Major Charles Allix Lavington Yate, 2nd Battalion the King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry), did superb deeds of heroism at Le Cateau. His battalion formed part of the 5th Division, which was the last to retire. Major Yate commanded one of two companies that remained to the end. All the other officers had been killed or wounded, and there was no more ammunition left. Rather than surrender, Major Yate called upon the nineteen survivors of his company--every man of whom deserved the Victoria Cross--to fix bayonets and charge. They did so with furious gallantry; but, unhappily, Major Yate was shot down. As he lay on the ground, severely wounded, he was picked up by the Germans and made a prisoner of war. He did not live to receive the coveted honour awarded him, but died in the hands of the enemy. Lance-Corporal Frederick William Holmes, of the same regiment and battalion, also proved himself supremely brave at Le Cateau. He carried a wounded man out of the trenches under fire, and later on, when he saw a gun in danger of capture, sprang into the saddle of a driver who had been wounded and helped to drive the gun out of action into a place of safety. "Men May bear the blazon wrought of centuries, hold Their armouries higher than arms imperial; yet Know that the least their countryman, whose hand Hath done his country service, lives their peer, And peer of all their fathers." [Illustration: French Infantry retreating. _Photo, Record Press._] [Footnote 60: Privates are only promoted to this rank for gallantry on the field.] [Footnote 61: Royal Army Medical Corps.]