shot up. The Iris then arrived at the mole around ahundred yards away at around 00.15 and dropped herstarboardanchor.‘Wewentasternon it tobringusclose in,’wrotenineteen-

year-old Petty Officer G. Warrington, commander of aflamethrowerpartyonboard.‘Therewasaneight-knotcurrentrunningalongthewall,andthegreathookfixedtothederrickwasnotstrongenoughtoholdusinposition.’Lieutenant-CommanderGeorgeBradford, a navy boxer, led

the party ashore. Bradford had three brothers in the Army.

BetweenthemtheyhadwononeVC,twoMCsandaDSO.Twoofthethreewerenowdead.George was not to be outdone. He leapt onto the mole.

Already injured, he lay there for a few minutes. Then heshouteduptothoseondecktothrowagrapplingirontomakethemfast.Accountsdiffer,butatsomepointhewashitandfellintothesea.HisVCwasawardedposthumously.Thecitationread:

FormostconspicuousgallantryatZeebruggeonthenightof the 22nd–23rd April, 1918. This Officer was incommandoftheNavalStormingPartiesembarkedinIrisII. When Iris II proceeded alongside the Mole greatdifficultywasexperiencedinplacingtheparapetanchorsowingtothemotionoftheship.Anattemptwasmadetolandby the scaling laddersbefore the shipwas secured.Lieutenant Claude E. K. Hawkings (late Erin) [havingrecentlyservedonHMSErin]managedtogetoneladderin position and actually reached the parapet, the ladderbeingcrushedtopiecesjustashesteppedoffit.Thisverygallantyoungofficerwaslastseendefendinghimselfwithhis revolver. He was killed on the parapet. Thoughsecuring the ship was not part of his duties, Lieut.-Commander Bradford climbed up the derrick, whichcarried a large parapet anchor andwas rigged out overthe port side; during this climb the shipwas surging upanddownandthederrickcrashingon theMole.Waitinghisopportunityhe jumpedwiththeparapetanchorontothe Mole and placed it in position. Immediately afterhooking on the parapet anchor Lieut.-CommanderBradfordwasriddledwithbulletsfrommachinegunsandfellintotheseabetweentheMoleandtheship.Attemptsto recover his body failed. Lieut.-Commander Bradford’saction was one of absolute self-sacrifice; without amoments [sic] hesitation he went to certain death,recognizing that in such action lay the only possiblechance of securing Iris II and enabling her storming

partiestoland.

Lieutenant-Commander Bradford died on his thirty-firstbirthday. Lieutenant Hawkins, who was with him, was alsokilled.To keep the Vindictive hard against the mole so the men

could get off, Carpenter ordered theDaffodil to push againsther.Thismeant that themenonboard theDaffodil couldnotget ashoredirectly, though someof them scrambled over theVindictive.‘Suddenlythethinghappenedforwhichwehadbeen,semi-

consciously, waiting,’ said Captain Carpenter. ‘There was atremendous roar, and up went a huge tower of flame anddebrisandbodies into theblack sky!My fellowscheered likemad,fortheyknewwhatitmeant.’Oneof theancientsubmarines thathadbeensentwith the

armadahadblownupthethree-hundred-footsteelviaductthatconnectedthemoletothecausewayalongtheshore.Hundredsof German soldiers had been standing on it, watching theVindictive,IrisandDaffodilbeingpummelled.‘Theypaidfortheircuriosity,’saidCaptainCarpenter.The submarine,C3,was commandedby twenty-six-year-old

LieutenantRichardSandford.Hehadcalled thecrewupontothebridge,thenrammedthesubmarineintothesuperstructureof the viaduct. The Germans above thought there was noescapeforthecrewandtheyweretoall intentsandpurposesalready prisoners. But as the crew climbed into the skiff,Sandfordwentbelowtolightthreetimedfuses.Themenontheskiffwaitedwith batedbreath.According to LeadingSeamanCleaver:

Theshoutingonthemoleaboveincreased.Therewastheclatter of rifles. At last we saw the figure of ourcommander.Hewashurryingalong thedeck towardsusbendinglow.‘Come on, sir,’ we yelled in chorus. There was a

fusillade of rifle bullets from the mole that whizzed

menacingly past our heads. ‘Everything OK,’ saidLieutenantSandfordasbreathlesslyhejumpedaboardtheskiff. He told us afterwards that his delay was due todifficulty in lighting the fuses.He had also seen that allthelightswereout.It was now thatwewere facedwith a fresh problem.

Roxburgh announced that the propeller of the skiff waspermanently out of action. It was an awful situation. Inlessthanthreeminutesthefirstofthefusestobelitifitfunctioned would reach the charge in the bows anddestroytheviaductandeverylivingthinginthevicinity.‘The oars!’ shouted someone. Bendall and Harner

grabbed them from thebottomof the skiff andbegan topullmadlyawayfromthemole.Lessthantwominutestogonowprobably.And still the rifles cracked andbulletswhistled all around. ‘They couldn’t hit a pussy cat,’ saidLieutenant Sandford derisively. And at that moment hesank back, wounded in the leg. What frantic strokesBendall and Harner were making. One hundred yards!Onehundredandfiftyyards!Bendall rolled overwith a groan.Hewaswounded in

thethigh.Itookhisplacewiththeoars.Bythistimetheboat had been hit several times and was leaking badly.Roxburgh and Lieutenant Howell-Price were having abusytimewiththehandpumps.Haditnotbeenforthemtheboatwouldundoubtedlyhavesunk.Andthenitwasasthough Heaven came to meet Earth in one momentaryupheaval… C3 and the viaduct were no more. Greatchunks of masonry fell in the water all around us. Theboatrockedandswayedasthoughpossessed.Flamesshotup to a tremendous height. In their glare was visible agreatbreakinthemole.

Sandfordwashitinthehandandleg.Otherswereinjured,butnoneofthecrewwerekilled.Theywerepickedupbyapicketboatoffshoreandsurvived.LieutenantSandfordwasawardedtheVC.Thecitationread:

On 22/23 April 1918 at Zeebrugge, Belgium, LieutenantSandfordcommandingHMSubmarineC.3,skilfullyplacedthe vessel between the piles of the viaduct whichconnectedtheMolewiththeshore,beforelayinghisfuseand abandoning her. He disdained to use the gyrosteeringwhichwould have enabled him and his crew toabandon [sic] the submarine at a safe distance, butpreferred to make sure that his mission would besuccessful.

ElevendaysaftertheArmistice,Sandford’slastcommand,thesubmarine HMSG11, was wrecked on the rocks off Howick,Northumberland.ThefollowingdayhediedoftyphoidfeveratEstonHospitalinNorthYorkshire.The survivors from the explosion on the viaduct were

stunned.‘Many of the seamen andMarines had landed on themole

andweremakingfineplaywiththeastonishedGermans,’saidCarpenter.‘SomewentrighttotheheadoftheMoleandfoundthegunsdeserted.Onegun,Imusttellyou,hadnotevenbeenuncovered,whichisclearproofthatthegarrisonwastakenbysurprise. Others were chasing the enemy all down the Moletowardstheviaduct,whichtheywerenevertocross,andsomewentintotheshedanddealtwithsuchpeopleastheyfound.’TheVindictive was still under fire. Its only defence was a

steelnestofgunsabovethebridge.Thiswastheonlyweaponsplatform that was above the level of the mole. In it wereLieutenantRigbyand twenty-seven-year-oldSergeantNormanFinch.TheywerearmedwithaLewisgunanda two-pounderpom-pom,andengagedtwodestroyersontheothersideofthemoleandsweptthebreakwater.‘Themeninthefighting-topwerealsodoingfellwork,’said

Captain Carpenter. ‘All along the mole, you see, and closeunderthefifteen-footparapet,therearedugoutsorfunk-holes.AtfirsttheHunspoppedintothese,butby-and-byitoccurredtothemthattheywouldcertainlybefoundandspittedif theystayed there, so the bright idea occurred to them of nipping

across the mole and dropping down the side into their owndestroyerslyingthere.Anexcellentschemebutforourfellowsinthefighting-top,whopickedthemoffwiththeirLewisgunsastheyran.‘Thosechapsinthefighting-tophadtopayforit,though,in

theend.Theywereattractingalotofattention,andtheHunswere constantly trying to drop a shell among them. Theysucceededatlast,I’msorrytosay,andlaidouteverymanjackbutone–SergeantFinch.Hewaswoundedbadly,butdraggedhimself out from under the bodies of his pals and went onworkinghislittlegununtilhecouldn’tworkitanylonger.’LieutenantHilton-Youngwasinthestarboardbattery.‘Iheardthegunstherestillburstingoutatregularintervals

into their mad barking,’ he recalled. ‘But soon there came acrashandashowerofsparks,andsilencefollowedit.Theyareallgone,Isaidtomyself;butinaminuteortwoasingleguninthe top broke out again, and barked and barked. Then therewas another crash, and the silence of the top becameunbroken. Words cannot tell with what a glow of pride andexultationoneheardthatlastgunspeak.Itseemedimpossiblethatthereshouldbeanyoneleftaliveinthetopafterthefirstshell struck it, andwhen thegunspokeagain it seemedas iftheverydeadcouldnotbedrivenfromtheirduty.Welearnedafterwards that the first shell killed Rigby and all his crewexcept thesergeant.Thesergeantwasseverelywounded,buthemanaged to get a gun back into action before the secondshell struck,wounding him again, and putting his gun out ofaction.’Woundedinthehandandleg,SergeantFinchfoundhimself

underaheapofbodies.‘Weallwentdowninabunch,’saidFinch,‘andIhadajobto

getoutfromunderneath.’Sergeant Finch tried to get one of hiswounded pals down

onto thedeck, butwas toodazed tobe ofmuchuse.Hewaseventually rescued by Commander Edward Osbourne andLeadingSeamanChilds.HisVCwasgazettedon23July1918.Thecitationread:

For most conspicuous gallantry. Sergeant Finch wassecond in command of the pompoms and Lewis guns inthe foretopofVindictive,underLieutenantCharlesN.B.Rigby,R.M.A.Atoneperiod theVindictivewasbeinghiteveryfewseconds,chieflyintheupperworks,fromwhichsplinterscausedmanycasualties.Itwasdifficulttolocatethe guns which were doing the most damage, butLieutenantRigby,SergeantFinchandtheMarinesintheforetop, kept up a continuous fire with pompoms andLewisguns,changingrapidlyfromonetargettoanother,and thus keeping the enemy’s fire down to someconsiderableextent.Unfortunatelytwoheavyshellsmadedirecthitsontheforetop,whichwascompletelyexposedtoenemyconcentrationof fire.All in the topwerekilledor disabled except Sergeant Finch, who was, however,severely wounded; nevertheless he showed consummatebravery, remaining inhis battered andexposedposition.HeoncemoregotaLewisgunintoaction,andkeptupacontinuous fire, harassing the enemy on the mole, untilthe foretop receivedanotherdirecthit, the remainderofthe armament being then completely put out of action.Before the top was destroyed Sergeant Finch had doneinvaluable work, and by his bravery undoubtedly savedmanylives.ThisverygallantsergeantoftheRoyalMarineArtillery was selected by the 4th Battalion of RoyalMarines,whoweremostlyRoyalMarineLightInfantry,toreceive the Victoria Cross under Rule 13 of the RoyalWarrantdated29thJanuary,1856.

