Second Lieutenant
Robinson Conveying A Field Gun Across The YSER Canal Under Fire.
During the operations south of Pilkem, between the 6th
and 8th of July 1915, the British trenches were within sixty
yards of a German sap, which had to be destroyed, with about thirty
yards of thick wire entanglements, to clear the way for an infantry
attack. With great coolness
and enterprise. Second-Lieutenant
Parr Aldous Robinson, of the 135th Battery Royal Field
Artillery, conveyed under fire from the enemys guns an eighteen-pounder
field gun across the Yser Canal on a raft.
On being landed, it was removed to the British fire trenches, and
in destroying the sap and entanglements, the gun was of great use in the
way for a successful infantry attack.
The conspicuous services of Second-Lieutenant Robinson were
rewarded with the D.S.O.
Trumpeter Waldon Bringing
a Horse to the Firing Stations at Le Cateau Under Heavy Shell Fire. During General
Smith-Dorriens famous rearguard action at Le
Cateau on August 26th 1914, Trumpeter S. F. G. Waldron, of
the 37th Battery Royal Field Artillery, acted as
communicating file between the captain commanding the artillery and the
quartermaster-sergeant in charge of the wagon-teams and gun-limbers, two
thousand yards behind the firing stations.
Waldron courageously waited with a spare horse though shrapnel
and high explosive shells were bursting all round him.
Seeing the danger of his position, the officer at length ordered
him to the rear. Though
wounded, Waldron returned later in the day leading a horse, which was
required at the front. His
conspicuous coolness and courage were rewarded with the D.C.M.
Sergeant Ayres extricating a
sub section of field artillery from a position in which it was suffering
severe losses.
On March 3rd 1915, during the operations on the
Persian Gulf, an attempt was made by the British to reconnoitre the
Turkish position west of Aswaz, on the Karun River.
The enemy was found to be present in overwhelming numbers, a
force of 12,000 men being opposed to the small British force of 1,000.
The British undertook a retirement, but it was not carried out
without heavy fighting. When
the sub section of artillery, to which Sergeant G Ayres, of the 82nd
Battery, royal Field Artillery, belonged was suffering casualties in men
and horses he succeeded in extricating them under very difficult
circumstances on several occasions. He was awarded the D.C.M. for
conspicuous ability and gallantry.
Driver
G. Smith Saving Panic Stricken Horses From A Burning Farm. During the terrible German bombardment of Ypres and
neighbourhood in April and May, it was quite impossible to find safe
quarters even for hospital installations.
The artillery and transport horses were continually under fire
and many crises occurred. On
one occasion a barn in which several horses were stalled was set on fire
by a shell. The plight of the terrified animals can well be imagined, but
driver G. smith, of the 61st Battery R.F.A., proved himself a man for
the moment, and, rushing into the burning building, drew them out into
safety, for which action he received the D.C.M.
Corporal F. W. Accelton Steadies The Horses To
His Gun Carriage, And Brings The Gun Into Action.
When a heavy shell blew from the saddle and wounded his horse,
Corporal F. W. Accleton, of the Royal Field Artillery, held on to his
horse, assisted the team, and brought the gun into action. For his
conspicuous gallantry he was awarded the D.C.M.
Corporal C. T. Jones And Two Men Driving The
Enemy Of Their Trench By The Fire Of A Mortar.
On December 20th 1914, the enemy entered the trench in
which Corporal C. T. Jones, of the 28th Battery, Royal Field
Artillery, was posted but he succeeded in driving them out by a
well-directed fire from a trench mortar.
Only two men assisted Corporal Jones, who was awarded the D.C.M.
for his conspicuous gallantry,, and the enemy were throwing bombs.
Bombardier
Harlock laying his gun after having been twice wounded.
On September 15th 1914, during the battle of
the Aisne, Bombardier Ernest George Harlock, of the 113th
Battery, Royal field Artillery, was twice wounded while his battery was
in action under heavy shellfire near Vendresse.
He perished, however, on each occasion in returning to lay his
gun after his wound had been dressed.
For his conspicuous gallantry, Bombardier, now Sergeant Harlock,
was awarded the V.C.
Sergeant Bostock attending to
the wounded of a convoy of which he was in charge under heavy fire.
While proceeding along a road a convoy of fourteen wagons
was heavily shelled, some men being wounded and several horses killed
and badly injured. Sergeant
G Bostock, of the 1/2nd North Midland Brigade Ammunition
Column, royal Field Artillery was in charge of the convoy, and with
conspicuous coolness he at once attended to the wounded and extricated
the injured horses Later he brought the convoy back in good order, and
it was due to his fine example that a panic was prevented.
He was awarded the D.C.M.
Acting
Sergeant Raynes putting his smoke helmet on Sergeant Ayres following the
explosion of a gas shell. On October 11th 1915, Acting Sergeant John
Crawshaw Raynes, of A Battery, the 7th Brigade, Royal Field
Artillery, went out under an intense fire at Fosse 7 de Bethune to
assist Sergeant Ayres, who had been wounded.
Having bandaged him, Sergeant Raynes returned to his gun, but
shortly afterwards Cease fire was ordered.
He thereupon went out with two gunners and carried Sergeant Ayres
into a dugout. A gas shell burst at the mouth of the dugout, and Sergeant
Raynes ran across the open for his smoke helmet, put it on Sergeant
Ayres, and then, though he badly gassed, staggered back to serve his
gun. He was awarded the V.C.
for most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty.
Major
Warren removing cartridges from a blazing ammunition wagon at great personal risk.
When one of his battery wagons had been set on fire by a
shell near Croix Barbie, on September 16th 1915, and when
both the wagon body and a cartridge were blazing, Major Robinson Warren,
of the 73rd Battery, Royal field Artillery, removed the
remainder of the ammunition at great personal risk.
The enemy at the time were directing a heavy and accurate fire on
the battery, and for his conspicuous gallantry Major Warren was awarded
the D.S.O.
Driver Brown Returning With
wounded on horseback From The Firing Line. During an engagement in which guns had been withdrawn from
action, Driver F. S. Brown, of the 80th battery Royal Field
Artillery, gallantly took two horses up to the front, and waited there,
under heavy fire, for the wounded, which were being dressed.
As soon as they were ready, he brought them, seated on the
horses, to safety. For his
gallant conduct he was rewarded with the D.C.M.