The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 2 (of 10): From the Battle of Mons to the Fall of Antwerp.Parrott, Edward
History
The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 2 (of 10): From the Battle of Mons to the Fall of Antwerp.
Parrott, Edward
World War, 1914-1918 -- Juvenile literature
I will close this chapter by giving you some account of the heroes who
won the Victoria Cross during the retreat from Mons to St. Quentin. You
will notice that four of them belong to the Royal Field Artillery. This
alone is sufficient to show you how splendidly the artillery fought
during that critical time. It is not too much to say that the retreat
would have become a rout had not every gunner played a hero's part.
Captain Francis Octavius Grenfell, 9th Lancers, was the hero of the
stirring episode of which you read on page 88.
Private Sidney Frank Godley, 4th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, City of
London, won the highest award of valour for his coolness and gallantry
in continuing to fight his machine gun, though hotly assailed for two
hours, and suffering from a wound received at Mons.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ernest Wright Alexander, 119th Battery, Royal Field
Artillery, greatly distinguished himself on August 24, 1914. When the
5th Division was retiring to the Bavay-Maubeuge position, Major
Alexander, as he was then, handled his guns so skilfully that they did
great execution on the Germans; and when they were threatened with
capture by overwhelming numbers of the enemy, he and three men moved
them into safety by hand. The splendid stand which he made enabled the
5th Division to retire without serious loss. On a later date he rescued
a wounded man under heavy fire, and on every occasion when he was
engaged showed the greatest gallantry and devotion to duty. For these
noble services he was awarded the Victoria Cross and received promotion.
Captain Douglas Reynolds, Driver Job Henry Charles Drain, and Driver
Frederick Luke, all of the 37th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, showed
magnificent courage during "the most critical day of all," 26th August.
When it became clear that the corps holding the Le Cateau position would
be utterly wiped out if a retirement were not attempted, the Royal Field
Artillery covered the retreat with almost superhuman courage and
devotion. At one stage in the retirement all the men working some of our
guns were shot down, and the pieces were on the point of being captured
by German infantry, then only a hundred yards away. Captain Reynolds
called for volunteers to save the guns, and drivers Drain and Luke were
amongst those who answered the call. Two teams dashed forward amidst a
terrible rifle and shrapnel fire, and limbered up two of the guns.
Thanks to the devoted courage of Captain Reynolds and the two drivers,
one gun was got safely away. In a later engagement a German battery was
holding up a British advance. Captain Reynolds crept forward under a
heavy fire, and got so near the German guns that he was able to discover
their position, and bring his own guns to bear on them until the battery
was silenced. Eight days later he was severely wounded.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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