Finch left the RoyalMarines as aQuartermaster Sergeant in1929. InWorldWar II, he rejoined as a StoreKeeperOfficerwith the rank of lieutenant and served until 1945, laterbecoming a Divisional Sergeant Major the Yeoman of theGuard. His Victoria Cross is on display at the RoyalMarinesMuseum,EastneyBarracks,Southsea,Hampshire.TeenageheroAbleSeamanMcKenzieandLeadingSeaman

W. Childs had been recruited together from HMS Neptune.

They had trained together and found themselves in the samefour-man Lewis-gun team.McKenzie was No. 1, while ChildswasNo. 3 ammunition carrier. The other twomenwereAbleSeamanFrankWhiteandOrdinarySeamanE.RyanfromHMSSt Vincent.With a team of wire cutters, rifle grenadiers andbombthrowers,theyformedNo.1SectionofBCompanyunderthecommandofLieutenantChamberlain.Once ashore, they were to support A Company in their

assault on the 4.1-inch gun battery that threatened theblockships’approach.ButLieutenantChamberlainwasalreadydead and his second-in-command badly wounded. Childs andMcKenziewere already injured andChilds had been knockedsilly when a bullet struck his helmet. Nevertheless, whensomeoneyelled‘Overthetop’,theyranforit.McKenziewas a strapping ladbut, carryinghisLewisgun,

ammunition,sparepartsandagasmask,hewasweigheddownwithahundredpoundsofgear.Themenrantowardstheendofthemole,droppingdownafterfiftyyardstofireuponsomeheavyguns.Ahead, Lieutenant-Commander Adams was leading A

Companytowardsenemypositionsatthemolehead.Theyweremet withmachine-gun fire and several men were hit. AdamswentbacktogethisLewis-gunteam,butfoundthemalldeadexcept for Able SeamanWilliam Lodwick, and the Lewis gunwasoutofammunition.Childs and McKenzie were quickly seconded. As Adams

headed down the mole again, McKenzie supported him withheavybustsof fire– to littleeffect.ACompanyweredowntosixmen,whileBCompanyconsistedonlyofChilds,McKenziewhohadbeenwoundedagain,andthreeothers.TheLewisgunhadbeensmashedandtheywerepinneddownbymachine-gunandpom-pomfire.Lieutenant-Commander Harrison arrived. He had been

woundedinthefaceandhisjawwasshattered.AdamswenttotryandfindsomeRoyalMarines.ThenheheardtheVindictivesiren, recalling the landingparty.Heheadedback to look forstragglers,findingonlyone–LeadingSeamanGeorgeBush,an

Australian.Bush told him thatHarrisonhad led another rushtowards theendof themoleandhadbeenkilledbymachine-gun fire. Bush thought hewas the sole survivor of the party,butAbleSeamanHaroldEves,thoughbadlywounded,hadalsosurvived.BothBushandEveswereawardedtheDistinguishedServiceMedal.Lieutenant-Commander Harrison was posthumously

awardedtheVC.Thecitationread:

FormostconspicuousgallantryatZeebruggeonthenightof the 22nd–23rd April, 1918. This officer was inimmediate command of the Naval Storming Partiesembarked in ‘Vindictive’. Immediately before comingalongside the Mole Lieut.-Commander Harrison wasstruckon theheadbya fragmentofashellwhichbrokehis jaw and knocked him senseless. RecoveringconsciousnessheproceededontotheMoleandtookovercommand of his party, who were attacking the seawardend of theMole. The silencing of the guns on theMoleheadwasofthefirstimportance,andthoughinapositionfully exposed to the enemy’s machine-gun fire Lieut.-CommanderHarrisongatheredhismen togetherand ledthemtotheattack.Hewaskilledattheheadofhismen,all of whom were either killed or wounded. Lieut.-Commander Harrison, though already severely woundedand undoubtedly in great pain, displayed indomitableresolutionandcourageofthehighestorderinpressinghisattack,knowingashedid thatanydelay insilencing thegunsmight jeopardize themainobjectof theexpedition,i.e.,theblockingoftheZeebrugge-BrugesCanal.

McKenzie and Childs hadmade it back to theVindictive andMcKenziewrotetohisbrotherabouttheaction.‘Well,wegotwithinaboutfifteenminutes’runofthemole,

whensomemarinesgotexcitedandfiredtheirrifles,’hesaid.‘Upwentfourbigstarshells,andtheyspottedus…Theyhituswith the first two shells and killed sevenmarines. Theywere

stillhittinguswhenwegotalongside…ItuckedtheoldLewisgunundermyarmandnippedoverthegangwayaft…Iturnedto my left and advanced about 50 yards and then lay down.Therewasaspiralstaircasewhichleddownintothemole,andCommander Brock fired his revolver down and dropped aMills’. You ought to have seen them nip out and try to getacrosstothedestroyertiedupagainstthemole,butthislittlechickenmetthemhalfwaywiththeboxoftricks,andItickedabout a dozen off before I clicked. My Lewis gun was shotspinningoutofmyhands,andallIhadleftwasthestockandpistolgripwhichIkindlytookabloke’sphotowithwholookedtoo business-like for me with a rifle and a bayonet. It halfstunnedhim,andgavemetimetogetoutmypistolandfinishhim off. I then found a rifle and bayonet, and joined up ourcrowdwhohadjustcomeoffthedestroyer.AllIrememberwaspushing, kicking and kneeing every German who got in theway.WhenIwasfinishedIcouldn’tclimbtheladder,soamateofmineliftedmeupandcarriedmeuptheladder,andthenIcrawledonmyhandsandkneesinboard.’Childs said thatMcKenzie’s Lewis gunwas ‘doing glorious

work’when itwashit. They threw the remainingammunitiondrums in the sea. Childs grabbed and McKenzie drew hisrevolver.‘This was better than nothing,’ said Childs, ‘so we opened

fire on some Germans who were escaping from sheltersunderneathus,andweretryingtoreachthedestroyersontheoppositesideofthemole.HadtheseGermansremainedwheretheyweretheywouldinallprobabilitybealivenow,butpanicreignedamong them,and theywereshotdownorbayoneted.Wenowadvancedfurther,andcameacrossaconcretesentrybox. In herewere someGermanswhomade a rush for it. Inmaking a point with my bayonet at one of them, my bladefinisheduplikeacorkscrew.’Another of themenmaking hisway back to theVindictive

wasthirty-year-oldCaptainEdwardBamford.HehadjoinedtheNavy in 1905 at the age of seventeen and had served as agunnery officer before transferring to the 4thRoyalMarines.

He had been on the Chester at Jutland with Jack Cornwell,winning a DSO. His younger brother Arthur enlisted as aprivateintheGrenadierGuardsandwaskillednearLooson11October1915.Edward was commanding B Company of the 4th Royal

Marines.Hisfirstwordstothemwhenhetookcommandwere:‘Well, fellows, if you will be right with me, I’ll be right withyou.’BCompanyweretofollowCCompanyashoreandsecurethe

ammunitiondumps,sheltersandshedsalongthemoleuntilACompanymovedthroughthemtosecuretherestofit.AsitwasACompanyfailedtogetashorefromIrisIIandtheVindictivewasaquarterofamilewestofwheresheshouldhavebeen.Intherapidreorganisation,BCompanyfoundthemselvesleadingtheattack.Bamford went ashore with No. 5 platoon, commanded by

LieutenantT.F.V.Cooke.‘With Lieutenant Cooke’s platoon Imoved along the upper

promenade of the mole, to quiet some snipers who weredisturbingthelandingoftheremainder,’saidCaptainBamford.‘We came abreast the spot where the Iris was trying to getalongside,andhailedher.Sherepliedwithloudcheers,but itwasclearshewouldnevergetcloseenoughtothemoletolandhermen,andwhenIlastsawhershehadshovedoffandwasbeing badly shelled with tracer shell. Lieutenant Cooke wasshot in the head atmy side, just before 12.15 am, when thesubmarineblewuptheshoreendofthemole…’Otheraccountssaythishappenedsomefiveminuteslater.‘…The blockships could now be seen stealing across the

harbour towards the canal entrance,’ continued CaptainBamford, ‘and did not appear to be receivingmuch attentionfrom the Huns. I climbed down the scaling ladders abreastVindictive, having withdrawn the men from the right, andcrossing themole collectedmen of the 7th and 8th Platoons,and with a few of the 5th started an assault against thebatteriesattheseawardendofthemole.Thiswasinterruptedbythegeneralrecall(Ksonthesiren),andwereturnedtothe

ship, crossing themole in smallparties, soasnot toclog theladders,whichwereunderheavyfirefromtheshorebatteries.’Their losses were heavy. Nevertheless, the battalion’s

adjutant, Captain Arthur Chater, recalled that Bamford’s‘totallyunperturbedmannerhadthemostreassuringeffectonallwhocameincontactwithhimthatnight’.The German losses were heavy too. Marine James Feeney

withthe7thPlatoonsaid:‘Therewasagroupofbodiesatthefoot of the ladders – all Germans – who tried to knock theladders,andamongthemthreemeninwhiteducks.The lightwaswonderful. Idon’tbelievetherewaseversuchafireworkdisplay.TheGermanstarshells,thatlightuptheseaandlandformiles,wereterribleintheireffectivegrandeur.Iranacrossto thedump-houseopposite the ship, and took coverby lyingontheground.Thegroundfloorofthedump-housewasraisedabout 2½ ft over the roadway, and had a pathway like as ifcartswereloadedthere,likeatarailwaygoodsstore.Wehadagrand chance of chucking bombs in the doors of this dump-house,aswehadsplendidcover.’ChatercaughtupwithBamfordthere.‘Together we discussed the situation,’ said Chater. ‘Our

battalion plan had been based on the assumption thatVindictivewouldbeputalongsidesome400yardsfromtheendofthemole.Allthosemenwhobelongedtounits,whichwereto have attacked the fortified zone, therefore, now foundthemselvesatNo.3shed.Noattackonthe fortifiedzonehadyetbeenmade.Asthiswasourprincipleobjective,wedecidedtoorganiseanattackalongthemole.Thisentailedattackingaprepared position across some 200 yards of flat pavementdevoidofanyformofcover.’It was clear to Bamford that it was his duty to lead the

chargethoughheknewtherewaslittlechanceofsurvival.‘CaptainBamfordcameup,andsaid,quitecool, “Fall in,B

Company”,’MarineFeeneysaid. ‘I fell inwithMcDowell,andSergeant Brady took charge of us. There were only sixteenthere, and Captain Bamford was leading us along, when helooked back to see how many he had, and apparently he

thoughtwewereinsufficient,ashetoldthesergeanttoretiretotheship.’Actually, though theywere few innumber, itwas thesiren

fromtheshipthatledhimtoreturn.ThiswasnoeasytaskasBamford’s men were caught out in the open. They ran thegauntletthroughafire-sweptzone,scrambleduptheladderstothe parapet, fell over the railings, leapt onto the heavinggangwaysandlandedbackonboard,Feeneysaid,‘nervousandfunky from looking at the dead and listening to the dying’.Miraculously,Bamfordmadeitbacktoo.Itwasclearthattheyhadachievednoneoftheirobjectivesandhadlostalotofmen,seeminglyfornothing.CaptainBamfordwontheVCfortheactiononthemole.The

citation appeared in The London Gazette on 23 July 1918. Itread:

ForconspicuousgallantryatZeebrugge.April1918.ThisofficerlandedontheMolefrom‘Vindictive’withNos.5,7&8platoonsoftheMarineStormingForceinthefaceofgreatdifficulties.WhenontheMoleunderheavyfire,hedisplayed the greatest initiative in the command of hiscompany,andbyhistotaldisregardofdanger,showedamagnificent example to his men. He first established astrongpointontherightofthedisembarkation,andwhenthatwassafe, ledanassaultonabatterytotheleftwiththe utmost coolness and valour. Captain Bamford wasselected by the officers of the R.M.A. & R.M.L.I.detachments toreceive theVictoriaCrossunderRule13oftheRoyalWarrant,dated26January1856.

