The Children's Story of the War Volume 4 (of 10): The Story of the Year 1915Parrott, Edward
History
The Children's Story of the War Volume 4 (of 10): The Story of the Year 1915
Parrott, Edward
World War, 1914-1918 -- Juvenile literature
I have already mentioned the heroism of Lieutenant Campbell and Private
Vincent during the Canadian attack on the German trenches near Stony
Mountain. When war broke out, Lieutenant Campbell was farming at Mount
Forest, Ontario; but he was so eager to "do his bit" that he sold one of
his farms, his horses, and his stock, and forthwith joined the army. He
very soon made his mark as a gallant soldier, and became very popular
with his men. At the Battle of Ypres he went fearlessly to and fro,
smiling and urging on his comrades, with death nudging his elbow. "How
is it, Mr. Campbell, this morning?" asked one of his men; and his cheery
reply was, "Oh, fine--we are going to have a scrap to-day." You will
remember that at Givenchy, on 15th June, he took two machine guns over
the parapet, and arrived at the German first line with one gun, which he
hoisted on the back of Private Vincent, and continued to fire in spite
of the hail of bullets and bombs which fell around him. When the supply
of bombs ran out, Lieutenant Campbell advanced still further with his
gun, and in an exposed position fired about one thousand rounds and held
back the enemy's counter-attack. Later on he was wounded, and died in
hospital at Boulogne. The Victoria Cross, which was awarded after his
death, became the proud and cherished possession of his bereaved wife
and three young children.
Second Lieutenant Sydney Clayton Woodroffe, 8th Battalion, Rifle
Brigade.
You will remember that during the fighting at Hooge, when our men were
fiercely attacked by big guns, liquid fire, and bombs, Second Lieutenant
Woodroffe held a trench in the Zouave Wood. He was one of three
brothers, all of them Marlborough boys, and head prefects of the famous
school in their day. Sydney was still in his teens when he was called
upon to resist torrents of shell, sprays of blazing petrol, and showers
of bursting bombs. Despite the awful storm of fire and flame, he gave
the enemy bomb for bomb; and when his supply was exhausted, withdrew his
men, rallied them anew, and at their head pushed forward once more. The
gallant lad was killed in the act of cutting his way through the
barbed-wire jungle of the enemy. One of his brothers had already made
the supreme sacrifice at Neuve Chapelle.
Second Lieutenant Arthur Boyd Rochfort, Special Reserve, 1st Battalion,
Scots Guards.
On August 3, 1915, Lieutenant Rochfort was standing with a small working
party in a communication trench just south of Cuinchy, when an enemy
mortar threw a bomb which landed on the inside of his parapet. He might
easily have stepped back round a traverse and avoided the danger; but,
shouting to his men to look out, he sprang upon the bomb, picked it up,
and hurled it over the parapet, where it at once exploded. There is no
doubt that his splendid presence of mind saved the lives of many of his
men.
[Illustration: The September Battle in Champagne.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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