The Grenadier Guards in the Great War of 1914-1918, Vol. 2 of 3Ponsonby, Frederick
History
The Grenadier Guards in the Great War of 1914-1918, Vol. 2 of 3
Ponsonby, Frederick
Great Britain. Army. Grenadier Guards; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
thought it held an impregnable position. Lance-Sergeant Rhodes
determined to silence the fire from this post, and most gallantly
advanced towards it by himself. His bravery was rewarded in an
astonishing manner, for the whole garrison of eight men surrendered to
him under the impression that he was the leading man of a large party.
For this conspicuous act of gallantry Sergeant Rhodes was recommended
for the V.C., the award of which was published on November 27, the day
on which he was mortally wounded in the attack on Fontaine in the
Cambrai offensive.
Nor was this the only notable act of gallantry during the advance, for
Lance-Sergeant Horgan and Lance-Corporal Unsworth, on reaching Suez
Farm, succeeded in capturing two field-guns and fifteen prisoners. The
Germans who took refuge in dug-outs were a constant trouble; in cases
where they surrendered at once, they were simply made prisoners. In
certain instances, however, when they imagined they were stronger than
their captors, some of them tried to fight their way out. In this way
three men of No. 4 Company found a dug-out full of Germans, and there
seemed no reason why they should surrender. The leading men who
emerged from the dug-out, finding their captors only numbered three,
determined to fight, but were instantly killed, and the remainder,
numbering fifteen, were made prisoners.
Thus the third objective was secured. Carrying parties with wire from
No. 1 and No. 2 Companies came up, and consolidation was at once
begun. Two machine-guns were also sent up to be placed at the strong
posts east of Veldhoek Cemetery. In the afternoon the enemy was seen
advancing down the Panama House――Faidherbe road, and they were
dispersed by machine-gun fire.
All through the day the Chaplain, Capt. Phillimore, behaved with great
gallantry, attending to the wounded and encouraging the men during the
advance――quite oblivious of the shells and rifle-fire. When it was
dusk the sad task of burying the dead had to be undertaken, and Capt.
Phillimore stood up with his head uncovered, and read the service.
Although the shells fell unpleasantly close to the burial-ground,
which was in the open, he refused to shorten the service in any way,
and when one of the men silently handed him a helmet, he merely shook
his head, and continued to read the service as if there were no
shells.
During the 10th the 3rd Battalion remained in the line they had
captured. About 4.30 A.M. the Germans put down a heavy barrage on our
line, but no infantry attack developed, and the remainder of the day
was quiet. Before nightfall the Battalion established two strong posts
on the road east of Faidherbe Cross-roads, and that night, relieved by
the 4th Battalion Grenadier Guards, it retired to H Camp.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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