BamfordsurvivedtherestofthewaranddiedofpneumoniaonboardHMSCumberlandon30September1928onhiswaytoHong Kong, where he was Instructor of Small Arms andMusketry Officer. He was buried in Bubbling Well RoadCemetery in Shanghai, which was destroyed during theCulturalRevolutionof1966–76.WhatBamforddidnotknowwhenhemanagedtogetbackto

the Vindictive was that, although the landing party had notwreakedthehavoctheyhadintended,theyhadcreatedenoughof a diversion for the three blockships to reach themouth ofthecanal.The ancient cruisers – theThetis, Intrepid and Iphigenia –

filledwithconcreteweresupposedto lodgethemselves inthecanal,thenblowtheirbottomsout.TheThetiswastotaketheleadandramthelockgates.Butasthegunsonthemolehadnotbeentakenout, theslow-movingvessel,weigheddownbyits load of concrete, invited concentrated fire. Hit along thewaterline,shesnaggedon thesteelnetting thatdefended theentrancetothecanal.ShieldedbytheThetis,theIntrepidsailedintothecanaland

manoeuvred into position. Following her was the Iphigenia,which had been hit twice. Steering blind through the smokethat nowenveloped the canal, she rammed into a barge.Hertwenty-two-year-old captain, Lieutenant Edward Billyard-Leake,said:‘AssoonasIwasclearofthebargeIwentaheadon both engines and sighted the Intrepid aground on thewesternbankwiththegapbetweenherbowsand the eastern bank. I endeavoured to close this gap but

collidedwiththeportbowofIntrepidwhileturning.’The force of the collision threatened to shove the Intrepid

out of position, so her captain blew her scuttling chargesimmediately. Under heavy machine-gun fire, LieutenantBillyard-Leake then manoeuvred the Iphigenia into position,gavetheorder‘Abandonship’andscuttledher.Themenfromthe three ships were now in boats in the water, raked bymachinegunsandshrapnel.Following close behind the three blockships was Motor

LaunchML282, commandedbyLieutenant PercyDean of theRoyal Navy Volunteer Reserve. He was forty and had beenrejectedbytheArmyasunfit.In themidst of themaelstrom, he pulled up alongside the

Iphigenia’s overloaded cutter, which was dangerously low inthewater.‘The majority of the crew managed to get into the motor

launch, which then went astern,’ said Lieutenant Billyard-Leake.‘TheremainderpulledroundthesternandtheMLcameupandpickedthemup.Iwasthelasttoleavethecutterandtothebestofmyknowledgeonlythreehandswereleftinher,oneofwhomwaskilled.’The Intrepid’s skiff also pulled alongside and the survivors

scrambledonboard.Bythen,therewereoverahundredmencrammedonher foredeck.Only the intervention of an officerwhogotthemtospreadoutstoppedML282capsizing.Withthemotor launch threatened with sinking, Lieutenant Deanstopped anymoremen getting on board from the Iphigenia’scutterandtiedittothestern.Oilywater lapped over the bows of themotor launch as it

made its way slowly back across the harbour under intensefire. One after the other, three steersmen standing besideLieutenantDeanwerehit,twofatally.Suddenly, theenemygunnersweredistractedbyadistress

flare;ithadbeenfiredbythecaptainandsixofficersonboarda life raft. The flare attracted fire on them and they jumpedoverboard.LieutenantDeanturnedbackinwhatseemedlikeafutileattempttorescuethem.Despitetheintensefirefromallthe guns around the harbour, hemanaged to pick up the sixofficers. The captain, Lieutenant Stuart Bonham-Carter, wasmissed,buthemanagedtograbaropeandwastowedthroughthewater forsomewayuntiloneof thecrewnoticedhim.Bythenhewasexhaustedandletgooftherope.Luckwaswithhim,though.Astarshellburstoverheard.In

the bright light, Lieutenant Dean spotted his head above thewater. Returning to get him, the steering gear jammed andDeanhadtosteertheboatusingtheengines.As theyhad to rununder thegunsat the endof themole,

Dean went in so close that the guns could not be depressedenoughtofireonthelaunch.HerecalledlookinguptoseethefrustratedGermangunners immediately abovehim,while thecrewfiredrevolversatthem.Once clear of the harbour theML282 still had to make it

home.Therewasafireintheaftandthefumeshadsuffocated

someofthementheyhadrescued.Itwassuggestedtheyputinat Flushing and accept interment in neutralHolland. But thefirewasextinguishedandtheypressedon.They came upon HMS Warwick, Keyes’s flagship for the

operation,andtransferredthesurvivors.ML282made itbacktoDover.Deanwastheonlymanonboardwhohadnotbeenkilledorwounded.HewasawardedtheVC.Thecitationread:

Formostconspicuousgallantry.LieutenantDeanhandledhis boat in amostmagnificent and heroicmannerwhenembarking the officers and men from the blockships atZeebrugge. He followed the blockships in and closed‘Intrepid’and‘Iphigenia’underaconstantanddeadlyfirefrom machine and heavy guns at point blank range,embarkingover100officersandmen.Thiscompleted,hewasproceedingout of the canal,whenheheard that anofficerwas in thewater.He returned, rescued him, andthenproceeded,handlinghisboatthroughoutascalmlyasifengagedinapracticemanoeuvre.Threemenwereshotdownathissidewhileheconnedhisship.Onclearingtheentrance to the canal the steering gear broke down.Hemanoeuvred his boat by the engines, and avoidedcomplete destruction by steering so close in under themole that the guns in the batteries could not depresssufficientlytofireontheboat.Thewholeofthisoperationwas carried out under a constant machine-gun fire at afewyardsrange.Itwassolelyduetothisofficer’scourageand daring that ML282 succeeded in saving so manyvaluablelives.

Dean was later promoted to Lieutenant-Commander and waselectedMPforBlackburnintheGeneralElectionof1918.WhenLieutenantDean docked inDover, he found that the

Vindictivehadreachedhometoo,eventhoughshehadfive-footholestorninhersides.OnboardwasCaptainCarpenter,whohadescapeddeath twice as theVindictive pulled clear of themole.Ashell landedamongboxesofStokesbombs,causinga

fire that his chief quartermaster stamped out. Another shellburstnearhim, causingadeep fleshwound inhis shoulder –thoughhedescribeditas‘veryslight’.Othergashesinhiscap,uniform and binoculars case showed that he had been veryluckytosurvive.He was awarded the VC. Gazetted on 23 July 1918, the

citationread:

For most conspicuous gallantry. This officer was incommandof‘Vindictive’.Hesetamagnificentexampletoallthoseunderhiscommandbyhiscalmcomposurewhennavigatingminedwaters,bringinghis shipalongside themole in darkness. When ‘Vindictive’ was within a fewyards of the mole the enemy started and maintained aheavy fire from batteries,machine guns and rifles on tothebridge.Heshowedmostconspicuousbravery,anddidmuch to encourage similar behaviour on the part of thecrew, supervising the landing from the ‘Vindictive’ on tothe mole, and walking round the decks directingoperations and encouraging the men in the mostdangerous and exposed positions. By his encouragementto thoseunderhim,hispowerofcommandandpersonalbearing, he undoubtedly contributed greatly to thesuccessoftheoperation.Capt.Carpenterwasselectedbytheofficersofthe‘Vindictive’,‘IrisII’,and‘Daffodil’,andofthenavalassaultingforcetoreceivetheVictoriaCrossunder Rule 13 of the Royal Warrant, dated the 29thJanuary,1856.

Carpenter retired from the Navy as a vice-admiral in 1934.DuringWorldWarIIhecommandedtheWyeValleysectionoftheGloucestershireHomeGuard.AftertheZeebruggeRaid,CarpenterwasaskedbyKeyesto

make recommendations for conspicuous gallantry, but herefusedtodoso.Thematterwassettledbyballot.Oneofficerand one rating would be selected. Though he refused toparticipate,Carpenterwonbyasinglevote.

The sailors from theVindictive, Iris andDaffodil also heldtheirballotandchosethecriticallywoundedAlbertMcKenzietorepresentthem.HisVCwasgazettedon22July1918andthecitationread:

The King has been graciously pleased to approve theaward of the Victoria Cross to Able Seamen AlbertEdwardMcKenzieO.N.J331736(Ch)RoyalNavyformostconspicuousgallantry.ThisratingbelongedtoBCompanyof the seamen storming party. On the night of theoperationhelandedontheMolewithhismachineguninthefaceofgreatdifficultiesanddidverygoodwork,usinghisgun to theutmostadvantage.Headvanceddown theMolewithLtCommanderHarrison,whowithmostofhispartywaskilled,andaccounted forseveralof theenemyrunning from shelter to a destroyer alongside theMole.This very gallant seaman was severely wounded whileworking his gun in an exposed position. Able SeamanMcKenziewas selected by the seaman of the Vindictive,Iris and Daffodil and of the naval assaulting force toreceive the Victoria Cross under rule 13 of the RoyalWarrantdated29thJanuary1855.

AftertheVindictivehaddockedinDover,McKenziewastakenbytrainstraighttotheRoyalNavalHospitalinChatham,Kent.He was treated for his wounds and began to make a goodrecovery.By the summer,hewasupandaboutoncrutchesandwas

well enough to travel to London – apparently the hero ofZeebrugge was to have his portrait painted by order of theNavyBoard.AlbertEdwardMcKenziehadbeenbornon23October1898

at 10 Alice Street, Bermondsey, south-east London, theyoungest of a large family. He was still an infant when hisfather,aphotographer,diedandhiswidowedmothermovedtoShorncliffe Road, off the Old Kent Road in Bermondsey.Educated at London County Council schools in Webb Street,

Bermondsey, and Mina Road, Southwark, he attended StMark’sSundaySchoolinCamberwell.Thisparishwouldsupply4,286menforthecountry’sarmedforces,thelargestnumberof any London parish. More than five hundred of ‘St Mark’sLittleArmy’wouldlosetheirlivesbeforetheendofthewar.Enlisting in theRoyalNavy at the age of fifteen, he joined

thetrainingshipArethusaatGreenhithein1913.Justfive-foottwo,hewasanathleteandwonnumeroustrophiesforfootballandboxing.HelefttheArethusaasaBoySecondClassinJune1914andmadeBoyFirstClassbyChristmas.PromotedtoAbleSeamanon23April1916,heservedonminesweepers,patrolboats and convoy escorts until he was sent to the battleshipHMSNeptunewiththeGrandFleetatScapaFlow.In 1918, Lieutenant Arthur Chamberlain was looking for

volunteersfora‘secretstunt’.ThefirsthepickedwasLeadingSeamanChilds.Bythenthelightweightboxingchampionofthe4th Battle Cruiser Squadron,MacKenzie, who had just spentseven days in the brig for some unknown offence, alsovolunteered.Theyweretoldthattheywouldbeluckytoreturnalive.HewasoneofeightladsfromtheArethusatosailontheVindictive.TheothersevenwonDSMs.On31July1918,AlbertwenttoBuckinghamPalacewithhis

sister andmother, who had already lost one son in the war.Along with all the other Zeebrugge heroes, McKenzie waspresented with his VC by George V. After his investiture hewentbacktohismother’shouseinShorncliffeRoadtoahero’swelcome. The house was a blaze of colour with flags andbunting.On the doorstep, hewaswelcomed by theMayor ofSouthwark,who saidMcKenziewas the firstLondon sailor towintheVC–andthefirsttobeawardeditbythevotesofhiscomrades. The Mayor then held up Albert’s bloodstaineduniform and smashed wristwatch for the crowd. His motherwasgivenWarBondsandanilluminatedaddress.Late in1918AlbertMcKenziewasstill recovering fromhis

woundsatChathamNavalHospital.Despitedevelopingsepticpoisoning in his wounded foot, his recovery was progressingwell. But he was still vulnerable to infection and when the

world influenza pandemic hit on October 1918 he had littleresistance.Hedevelopedpneumoniaanddiedon3November,tendaysafterhistwentiethbirthdayandoneweekbeforetheArmistice.Hisbodywas taken fromChathamback toLondonforamagnificentfuneral.T.J. Macnamara MP, Financial Secretary to the Admiralty,

andCaptainCarpenterVCoftheVindictivewerepresentandamessagefromtheKingandQueenwasreadtothemourners.Itsaid: ‘In the special circumstances of Able Seamen AlbertEdwardMcKenzie’slamentabledeathandthefactofhisbeinga VC and the first London sailor to receive that mosthonourablereward,youareauthorizedtoexpressatthepublicfuneral at St Mark’s Camberwell the sympathy of theirMajestieswiththewidowedmotherandfamily.Theirmajestiesweregrievedtohearofhisuntimelydeathandtothinkthathehadbeensparedsoshortatimetoweartheprouddecorationwhichhesonoblywon.’Captain Carpenter told Albert’s mother: ‘The splendid

examplewhich your boy set at Zeebruggewill be accorded ahigh place of honour in the navel records of the BritishEmpire.’DrMacnamaraadded:‘MrsMcKenziehaslostasonbutthe

nationhasfoundahero.’AlbertMcKenzie was buried in Camberwell Old Cemetery.

