Quote:
Originally Posted by NBC
Did he ever tell you anything about when he was wounded by gas? Or was that something that was never discussed?
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I was a young boy and no, he never talked to me about that. I just remember making him cry one time, asking him in the innocence of youth how many Germans he had killed.
Through the war, he was shot on two occasions and gassed on another.
Within four days very late in the war, he was nominated for a Victory Cross and received a DSO for one action and, a few days later, a Military Cross for the other. He also received the French Croix de Guerre.
Referencing the pictures earlier, his citation reads:
"On 29th September, 1918, during the storming of the St. Quentin Canal, north of Bellenglise, this officer most gallantly led his company by compass bearing towards the bridge called Riqueval Bridge. During the advance, the Company was held up by machine gun fire from a trench guarding the approach. This officer took forward a party of nine men, captured the gun, killing all the crew by bayonet and then carried on to the bridge, where the sentries who were guarding it were killed before they could fire the explosive charge. This officer then cut the leads and threw the charge into the canal, posted men on guard over the bridge and mopped up the vicinity, killing a large number of the enemy. His prompt action in cutting the leads and disconnecting the charges saved the bridge, upon which depended the whole success of the operations, not only of the whole Division but also of the Division which was leap-frogging us to a distance objective."
His Military Cross citation from four days later reads:
"During the attack on 3rd October, 1918, near Sequehart, this offer showed conspicuous gallatry and initiative in bringing his Company Lewis guns into a position so that he was able to enfilade the two enemy field guns that were holding up the line. These guns he captured and also a nest of machine guns. During the whole operations, this officer has showed great devotion to duty."
And there were other things earlier in the war.
Amazing he lived through the conflict and amazing I'm here because of it. So, when I'm at a Remembrance Day service, I'm thinking about him and also of the day I made him cry, about 50 years after the events above.
Cowperson