The Irish on the Somme: Being a Second Series of 'The Irish at the Front'MacDonagh, Michael
History
The Irish on the Somme: Being a Second Series of 'The Irish at the Front'
MacDonagh, Michael
Great Britain. Army; Somme, 1st Battle of the, France, 1916; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories
Testimony to the value of these religious favours as safeguards
against danger and stimulants to endurance and heroism was given in a
most dramatic manner by Corporal Holmes, V.C., of the King's Own
Yorkshire Light Infantry, who also holds the highest French
decoration, the Medaille Militaire. He visited the Catholic schools at
Leeds. All the girls and boys were assembled to see him. One of the
nuns told the children how Corporal Holmes won his honours during the
retreat from Mons. He carried a disabled comrade out of danger,
struggling on with his helpless human burden for three miles under
heavy fire. Then taking the place of the driver, who was wounded, he
brought a big gun, with terror-stricken horses, out of action, through
lines of German infantry and barbed wire entanglements. At the
crossing of the Aisne a machine-gun was left behind, as the bridge
over which it was hoped to carry it was shelled by the enemy. Corporal
Holmes plunged into the river with it, some distance below the bridge,
and, amid shot and shell, brought it safely to the other bank. When
the nun had finished recounting his deeds, Corporal Holmes
unexpectedly turned back his tunic, and saying, "This is what saved
me," pointed to his rosary and medal of the Blessed Virgin.
There is the equally frank and positive declaration made by
Lance-Corporal Cuddy of the Liverpool Irish (the King's Liverpool
Regiment), who was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for
gallantry in saving life after the great battle of Festubert. He was
in the trenches with his regiment. Cries for help came from some
wounded British soldiers lying about fifteen yards from the German
trenches. The appeal smote the pitying heart of Cuddy. He climbed the
parapet of his trench, and, crawling forward on his stomach,
discovered two disabled men of the Scottish Rifles. One of them had a
broken thigh. Cuddy coolly bound up the limb, under incessant fire
from the German trenches, and crawled back to his trench, dragging the
man with him. Then, setting out to bring in the second man, he was
followed by Corporal Dodd of the same battalion, who volunteered to
assist him. On the way a bullet struck Dodd on the shoulder and passed
out through his leg. Cuddy bandaged him and carried him safely back.
Once more he crawled over the fire-swept ground between the trenches
to the second Scottish rifleman. This time he took an oil-sheet with
him. He wrapped it round the wounded man and brought him in also. All
this was the work of hours. Not for a moment did this brave and simple
soul flinch or pause in his humane endeavours. He seemed to be
indifferent, or absolutely assured, as to his own fate. And he had the
amazing good luck of going through the ordeal scathless, save for a
slight wound in the leg. As is the way with soldiers, the comrades of
Cuddy joked with him on his success in dodging the bullets of the
bloody German snipers. "They were powerless to hit me. I carry the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account