Theplotwasdonatedbythelocalcouncil‘…inconsiderationofthe gallant services rendered to his King and country bySeamenMcKenzie VC son of Eliza – By Resolution of PublicServicesCommitteeNovember1918’.Ayear later, theMayorof Southwark added a headstone, which bore the legend:‘Albert McKenzie died nobly; we perpetuate his name; Godblesshim!’McKenzie’sVCisondisplayintheImperialWarMuseum.ThoughAbleSeamanMcKenzie’ssacrificewasindeednoble,

theraidhadnotbeenasuccess.Theblockshipshadnotbeenpositioned correctly. The Germans simply removed two piersalongthewesternbankof thecanal,dredgeda freshchannelthroughthesiltaroundthesternsoftheIphigenaandIntrepid,

and within a week submarines were entering and leavingagain.Intheraid,theRoyalNavyhadlost227dead,356wounded

and one destroyer sunk; Germany losses were eight dead,sixteen wounded. However, in the press, the Zeebrugge raidtrumpetedasahugesuccessanditraisedthemoraleofawar-wearynation.On the same night as the raid on Zeebrugge, more young

menweresenttoOstendtoblockthecanaltheretoo.Thefleetarrived off the port shortly before midnight. But when theywent in, a strong wind blew the smokescreen back at theadvancingcruisers,blinding their commanders. In the faceofwitheringfire,HMSBrilliantranagroundandHMSSiriusraninto the back of her. The survivors abandoned shipwhile thescuttlechargeswereset, leavingtheblockshipstuckfastone-and-a-halfmileseastofwheretheyshouldhavebeen.CommandingML276, Lieutenant Rowley Bourke, a thirty-

two-yearoldCanadianwhohadbeenrejectedbytheCanadianArmybecauseofhispooreyesight,went inthreetimesunderheavyfirefrommachinegunsandtheshorebatterytotakeoffthe last of the men, including the captain of the Brilliant,CommanderAlfredGodsal,andhisfirstlieutenant,twenty-four-year-oldVictorCrutchley.Withanotherthirty-eightofficersandmenonboardandtowingacrippledlaunch,LieutenantBourkegothismotor launchback toAllied-heldDunkirkafter twelvehoursonthebridgewithoutabreakandwasawardedtheDSO.Theattackhadbeenadisaster.Nevertheless,theNavywere

determined to try again the following month. Despite thedamageshehadsustainedatZeebrugge,theVindictivewouldbe patched up and given one last outing, this time as ablockship with two hundred tons of concrete and rubble onboard. Godsal was given command, again with Crutchley asfirst lieutenant. Lieutenant Bourke volunteered to commandthe rescue launch again, butML276 was still being repairedandML254 under Lieutenant Geoffrey Drummond, who hadbeeninchargeofoneofthesmokeunitsonthefirstraid,wasselected instead. However, when the operation was delayed,

ML274wasbackinactionandcamealongasastandbyboat.Thearmadasetout innear-perfectweatheron theevening

of9May.However,justbeforemidnight,thesecondblockship,Sappho, blew a boiler and limped back to Dunkirk. NearingOstend,DrummondservedthemenofML254atotofwhisky.‘Wedidn’thaverumforsomeoccultreason,’hesaid.‘ThenI

orderedgasmasksandstartedputtingmyownon,whichstuckandblindedmeforafewmoments.DuringthattimetherewasacrashandwehadbeenrammedbyanotherML.Isentahandforwardtoseeifthefo’c’s’lehadbeendamaged.He,wishingtocarryon,gavemeareportthatallwaswell.Idon’tthinkfromafter events that this can have beenquite true.However,wedid; but by that time all trace of the fleet was lost. I saw adouble flashing light and made for it. However, I very soonfoundbymywatchthatitwastoofareastandIturnedstraightinshoreandwasluckyenoughtospottheeasternsmokeunit.KnowingthebearingtheywereworkingonIwasabletosetacourse for my proper station on the position of the StroomBankbuoy.JustasIgottheretheVindictiveloomedup,goingallout.Iwrenchedmyhelmoverandrangforfullspeed,butitwasallwecoulddotokeepherinsight.’At01.35on10May,thesmokescreenstarted.Eightminutes

later, the bombardment began and torpedoes fired from themotor launchesdemolished theendsof thepiersmarking theentrancetothecanal.ThenthesignalwasgivenfortenheavybombersofthenewlyformedRoyalAirForcetostartdroppingincendiaries.Suddenly theweatherclosed in.Theskywasovercastand,

justasGodsalwasbeginninghisrun in,a thicksea fogcameup.He sailed past the entrance to the harbour twicewithoutseeingit.Onathirdpass,hespottedit,butashorebatteryalsospotted theVindictive and began heavy, accurate fire. Shellsrepeatedlycrashedintothesuperstructure.Entering the harbour, Commander Godsal stepped out on

decktochecktheirposition.Ashellburstnearhimandhewasneverseenagain.Momentarilydazedby theblast,LieutenantCrutchleytookcommand.

‘I ordered the port telegraph to full speed astern to try toswing the ship across the channel,’ he said. ‘She groundedforward on the eastern pierwhen at an angle of about threepointstothepier.AstheshipstoppedswingingandatthetimeIconsideredthatnomorecouldbedone,Iorderedtheshiptobeabandoned.’The Vindictive was now stuck on a sandbank, only partly

blocking the entrance to the channel. The propellers, alreadydamagedatZeebrugge,wereunable topullheroff.EngineerLieutenant-CommanderWilliamBury,Vindictive’s engineer atZeebrugge,wasbelowinthestokeholds.‘There was a fearful din on the upper deck,’ he said. ‘The

machine-gun bullets were making a noise like pneumaticcaulkers. Several of our people never got further than theescape doors, and all made for the cutters, which were justtouchingthewater.Seeingthattheshipwasnotslewing,andalso there was a danger of the falling funnels and thingscutting theelectric leads, Imademywayaft, to thedynamo-exploders, and fired the after mines. Several portions of theportengineshotupintotheair,andthepooroldshipsatdownonthemudwithaloudcrash,atanangleofabout30degreestothepier,whereherbowstouched,andonafairlyevenkeel.ThenIgotdowntheseagangwayandintoacutter,whichwasall splinteredby a pom-pomor something, and tomy intensesurprise and relief, saw there was amotor launch alongside,andscrambledoverherbowssomehow.’Seeing theVindictive through themurk,Drummondmoved

inwithML254andimmediatelybecameatargetfortheshorebatteries.‘All the shells that didn’t hit exploded on the bottom,’ he

said. ‘On one occasion I was blown off my feet by a shellbursting alongside. The fireworks were amazing and verypretty; the star shells were red, green, blue and yellow. Andthentherewerethe“flamingonions”aswecalledthem[smallcalibreprojectilescalibratedtogether ingroupsof twenty-fiveon the same trajectory]. I got one string alongmy bridge. Ittookoffthebackofmyrighthandrail,brokeeverythingthere,

signallamps,switches,etc.,butbythemercyofProvidencethecompass and its light and the telegraph handles and chainswereuntouched.Shortlyafterthat,afour-inchburstjustbythemast. Number One [Lieutenant Gordon Ross, Bourke’sreplacementandanotherCanadian]atthatmomenthadlefthistorpedo-mat fort to get some trays of Lewis gun ammunition,whichwehadstackedbythemast,and itkilledhimoutright,also the relief coxswain standing alongside me, chipped thecoxswain’s hand and I got 2½ inches of copper driving bandintothebackofmyleftthigh.’AsML254passedthepierhead,Drummondwashitagain.A

pieceofshrapnellodgedinhischest.Weakfromlossofblood,he had to rip open the canvas roof of the bridge and put hisheadouttosee,operatingthecontrolswithhisfeet.Crutchley blew the forward scuttling charges, then, as

bulletssparkedaroundhim,hewent to look forGodsal.Oncehewas sure thatnoonewas left alive,he jumpeddownontoDrummond’sML254,whichwas so overloadedwith survivorsherbowswerealmostawash.AsML254turnedtogo,someonecalledoutthattherewasa

man in the water. Drummond stopped abruptly. At thatmoment,ML276 came round the stern of the Vindictive andcrashedintohim.Withthecrewchokingontheartificialfog,ML276hadbeen

followingtheVindictivein,onlytoloseherinthesmokescreen.Then they glimpsed her ‘surrounded by columns of water’madebytheshellsfallingallaroundher.‘Wedashacrosstoher,loseher,findheragain,againtolose

her in a maze of turnings in the patchy smoke,’ said Sub-Lieutenant James Petrie. ‘Crash! A grinding forward and aterrific impact throwsus to thedeck.Wehave “rammed” theeasternarmof thepierbut fiftyyards fromthebeach.Asweback out a shell explodes on our forecastle and our splendidcoxswaingoeswest.’Petrietookthewheel,beforemanningtheLewisguntotake

outthelightsofthelighthousestheshorebatterieswereusingtogetrangeontheattackers.

AfterdumpingontoML254,Bourkeshoutedacross,askingifanyonewas left behind from theVindictive.Crutchley repliedthateveryonewassafe.Bourkedidnothearhimandploughedonanyway.‘Ithoughtsomeonemighthavebeenoverlookedsowentinto

theharbourandturned,shoutingtoseeifIcouldgetareply,’Bourkesaid. ‘Wethoughtweheardsomeonebutcouldnotbesureandthen,asweheardnothing,startedoutoftheharbour,and again we thought we heard someone, so put back. Wecouldnot,however, locatewheretheshoutingcamefromandthought it might be the wily Hun trying to detain us till wewerequitedonein,sostartedoutagain.’Bourke returned three times through heavy fire. His boat

wasshottopieces,oncetakingadirecthitbyasix-inchshell.Nevertheless, on the fourth attempt, they found where theshouting had been coming from. The Vindictive’s woundednavigator, Lieutenant John Alleyne, and two seamen wereclingingtoanupturnedboatunderoneoftheshorebatteries.ML276 braved the pummelling of the pom-pomandmachine-gun fire, hauled the survivors onboard, thenmadeoff at fullspeed,chasedbytracer.Despite being hit again by a shell that knocked out the

compressed air tank and exploded in the engine room, theymade it out of the harbour. Inspecting the damage, Bourkesaid:‘Myportacidtankhadagainbeenpiercedandasmyhosehad been shot away I could not sluice the acid overboard sothat about twelve hours after leavingOstend it had eaten itswaythroughthedeckintotheaftercabinand,oncontactwithwaterinbilges,startedtosmoke.LieutenantAlleynewasonabedintheaftercabin,badlywounded,soIwentbelowtogethim up before he was gassed. At this minute a monitor wasreported,soIdecidedtogoalongsideandputmywoundedandgassedmen aboard her. Iwent alongside her blister and hermenwadedover,carryingthesurgeon,whosuperintendedtheremovalofthewoundedslunginstretchers.Wethenhadtobetowedonaccountofhavingnoairtostartenginesagain.’OutatseaML254wassoheavilyladenwaveswerebreaking

overherbowsandshewasmakingslowprogress.‘The forecastle was full up to the top rung of the ladder,’

said Drummond. ‘The wardroom was burning merrily aft, apom-pomhaving landedinoneof thebunks,andalthoughweonly had about 150 gallons of petrol instead of 2,000, it wasright aft, only separated by a bit of galvanised iron from thefire.’Crutchleyorganisedparties tobailout the fo’c’s’leandput

outafirethatthreatenedtoignitetherestofthefuel.HealsotookaminutetoputatourniquetonDrummond’sinjuredleg.‘I must have bled the best part of a gallon and a half,’

Drummondsaid.Therewasapuddle,heclaimed,onthedeck,sixfootacross.Using his electric torch, Drummond flashed out an SOS in

Morse code. Eventually, it was answered by the Warwick.Comingalongside,theyfoundDrummondstillatthewheelandCrutchleywaist-deepinwater,stillbailing.OncethesurvivorswereaboardtheWarwick,shehitamine

and they had to be transferred to the Velox, which tied upalongside.Arriving at Dunkirk, Bourke inspected his boat again. He

foundmore than fifty-five holes in her. Sixteenwere throughthewheelhouse,butsomehowhewasunscathed.Despitebeingtold thathemightbe in line foradecoration,Bourkeheadedoffforfiveweeks’leaveinCanada.On28August1918,Drummond,BourkeandCrutchley’sVCs

weregazetted.Drummond’scitationread:

Lieut. Geoffrey H. Drummond, R.N.V.R. Volunteered forrescueworkincommandofML254.Following‘Vindictive’to Ostend, when off the piers a shell burst on board,killingLieutenantGordonRossandDeckhandJ.Thomas,wounding the coxswain, and also severely woundingLieutenant Drummond in three places. Notwithstandinghis wounds he remained on the bridge, navigated hisvessel,whichwasalreadyseriouslydamagedbyshellfire,into Ostend harbour, placed her alongside ‘Vindictive’,

and took off two officers and thirty-eight men –some ofwhom were killed and many wounded while embarking.Wheninformedthattherewasnoonealive leftonboardhebackedhisvesseloutclearofthepiersbeforesinkingexhausted from his wounds.WhenHMSWarwick fell inwithML254offOstendhalfanhourlater,thelatterwasinasinkingcondition.Itwasduetotheindomitablecourageofthisverygallantofficerthatthemajorityofthecrewofthe‘Vindictive’wererescued.

Despite suffering severe wounds, Drummond returned to theNavyinWorldWarIIbutdiedon21April1941fromafall.HisVCisondisplayattheImperialWarMuseum.Bourke’scitationread:

Lieut. Roland Bourke, D.S.O., R.N.V.R. (Canada).Volunteered for rescuework incommandofML276,andfollowed Vindictive into Ostend, engaging the enemy’smachinegunsonbothpierswithLewisguns.AfterML254had backed out Lieutenant Bourke laid his vesselalongside Vindictive to make further search. Finding noonehewithdrew,buthearingcriesinthewaterheagainentered the harbour, and after a prolonged searcheventually found Lieutenant Sir John Alleyne and tworatings, all badly wounded, in the water, clinging to anupendedskiff,andrescuedthem.Duringallthistimethemotorlaunchwasunderaveryheavyfireatcloserange,beinghitinfifty-fiveplaces,oncebya6in.shell–twoofher small crew being killed and others wounded. Thevesselwasseriouslydamagedandspeedgreatlyreduced.Lieutenant Bourke, however, managed to bring her outand carry on until he fell inwith aMonitor, which tookhim in tow. This episode displayed daring and skill of avery high order, and Lieutenant Bourke’s bravery andperseverance undoubtedly saved the lives of LieutenantAlleyneandtwooftheVindictive’screw.

WorldWarIIfoundBourkeinthereserve.Initally,heservedas

a recruiting officer, but in 1941 he returned to sea with theRoyal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve. He served asCommanderofHMCSGivenchy,HMCSEsquimalt,andHMCSBurrard. In 1950 he ended his naval career in the rank ofcommanderservingwiththeRoyalCanadianNavy.Crutchley’scitationread:

Lieut.VictorA.C.Crutchley,D.S.C.,R.N.ThisofficerwasinBrilliantintheunsuccessfulattempttoblockOstendonthenightof22nd/23rdApril,andatoncevolunteeredforafurther effort. He acted as 1st Lieut, of Vindictive, andworked with untiring energy fitting out that ship forfurther service. On the night of 9th/10th May, after hiscommanding officer had been killed and the second incommand severely wounded, Lieut. Crutchley tookcommandofVindictiveanddidhisutmostbymanoeuvringtheenginestoplacethatshipinaneffectiveposition.Hedisplayed great bravery both in the Vindictive and inML254, which rescued the crew after the charges hadbeenblownandtheformervesselsunkbetweenthepiersof Ostend harbour, and did not himself leave theVindictive until he hadmade a thorough searchwith anelectrictorchforsurvivorsunderaveryheavyfire.Lieut.CrutchleytookcommandofML254whenthecommandingofficer sank exhausted from his wounds, the second incommand having been killed. The vessel was full ofwounded and very seriously damaged by shell fire, theforepart being flooded.With indomitable energy andbydintofbalingwithbucketsandshiftingweightaft,Lieut.Crutchley and the unwounded kept her afloat, but theleaks couldnot be kept under, and shewas in a sinkingcondition,with her forecastle nearly awashwhen pickedup by HMS Warwick. The bearing of this very gallantofficer and fine seaman throughout these operations offthe Belgian coast was altogether admirable and aninspiringexampletoallthrownincontactwithhim.

At the age of twenty-two,Crutchley had served on board thebattleshipHMSCenturion at the Battle of Jutland and in thefinalmonthsof thewarhe servedonHMSSikh in theDoverPatrol. He remained in the Royal Navy, taking command ofHMSWarspitein1937.At theoutbreakofWorldWar II,Warspitewasassigned to

theHomeFleetandfoughtattheBattleofNarvik.WhenJapanentered the war, he was promoted to rear admiral andtransferred to the Royal Australian Navy, seeing actionalongside the Americans at Guadalcanal and received theAmericanLegionofMeritinthedegreeofChiefCommander.

J

SERGEANTJOHNMEIKLE,19

SEAFORTHHIGHLANDERSMarfaux,France,20July1918

ohnMeiklewasborninKirkintilloch,Dunbartonshire,on11September 1898.Hewas the eldest-surviving son of eleven

children,eightofwhomlivedintoadulthood.ThefamilymovedtoNitshill,Renfrewshire.EducatedatLevernPublicSchool,hewasafootballfanandranerrandsforNitshillVictoriaFootballClub.On leaving school, he went to work as a clerk at Nitshill

railway station, then the property of the Glasgow, Barrheadand Kilmarnock Railway Company. His wages were sevenshillingsandsixpence(37½p)aweek.Afterthewarbrokeout,hemadeseveralattemptstojointheArmy,butwasrejectedonthegroundsthathewastooyoung.Heeventooktoaskinghismothertomakehimextraporridge in thehopethathischestwouldexpand.Finally,inFebruary1915,attheageofsixteen,hesuccessfullyenlistedintheSeaforthHighlanders.After reporting to Maryhill Barracks in Glasgow, he was

drafted into the 4th Battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders(Ross-shireBuffs) TerritorialForce. This laterbecamepart ofthe154Brigadeofthe51st(Highland)Division.Hewastrainedon the Lewis gun and remained in Scotland until July 1916when, aged eighteen, he could join his battalion in France.Soonafterarriving,hewaspromotedtocorporalandhefoughtintheFirstBattleoftheSomme.Meiklehadbeeninactionforlessthanamonthwhenhewas

bayonetedandtakenoutofthefrontlines.Hewaswellenough

to return to his unit in time to fight in theBattle of Arras inApril1917,wherethe4thSeaforthscapturedseveralGermantrenches and took a large number of enemy prisoners. AtPasschendaelehewontheMilitaryMedal,thenfoughtondowntheMeninRoad.Returning home on leave, he was presented with a gold

watch at the Hurlet and Nitshill Public Hall. Already he hadmade his mark by carrying a heavy walking stick on thebattlefield.Butwhenheheadedback to the front, he left histrademarkstickbehind.Fortunatelyhissisterspottedtheitem,ranafterhimandgaveittohimatthestation.BackinFrance,Meiklewaspromotedtosergeant.Atthebeginningof1918,hisbattalionhelpedsavethe51st

Division by their stand east of the village of Beaumetz. ButduringtheSpringOffensivetheGermansadvancedtotheRiverMarne.BythebeginningofJuly,Germanprospectsofvictoryinthe

West had never looked brighter. They had driven a greatwedgeintotheAlliedlineatChâteau-Thierry.TheBritish,theyimagined,hadnotyetrecoveredfromtheirhammeringinfrontofAmiensandHazebrouck.The German Army took a brief respite. To complete their

victory,theyplannedtowardstheendofthemonthtodeliveramightyblowatthebulgeoftheLysSalient.Thiswouldfinallysmash the British armies in the north and open the route toCalais.Field Marshal Douglas Haig was already considering

headingfortheChannelportsandevacuatingtheBritishArmy,while the French commander General Philippe Pétain wasplanningthedefenceofParis.FortheGermans,victory lay insplittingthetwoarmies.To thwart theGermans,BritishPrimeMinisterDavidLloyd

Georgeand theFrenchPremierGeorgesClemenceaudecidedto put their joint forces in the hands of Marshal FerdinandFoch.TheythoughthewastheonlymanwhocouldtakeontheGerman General Erich Ludendorff, who had the militaryinitiativeandsuperiornumbers.

Theywereright.Suddenly,on18July,MarshalFochstruck.AnattackwaslaunchedagainstbothshouldersoftheChâteau-Thierry salient. A fortnight later,with the capture of Fismes,thewholesalienthadbeenflattenedandtheGermandreamsofvictory had evaporated as ever-increasing numbers ofAmericanswereontheirway.British soldiers had a large share in the honours of this

battle, especially the divisions around Marfaux. Among themwere the Scottish Highlanders of the 51st Division, men likeSergeant Meikle, who had already been tried and tested onmany fields. Thesemen had helped to break theHindenburgLineintheBattleofCambrai.AttheendofMarch,theyfoughtagainst tremendous odds from Boursies to Bapaume. At thebeginning of April they helped to stem the tide that floweddown the Aubers Ridge. Now, in July, they took their placeonce more in the line near Marfaux, south-west of Rheims.Against them were massed the pick of German divisions,broughtthereforanintendeddrivetowardsÉpernay.On19July,SergeantMeiklewaswithNo.2Companyinthe

valley of the River Ardre. The enemywere expected to crosstheriverthere,takeRheimsinapincermovement,thenmoveontoParis.That evening, they left the village of Champillon after

receiving orders to enter the line at 08.00 hours the nextmorning.But in thedarktheymistookMarfaux forChaumuzyandfoundthemselvestoofarovertotheright.Otherunitsalsofoundthemselvesoutofplace.As the front stabilised the following day, the Highlanders

foundthemselvesheldupbymachineguns.The4thSeaforthsheldaridge in themiddle formation,buthadtowithdraw.At16.30,theGermanscounter-attackedandwererepelled.Therewas a fierce bombardment around Rectangle Wood, but thebrigade failed to take its objective and suffered heavycasualties.Near Marfaux, No. 2 Company faced a machine-gun

emplacement 150 yards to the front. SergeantMeikle, armedonlywitharevolverandhisheavystick,rosefromhisplacein

the line, and ran forward alone across the bare stretch ofbullet-swept ground towards the emplacement. By somemiracle he reached it alive and leapt down over the parapetintothemidstoftheenemy.He killed many of them with his revolver. When that was

empty,helaidaboutthemwithhisstick.AstheGermanscamedown upon him with their bayonets, Meikle felled them oneaftertheother.Whentheywerealldead,SergeantMeiklejumpedtothetop

of the emplacement, waving his stick and shouting to hisplatoontoadvance.A littlewhile later, theprogressof the companywasagain

checked by machine-gun fire. Once again Sergeant Meiklestakedhisown life tosave the livesofhismen.Snatchinguptherifleandbayonetofadeadcomrade,hedashedoutacrosstheopeninfullviewoftheGermans.Thistimehewasnotsolucky.Thegun’screwshothimdead

ontheverythresholdoftheemplacement,buttwoofhismen,whowerefollowingcloselybehindhim,killedtheGermansanddestroyedtheirgun.Twodayslater,theSeaforthsparticipatedintheliberationof

theMarnedistrictandtheroutoftheGermanswascompleted.InaspecialOrderoftheDayGeneralCharlesMangin,who

commandedtheFrenchattheSecondBattleoftheMarne,paidhightributetothevalourofthesesoldiers.‘AlltheEnglishandScottishtroops,’hewrote,‘haveshown

the magnificent qualities of your race – namely indomitablecourage and tenacity. You have won the admiration of yourbrothers-in-arms.Yourcountrywillbeproudofyou,fortoyouand to your comrades is due in larger measure the victorywhichwehavejustgainedagainstthebarbarousenemiesofallfreepeople.’SergeantMeiklewasawarded theVCposthumously forhis

gallantryatMarfaux,duringthe4thSeaforths’advancealongtheRiverArdre.Thecitationread:

For most conspicuous bravery and initiative when his

Company, having been held up bymachine gun fire, herushedsinglehandedamachinegunnest.Heemptiedhisrevolver into the crews of the two guns and put theremainderoutofactionwithaheavystick.Then,standingup, he waved his comrades on. Very shortly afterwardsanother hostile machine gun checked progress, andthreatenedalsothesuccessofthecompanyontheright.Mostofhisplatoonhavingbecomecasualties,SgtMeikleseizedtherifleandbayonetofafallencomrade,andagainrushed forward against the gun crew, but was killedalmostonthegunposition.Hisbraveryallowedtwoothermenwhofollowedhimtoputthisgunoutofaction.Thisgallant non-commissioned officer’s valour, devotion toduty, and utter disregard of personal safety was aninspiringexampletoall.

SergeantMeikle’s father received his son’s VC from GeneralSir F.W.N. McCracken KCB, DSO, General OfficerCommanding Scottish Command, at Maryhill Barracks,Glasgow,on28October1918.HissonwasburiedatMarfauxBritish Cemetery. A bronze memorial plaque was erected inNitshill public hall, subsequently moved to Levern PrimarySchool, and is now in DingwallMuseum. A granitememorialwas erected at Nitshill Station in 1920, moved to StationSquare,Dingwallin1971.

A

LANCE-SERGEANTEDWARDSMITH,19

LANCASHIREFUSILIERSSerre,France,21–23August1918

ftertheGermanSpringOffensivepeteredoutinJuly1918,theAlliesbeganwhatbecameknownastheHundredDays

Offensive,whichbroughtthewartoitsconclusion.Itbeganon8 August with the five-day Battle of Amiens. This was thebeginningofanewtypeofwarfare.Forthefirsttimeaircraft,tanks, artillery and infantry were all co-ordinated in aconcerted effort to give the Allies one of the biggestbreakthroughsofthewar.Amiens was an important rail hub, which distributed

suppliestothefrontlines.TheGermanshadtriedtotakeitinMarch. They began their assault on the 21stwith a five-hourbarrage, with 65,000 guns and 3,500 trench mortars firingalonga46-milefront.‘SuchHellmakesweakthingsofthestrongest.Nobodywas

everbuilt to stand such torture,’ saidLance-CorporalWilliamSharpesofthe8thLancashireFusiliers.While the British were still reeling from the effects of

shelling and gas, the Germans sent in their elite stormtroopers,whohadmapsof theBritishpositionssewn into thesleevesoftheiruniforms.Aftertwohours,theBritishhadlostone third of their troops. Over the next two weeks, theGermansadvancedtwenty-eightmiles. Justelevenmilesshortof Amiens, they ran out of steam. The rapid advance hadstretched the lines and the front-line troops were starved of

supplies.The Germans dug in at Belleau Wood. On 6 June, the US

MarineCorpswentin.Ittooksixattackstoclearthewoodatthe cost of ten thousand men. General Sir Henry Rawlinson,commanding the 4th Army, then ordered the largestconcentrationoftanksinWorldWarItogatheratAmiens.Theartilleryweretoldnottomakepreliminaryrange-finding

shotsthatwarnedtheenemyofaforthcominginfantryattack.They were to use maps and mathematics to make sure thattheirfirstshotsinangerwereontarget.At 04.20 on8August 1918, the attackbegan. Troops from

Canada, Australia and Britain advanced through the early-morning fog under a creeping barrage from seven hundredartillery guns that advanced a hundred metres every threeminutes.AstheAlliesadvanced,sixhundredaircraftfromtheRAFattackedGermanpositions,droppingphosphorousbombs.Heavy tanks were used to attack well-defended German

positions, while smaller tanks – known as ‘Whippets’ – wereusedtoprobetheGermandefences.Rawlinsonhadsetatargetof an eight-mile advance on the first day of the attack. Thisseemedwildlyover-optimisticandwouldhavebeenthelargestAllied advance, had his plan been successful. Rawlinson washelped by the weather. Early-morning fog helped to disguiseAlliedpreparations.TheAlliesadvancedsevenmilesonthefirstday.Theywere

one mile short of their goal, but this still represented thegreatestAlliedadvanceofthewar.Itmarkedtheendoftrenchwarfare.Fightinghadsuddenlybecomemobileagain.General Erich Ludendorff said itwas ‘the black day of the

GermanArmy’.Whenthebattlewasoveron12August,hetoldtheKaiserthatthewarwaslost.‘TheGermansweresurrenderingeverywhere,’saidMajorS.

EversoftheAustralianCorps.‘Weknewitwasgoingtobetheendofthewar.’Therewasstillawaytogo,though.Marshal Foch wanted the British to continue the push at

Amiens,butHaigrefused. Instead,on21August,heattacked

twentymilestotheeastatAlbert,whichhadbeenfoughtovertwicebefore.The day before the battle, the 1/5th Lancashire Fusiliers

assembledtothewestofBeaumontHamel-Puiseux.Onthefirstdaytheywouldhavethreeobjectives.ThefirstwasHill140,anest ofmachine guns south of Puiseaux. The secondwas thehighgroundtotheeastandthethirdwasBeauregardDovecot,whichoverlookedAncreandMiraumont.Therewasathickmistat04.45hours,whentheyadvanced

onHill140,underaheavyartillerybarrage.Theymanagedtoput themachinegunsoutof actionwithonly light casualties.The second objective fell by 07.00, but the casualties therewere heavier. It was at the Dovecot that nineteen-year-oldLance-SergeantEdwardSmithdistinguishedhimself,rushingamachine-gunpostandkillingatleastsixoftheenemy.Hewentontohelpanotherplatoontakeitsobjectiveandtookaleadingroleinstaunchingacounter-attackthefollowingday.Gazettedon18October1918,thecitationtohisVCread:

No.51396Cpl. (L./Sjt.)EdwardSmith,D.C.M.,Lan.Fus.(Maryport).Formostconspicuousbravery,leadershipandpersonal example during an attack and in subsequentoperations. Sjt. Smith while in command of a platoonpersonallytookamachine-gunpost,rushingthegarrisonwith his rifle and bayonet. The enemy on seeing himadvance scattered to throw hand grenades at him.Regardlessofalldanger,andalmostwithouthaltinginhisrushonthepost,thisN.C.O.shotandkilledatleastsixofthe enemy. Later, seeing another platoon requiringassistance,heledhismentothem,tookcommandofthesituation and captured the objective. During the enemycounter-attack on the following day he led a sectionforward and restored a portion of the line.His personalbravery, skill and initiative were outstanding, and hisconduct throughoutexemplifiedmagnificentcourageandskill,andwasaninspiringexampletoall.

EdwardBenn ‘Ned’Smithwasbornon10November1898atMaryportinCumberland.HisfatherwasaseamanintheRoyalNavyReservesandserved in theDardanelles.Afterattendingthe National School in Maryland, Edward worked atOughtersideColliery.Joiningupon11December1915,hewassent to the Reserves because he was only seventeen. In July1917,heenlistedwiththeLancashireFusiliersandwassenttoFranceto jointhe1/5thBattalion.TheyhadalreadyfoughtatGallipoliandPasschendaele.This battalion resisted theGerman SpringOffensive at the

Bapaume,ArrasandAncre.InthelullbeforetheHundredDaysOffensivestarted,CorporalSmithtookleave.On19June1918,he was at home at 3 India Street, Summerseat, nearManchester, when he wrote to Captain A.B. Sackett, withwhomhehadserved in the⅕thLancashireFusiliers.CaptainSacketthadwontheMC,buthadlostaleg.

DearSir,I received yourmostwelcome letter, with pay slips, buttheyhavebeenforwardedtomeathome,asIamonleavebeforereportingtoRipontoattendcadetschool.Well,sir,wegotJukesandNeedhamandtheotherploughmenbackbecause they said the season was finished. Well, now afewwordsabout thecompany. Iarrivedback from leaveon the Monday, the day after the battalion went intoaction, so they had a composite battalion of us and wewenttosupportthe127Brigade.ButIgotfedupwithitandIaskedLieutenantParkinsoniftherewasanychanceof me getting with my own battalion, so he asked thebrigademajor,whosaidifIwishedtogoIcouldgo,soIjoinedthecompanyandfoundtheminaterriblestate.WemadeacounterattackthroughthevillageofB——ywhereLieutenantJessopwaswoundedsoLieutenantBlaketookhalf of the company andmyself the other half. Our newcolonelwas givingme a fewdetails and then only got afewyardsbeforehegotkilled,soIcantellyouwewasabitunluckywithourofficers.ButIcantellyouIthanked

the Lord when Lieutenant Waugh took charge of yourcompany,andIsupposeyouknowhehastheMC.CaptainTickler,abartohis,andCaptainPagehasgottheMC.Asfor the old boys, we lost a few of them.We have heardnothingelseofCSMBanksorCaptainFeerick,butPrivateTweedale is a prisoner and wounded. When I left thecompany Sergeants Lea, Andrews, Bardsley andGreenhalgh were with them. Sergeants Needham andHowellwentintohospital.CSMHemmingsisonleaveatthe present time, so Iwill handpay slips to him to takeback.Well, sir, I have nomore news at present.HopingyouaregettingquitewellagainandwillalwayslookbackwithpleasureonthetimeIservedunderyou.Iremain

YoursverysincerelyCSMSmith

CorporalSmithwasbackinFranceon10August1918.HewasleadingadaylightpatrolnearHébuterneintheSommeregionto reconnoitre the German lines. As the patrol was about toretire,CorporalSmithsawapartyofGermansabouttotakeupoutpostduty.Despitebeingheavilyoutnumberedbytheenemysoldiers, Corporal Smith and his party ambushed them. As aresult, he was promoted to Lance-Sergeant and awarded theDistinguishedConductMedal.Thecitationread:

On10August,south-eastofHébuterne,thisN.C.O. ledadaylight patrol. By skilful handling and use of cover heexamined two points of the enemy line about whichinformation was required. This information he obtained.Whenonthepointofreturning,SgtSmithnoticedapartyoffortyoftheenemycomingforwardfromtheirmainlineof resistance, obviously to take up night outpostdispositions.SgtSmithdecidedtowaitfortheenemy,andengage them, though outnumbered. He inflicted heavycasualties on the enemy, who at once scattered. Hisinitiative and determination to inflict casualties on the

enemywasafineexample.

It was just eleven days later that he won his VC and wassubsequently promoted to sergeant. He was decorated at aninvestiture in Buckingham Palace on 9 November 1918. Twodayslaterthewarwasover.AccordingtoTheWhitehavenNews,a localWestCumbrian

newspaper, when he returned to his home town ofMaryportafter the Great War in 1919, he was greeted by a cheeringcrowdofsixthousandpeople–thetown’sentirepopulationatthe time. At a civic reception in the market place, SergeantSmith and his parents were given presents, which included£200 inWar Bonds, a goldwatch, a grandfather clock and asilverteaservice.The local paper said: ‘SergeantSmith is not only aVCbut

looksit.HeisaBritishsoldiereveryinchofhim.HeisanA1manfromthecrownofhisheadtothesolesofhisfeet.HehasnotonlywontheVCbuthehasachestonwhichtodisplayit.’In 1921, he attended a Garden Party held at Buckingham

PalacebyKingGeorgeVofEnglandforVictoriaCrossholders,astheyoungestrecipientpresent.HavingrejoinedtheArmyinMay 1919, he served in Ireland, Malaya and China, beforeretiringwiththerankofRegimentalSergeantMajorin1935.When war loomed again in the summer of 1939, he re-

enlistedwiththeLancashireFusiliersandwasamongthefirstcontingentoftheBritishExpeditionaryForcetosailforFrance.As a Lieutenant (Quartermaster), he was killed in action inFrance,on12January1940,possiblydueto friendly fire,andwasburiedattheBeuvryCommunalCemeteryExtensionintheNord-Pas-de-Calais.

T

PRIVATETHOMASRICKETTS,17

ROYALNEWFOUNDLANDREGIMENTLedegem,Belgium,14October1918

ommyRicketts,fromthesmallsettlementofMiddleArmatWhite Bay on the Baie Verte peninsula of Newfoundland,

waseagertogotowar.HisolderbrotherGeorgehadenlistedon14July1915.On2September1916,TommytravelledtoStJohn’s and enlisted in the Royal Newfoundland Regiment,giving his age as eighteen years, three months. Born on 15April1901,hewas,infact,onlyfifteenyears,fourmonthsold.InJanuary1917,hesailedontheSSFlorizelforScotlandfor

trainingatAyr.He left fromSouthampton forFrance in June,joining the 1st Battalion at Rouen on 2 July. The followingmonth,hesawhisfirstactionalongtheSteenbeekintheBattleof Langemark, the second Allied general attack during theThird Battle of Ypres, where, in heavy rain, the Allies werepushedback.HewasinjuredintheleftlegatMarcoingon20November,

thefirstdayoftheBattleofCambrai.InvalidedouttoEngland,hespenteighteendaysinthe1stLondonGeneralHospital.Hewas then furloughed to the 24 Company Depot, beforereturning to France on 4 April 1918, after learning that hisbrother George had gone missing, presumed killed, on 3December. His brother’s body was never found. Thomasrejoinedhisbattalioninthefieldon30April.The Allies were well on their way to victory when the 1st

BattalionoftheRoyalNewfoundlandRegimentadvancedfromLedegem, nine miles to the east of Ypres in Belgium, on 14

October1918.Themorningwasmisty,givingthemsomecoverasthemenclimbedoveraridgeandthroughsomebarbed-wireentanglements.Fromthere,theyhadtocrossabeetfieldandmakeforashallowditchthreehundredyardsfurtheron.By then, the mist had begun to lift and a German field

battery began pounding them from the safety of two derelictfarm buildings at the De Beurt farm, near a Belgian villagecalledDrieMasten.TheditchprovidedscantprotectionandBCompany were taking heavy casualties until Private Rickettsgrabbed a Lewis gun and worked his way forward with hissection commander, Lance-Corporal Matthew Brazil, in anefforttooutflanktheenemy.Making theirwayaround to the right, theywerestill three

hundred yards from the farmhouses when they ran out ofammunition.Rickettsranbacktogetsome.Whenhereturnedto the Lewis gun, Lance-Corporal Brazil was nowhere to beseen. Having lost any element of surprise, Ricketts rushedforward,firingfromthehipattheenemy,whohadtakencoverinside.Reachingthefarmbuildings,heplantedtheguninthedoorwayandtheentireguncrewsurrendered.Six of B Company died that day, along with another

seventeen of the 1st Battalion. Captain Sydney Frost,commanding officer of B Company, recommended PrivateRickettsfortheVC.HealsorecommendedthatLance-CorporalBrazil should be decorated for gallantry, along with Second-LieutenantAlbertNewman,SergeantJohnBishopandPrivatesRichardPowerandSamuelGreenslade.Ataparadeon14DecemberMajorBernardannouncedthe

award of the VC, congratulated Ricketts and read out thecitation.Itsaid:

Formostconspicuousbraveryanddevotiontodutyonthe14th October 1918, during the advance from Ledegem,whentheattackwastemporarilyheldupbyheavyhostilefireandtheplatoontowhichhebelongedsufferedseverecasualtiesfromthefireofanenemybatteryatpoint-blankrange.PrivateRickettsatoncevolunteeredtogoforward

withhissectioncommanderandaLewisguntoattempttooutflank the battery. Advancing by short rushes underheavy fire from enemy machine-guns, their ammunitionwasexhaustedwhenstill300yardsfromthebattery.Theenemy,seeinganopportunitytogettheirfieldgunsaway,began to bring up their gun teams. Private Ricketts atonce realizing the situation, doubled back 100 yardsunder the heaviest machine-gun fire, procured furtherammunition,dashedbackagaintotheLewisgun,andbyveryaccuratefiredrovetheenemyandthegunteamsintoafarm.Hisplatoonthenadvancedwithoutcasualtiesandcapturedthefourfieldguns,fourmachine-gunsandeightprisoners.A fifth fieldgunwas subsequently interceptedby fire and captured. By his presence of mind inanticipatingtheenemyintentionandhisutterdisregardofpersonal safety, Private Ricketts secured the furthersupply of ammunition which directly resulted in theseimportantcapturesandundoubtedlysavedmanylives.

This was gazetted on 6 January 1919. However, Prince John,theyoungestsonofGeorgeV,diedon18Januaryandthecourtwentintomourning.RickettswantedtoreceivehismedalfromtheKing,buthewasalsoeagertogetbacktoCanada.That day, he received a message that said: ‘You are

commanded by His Majesty the King to proceed toSandringham on Sunday, 19/1/19, for the purpose of beinginvestedwiththeVictoriaCross.YouwillleaveLiverpoolStreetStation at 9.40 a.m. 19/1/19 for Wolferton, Norfolk. You willchangetrainsatEly,whereyouwillmeetaKing’sMessenger,andyouwillproceedfromElytoWolfertonbyaSpecialCoachwith the King’s Messenger, who will conduct you to HisMajesty. You will be accompanied by Sergt. Dunphy, of thisOffice,toEly.’ArrivingatYorkCottage,Sandringham,Rickettswastreated

toasumptuouslunchinaroomonhisown.Thatafternoon,hewastakentomeettheKing,whowasnotinuniform,alongwithPrinceGeorgeandPrincessMary.Theychatted forabout ten

minutes. After pinning the VC to Ricketts’s tunic, George Vsaid:‘ThisistheyoungestVCinmyarmy.’Atseventeen,hewastheyoungestCanadianwithaVC.Alsoattheinvestitureceremonywasoneoftheoldest-living

VCholdersatthetime,eighty-five-year-oldGeneralSirDightonMacNaughton Probyn, who had won his VC at the age oftwenty-four as a captain in the 2nd Punjab Cavalry of theBengalArmyduringtheIndianMutiny.Hiscitationread:

Has been distinguished for gallantry and daringthroughoutthiscampaign.AtthebattleofAgra,whenhissquadron charged the rebel infantry, he was some timeseparated from his men, and surrounded by five or sixsepoys.Hedefendedhimself fromthevariouscutsmadeat him, and before his ownmen had joined himhad cutdown two of his assailants. At another time, in singlecombatwithasepoy,hewaswoundedinthewrist,bythebayonet, and his horse also was slightly wounded; but,though the sepoy fought desperately, he cut him down.The same day he singled out a standard bearer, and, inthe presence of a number of the enemy, killed him andcapturedthestandard.Theseareonlyafewofthegallantdeedsofthisbraveyoungofficer.

Rickettswasalsopromotedtosergeantthatday.In theDailyMirror of 21 January 1919, Sergeant Ricketts

explainedtherush:

‘I am returning home immediately,’ explained the fresh-faced, fair-haired young soldier modestly, ‘so it wasarrangedthattheKingshouldgivemetheCrossprivately,so that I should not have to wait for a full investiture.Everythingwas done so nicely and considerately formethat,thoughIfeltnaturallyverynervous,itwasoneofthemost pleasant experiences of my life. There was a carwaiting forme atWolverton Station,with an equerry toexplain the etiquette and everything to me. At YorkCottageIwasgivenasplendidlunch,whichIenjoyedas

well as my nervous state would let me. I had this in aroom bymyself, whichwas better thanmeeting a lot ofstrangers. After lunch I was taken into a kind of ante-room, where the Investiture was to take place. PrincessMaryandPrinceGeorgewerethere,aswellastheKing.Iwas interested tosee that theKingwasnot inkhaki.Hewore‘civvies’.Hiskindmannersoonputmeatease,andhetalkedtomeforabouttenminutes,andIhopeImadesensible replies to his questions.Whenhehadgivenmethe cross he turned to Princess Mary and the rest andsaid:“ThisistheyoungestV.C.intheArmy.”’There was a dramatic incident when Private Ricketts

wasbeingescortedfromtheroyalpresence.TheyoungestV.C.camefacetofacewiththeoldest(saveone)–thefineold veteran, Sir Dighton Probyn, who is eighty-five. SirDightongainedhiscrosssixtyyearsago in thedarkandbloodydaysoftheIndianMutiny.Private Ricketts intends to go to college when he

reacheshome,toresumetheeducationwhichwasbrokenoffwhenhejoinedthearmy.

RickettsarrivedbackatSt John’saboardtheSSCorsican thefirstweek inFebruaryand receivedahero’swelcome,drawnthroughthestreetsonasleighbytheyoungmenofthetown.On19June1919,hewasgazettedwithaCroixdeGuerreavecEtoiled’Or,whichwaspublishedwithoutcitation.On1July,hewas demobilised. Then on 27 September, he was presentedwithhisCroixdeGuerreatHolickshenbyLieutenantGeneralSirClaudJacob,CommanderoftheSecondArmyCorps.A fundwas set up to pay for his education,which reached

over$10,000.HestudiedpharmacyandsetupinbusinessonWaterStreetinStJohn’s.InNovember 1929 he attended theHouse of Lords dinner

forVCwinners.On17July1962heattendedaGardenPartyatBuckingham Palace given by HM The Queen formembers oftheVC/GCAssociation.OtherwiseRickettswasamodestman.According to theSt

John’sTelegraph:

Rickettsshunnedthespotlight,goingsofarastodeclineinvitations to meet with Queen Elizabeth, would neverspeak of his war experiences, and declinedmany of theprivilegesthatcamewithbeingaVCrecipient–including,for many years, his VC pension from the Britishgovernment.This may have been the result of battle fatigue, the

guiltofsurvivingwhilemanyofhiscomradesdied,orjustthewayhewasengineered.Whilesuchbehaviourwasn’tunusual for war veterans of that era, Ricketts was in adifferentclass.HewasaVCwinner.PatLeonardexperiencedit.Heworkedasapharmacist

atRicketts’WaterStreetdrugstorefornearlytwoyearsinthelate1950s.He remembers a reporter from a national magazine

coming to the drugstore one day, looking to interviewRicketts.‘He wouldn’t even talk to him. He said, “You’re not

gettinganythingoffme.”Hewasveryabrupt.Hewasnotinterestedinanypublicity,’Leonard,72,recalls.

When Tommy Ricketts died in 1967, he was given a statefuneral.When hewas buried in the Anglican Cemetery in StJohn’s, theRoyalNewfoundlandRegiment fireda three-volleysaluteandveteransdroppedpoppies into theopengrave.Hiswidow donated his medals to the Canadian War Museum inOttawa.‘HedidnotwantthisVC,’shesaid.‘Hejustfeltthatothers,

everyonewhowentacross,wasjustasequaltooneashewas.’

T

ACTINGCORPORALROLANDELCOCK,19

ROYALSCOTS(LOTHIANREGIMENT)CapelleStCatherine,France,15October1918

he day Tommy Ricketts won his VC, Roland Elcock wasnearbywith the 9th (Scottish) Division advancing towards

the Courtrai-Roulers railway. From there, they advancedtowards the River Lys to capture the river crossings. Theadvancewasswiftand,bynoon,theyhadreachedasmallridgenamed Steenen Stampkot. There, the enemy’s resistancestiffened.Second-Lieutenant JamesCurrie of the6thBattalion of the

RoyalScotswasmentionedindespatchesfortheactionthere.ThecitationintheEdinburghGazettesaid:

NearSteenenStampkot,onthe15thOctober,1918,whenhis platoon was held up by machine-gun fire he got hisLewis gun immediately into action, and silenced theenemy;100yards furtheronheagaincameunderheavyfire from twomoremachine-guns, butwith only half hisplatoonleftgainedtheobjective,personallykillingtwooftheenemywhowerecontrollingthefire.Hisfinecourageand leadership enabled the rest of the company toadvanceontheright.

Lance-CorporalRolandElcockwaswiththe11thBattalion.SowasSecond-LieutenantJamesHarvey,whowasalsomentionedindespatches,whosaidofhim:‘Afterhiscompanycommander

had become a casualty, near Steenen Stampkot, on the 15thOctober, 1918, he took command, reorganized the company,whohadbecomescattered,andgainedthecrestof theridge,personallyleadingapartyuptoithimself,andthenreturningand leading forward the remainder of the company who hadbeenheldup.Hethenestablishedhisposition,andgotintouchwiththecompanyontheleft.Hisgallantryandableleadershipweremostmarked.’The infantry took what cover they could in Laagacapelle

Wood,wheretheywerepinneddownbyGermanartilleryfiringfromHill40,aboutfivehundredyardstotheeast.Thenextday,11thRoyalScotsledthe27thBrigadeforward

under a smokescreen towards the enemy gun positions. Bythen Acting Corporal Elcock was in charge of a Lewis-gunteam. However, as soon as they left the wood they wereimmediatelypinneddownbytwomachineguns.Itwasatthispoint thatActingCorporalElcockdashed forwardamidahailof bullets and killed the twomenwhowere firing one of themachine guns. Then he turned the gun on to the othermachine-guncrew,killingbothmen.Immediately,theadvanceresumedandthebattalionmoved

rapidly down the slope, while the 12th Battalion, who werebehindthe11thBattalioninthewood,swungsouthwardsanddrovetheenemyfromSteenbeekandthesouthernpartofHill40.Three days later, Elcock was further up the line at

Harelbeke,tothenorth-eastofCourtrai,wherethe11thRoyalScots had reached the River Lys. Again Elcock captured anenemymachine-gunposition.Acting Corporal Elcock knew he had done well. He wrote

hometohismother:‘YouaskmewhatIhavebeendoingtogetrecommendedagain.Well,ifItell,youwillfairlyguesswhatIamgoingtogetforit.SoIwillleaveittillthedecorationcomesout. I am expecting the DCM, but, as rumours go in thebattalion,IaminfortheVC.SoIhopeIgetit.’Hiswish came true and hewas awarded the VC for these

two actions. It was gazetted on 26 December 1918 and the

citationread:

Formostconspicuousbraveryandinitiativesouth-eastofCapelle Ste Catherine on the 15th Oct. 1918, when inchargeofaLewis-gunteam.Entirelyonhisowninitiative,Corpl. Elcock rushed his gun up to within ten yards ofenemy guns, which were causing heavy casualties andholdingup theadvance.Heputbothgunsout of action,capturedfiveprisoners,andundoubtedlysavedthewholeattackfrombeingheldup.Later,neartheRiverLys,thisnon-commissioned officer again attacked an enemymachine-gun and captured the crew. His behaviourthroughoutthedaywasabsolutelyfearless.

When a journalist from theWolverhampton Express and StarwenttotellMrsElcockthathersonhadjustbecomethefirstandonlyWolverhamptonmantobeawardedtheVictoriaCrossinWorldWarI,shesaidshewas‘overjoyedatthegoodnews’.ElcockwaspresentedwithhisVCbyGeorgeVintheballroomofBuckinghamPalaceon13February1919.RolandEdwardElcockwasbornon5June1899at52Alma

Street, Wolverhampton. He attended Causeway Lake InfantandJuniorSchoolfrom1902to1913.ThenhebecameaclerkattheLabourAssemblyRooms,QueenSquare.Eagertobeasoldier,heenlistedattheageoffifteenyears

andfourmonths,joiningtheSouthStaffordshireRegiment,andsaw service inEgypt.He left after two years, because itwasdiscovered thathewasunder-ageandhewasdischarged.Heworked briefly at the Corporation Electricity Works inCommercialRoad.ButhereachedtheageofeighteeninJune1917,whenhejoinedtheArmyagain,thistimeenlistingintheRoyalScots,servingwiththeminFranceandBelgium,wherehealsowonaMilitaryMedal.OnhisreturntoWolverhampton,hewasgreetedattheHigh

LevelStationbythousandsofcitizens,includingtheMayorandother civic dignitaries. Described by the WolverhamptonChronicleon5February1919as‘modestypersonified’,he‘did

notwish to talkaboutoneof themost remarkableexploitsofthe war. He was content to let the official record speak foritself’.Thestreetswerelinedwithpeoplecheeringandwaving,and

shakingElcockby thehand.At thecivicreception,hesaid: ‘Ithankyouverymuchforthewayyouhavewelcomedmehome.Wolverhamptonismyhome,andIappreciateitverymuch.Butinwinning thisgreatdistinction, Ihaveonlydonemyduty tomyKingandcountry.’Afterbeingdemobbed,hewentbacktoworkinhisoldjobat

the Electricity Works and in 1920 he attended the RoyalGardenPartyforVCwinnersatBuckinghamPalace.In1923,hewenttoIndia,whereheworkedasanengineer

for the Telegraph Service. On home leave, he attended theHouseofLordsVCdinner in1929.On theoutbreakofWorldWar II, he joined the Indian Army as a major and died atDehradun, India, inOctober1944,aged forty-five.HismedalsareintheRoyalScotsMuseuminEdinburghCastle.

N

PRIVATENORMANHARVEY,19

ROYALINNISKILLINGFUSILIERSIngoyghem,Belgium,25October1918

orman Harvey was born on 6 April 1899 in Newton-leWillows,Lancashire.HewaseducatedatStPeter’sChurch

ofEnglandSchoolandjoinedtheSouthLancashireRegimentinNovember 1914, at the age of fifteen. At that time, he wasemployed byMessrs Caulfield’sNewton, after havingworkedbrieflyatMessrsRandallintheHighStreet.HarveywassenttoFranceandwasslightlywoundedatthe

ageof sixteen.Hewas still under-agewhenhewaswoundedfor a second time, this time more seriously. When it wasdiscoveredthathewastooyoungforoverseasservice,hewassentonacourseinbayonetandphysicaltraining.Hefinishedwith excellent qualifications andwas sent to Portsmouth.Buttherewasa shortageofmenandhewas sentoverseasagainand transferred to the 1st Battalion of the Royal InniskillingFusiliers.By October 1918, the Germans were in full retreat. The

HindenburgLine had been broken. Trenchwarfarewas over.TheBritishwerepursuingtheenemyacrossopenground.TheGermanshadsentanotetoUSPresidentWoodrowWilsononthenightof3–4Octoberandpeacenegotiationsweregoingonthrough diplomatic channels. General Ludendorff was stilloptimisticthatthesituationcouldbeturnedaround,butwhenhe saw the American proposals and protested that theyamountedtounconditionalsurrender,hewasforcedtoresignon26October.

The following day, the 1stRoyal InniskillingFusilierswereadvancing at Ingoyghem, east of Courtrai, when they cameunder attack. Harvey’s platoon sergeant, who witnessed theaction,said:‘Suddenlyveryheavymachine-gunfireopenedonus from a farm about forty yards tomy left front. It heldmyplatoonup,andweallgotdownto fire.Fiveofmymenwerewounded,andIsawPrivateHarveyrushforwardunderheavymachine-gun fire and go round the left of the farm. Later, Iheard a few rifle shots, and themachine stopped firing, andthen I sawPrivateHarvey bring about a dozenBosches fromthe farm. I went forward to the farm and found two deadBoschesandonebadlywounded,withthebayonet.Thereweretwomachine-gunsthere.’Harvey was recommended for a VC. It was gazetted on 6

January1919.Thecitationread:

No. 42954 Pte. Norman Harvey, 1st Bn., R. Innis. Fus.(Newton-le-Willows). For most conspicuous bravery anddevotion to duty near Ingoyghen on the 25th October,1918,whenhisbattalionwasheldupandsufferedheavycasualties from enemy machine guns. On his owninitiative he rushed forward and engaged the enemysingle-handed, disposing of twenty enemy and capturingtwo guns. Later, when his company was checked byanother enemy strong point, he again rushed forwardalone and put the enemy to flight. Subsequently, afterdark, he voluntarily carried out, single-handed, animportant reconnaissance and gained valuableinformation.Pte.Harveythroughoutthedaydisplayedthegreatestvalour,andhisseveralactionsenabledthelinetoadvance,savedmanycasualties,andinspiredall.

PrivateHarveywas presentedwith hismedal at BuckinghamPalaceon15May1919andpromotedto lance-corporal.BackhomeinNewton-le-Willows,twothousandpeopleturnedouttowelcomehimhome.Hewaspresentedwith£100inWarBondsand an illuminated address. Already demobbed, he went to

work on the railways and married Norah Osmond, who hadservedwiththeQueenMaryAuxiliaryCorpsandhadalsoseenaction.HeattendedtheHouseofLordsdinnerforVCholdersin1929.At theoutbreakofWorldWar II,Harvey, then forty, joined

upagain,thistimewiththe199thRailwayWorkshopCompany,RoyalEngineers,andwiththerankofCompanyQuartermasterSergeant.Hewaskilledinaction,nearHaifa,Palestine,on16February1942andwasburiedinKhayatBeachWarCemetery,nowinIsrael.Harvey’s VC and other medals are in The Inniskillings

Museum (which tells the story of The Royal InniskillingFusiliers and the 5thRoyal InniskillingDragoonGuards).HisnameislistedonaplaqueinStAnne’sCathedral,Belfast,andon a memorial stone in the grounds of the Ulster MemorialTowerinThiepval,Picardy,France.

PeaceNow,GodbethankedWhohasmatcheduswithHishour,Andcaughtouryouth,andwakenedusfromsleeping,Withhandmadesure,cleareye,andsharpenedpower,Toturn,asswimmersintocleannessleaping,

Gladfromaworldgrownoldandcoldandweary,Leavethesickheartsthathonourcouldnotmove,Andhalf-men,andtheirdirtysongsanddreary,Andallthelittleemptinessoflove!

Oh!we,whohaveknownshame,wehavefoundreleasethere,Wherethere’snoill,nogrief,butsleephasmending,Naughtbrokensavethisbody,lostbutbreath;Nothingtoshakethelaughingheart’slongpeacethereButonlyagony,andthathasending;

AndtheworstfriendandenemyisbutDeath.RupertBrooke,1914

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