Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1918 — WIN HIGH HONOR BY HEROIC DEEDS [ARTICLE]

WIN HIGH HONOR BY HEROIC DEEDS

Recent Examples of Courage and Self-Sacrifice in British Records. , GAVE HIS LIFE FOR OTHERS < Second Lieutenant, in Face of Liquid Fire Attack, Holds Enemy Off Until Help Comes —Sergeant Who Was Born to Command. London, England.—The London Gazette, with official brevity, recently gave accounts of the heroism and devotion to duty of nine British soldiers, who have been rewarded by the highest honor the British soldier can win—the Victoria cross. The brief stories from their very reticence tell all the more effectively of thrilling bravery and of the exhibition of capacity for leadership on the part of an officer, N. C. O.’s and men. The case of Second Lieut. H. F. Parsons, who belonged to the Gloucester regiment, is one where a junior officer grasped the importance of the post he was holding, and at the cost of his own life, and despite severe burns from liquid fire, saved the situation on his part of the line. The bombers holding the „post were forced back, but Lieutenant Parsons hung on, bombing the advancing enemy, and delayed them long enough to enable a bombing party to be formed and come into action. The party succeeded in driving the enemy out of the line before they reached any of the British trenches. How long Lieutenant Parsons held the position is not stated, but we do know that he was severely burned before the situation developed and that dbrlng the timeJhe held, the enemy he received such severe wounds that he died from them. Fought Until Gun Worked. Another man who displayed the same grasp of the facts of a situation, and gave his life to hold an important post, was a Canadian infantry sergeant, Frederick Hobson. During a strong hostile counter-attack, an enemy shell exploded on a forward post where there was a Lewis gun, and buried the gun, killing all the crew but

one man. Sergeant Hobson climbed from his trench and ran up to the gun. He helped to dig it out and got it into, action against the advancing enemy. The post lay in a communication trench that led to the hostile lines, and the enemy were coming down the trench and across the open. No doubt the burial of the gun had something to do with the fact that it jammed and* stopped There was nothing now to hold the enemy. Sergeant Hobson had been wounded, but he told the gunner to correct the stoppage, and rushed forward. Single handed, he fought the enemy with bayonet and clubbed rifle until at last he was killed with a rifle shot. ” But his bravery had saved the situaatiori. The Lewis gun again came into action and held the enemy until re-en-forcements arrived, when the attack was completely defeated. It sometimes occurs in a difficult situation that one man will stand out as a born leader., He is the man of the party who understands the position and is quick to seize the most meager opportunity that presents itself. It is apparent that Lance Sergt. John Moyney of the Irish guards is such a man. This Irishman, from Rathdowney, in Queens county, won the Victoria cross for most conspicuous bravery and not a little ability as a leader. - He was in command of 15 men forming two advanced posts. With no water and little food, he held the position for 96 hours, though surrounded by the enemy. The morning of the fifth day, a greatly superior force of the enemy advanced to dislodge this party, which was apparently a thorn in their flesh. Sergeant Moyney ordered his men out of their shellholes, and taking the Initiative, attacked the enemy with bombs. He had a Lewis gun with his party and used it with deadly effect from the flank. The enemy got round him, but by a charge he broke through, himself leading the rush. Half-way across the path of his retirement was a stream, and the sergeant took advantage of this to cover the retirement of his men. He was helped by a Lancashire man. Private Thomas Woodcock. Between them they held up the enemy until the whole party had got across the stream, when both retired under a shower of bombs. Private Saves Wounded Man. Private Woodcock helped the sergeant by using his Lewis gun untii the very last moment. The enemy were almost right up at the post before he and his N. C. O. cleared out. The enemy were throwing bombs as quickly as they could, and the “bursts” were all around the stream. Private Woodcock was nearly clear of the stream when he heard the cries of some man left behind. A member of the party was calling for help. In spite of the bombs, Woodcock waded back into the stream and picked up the man who was calling for help. He took him out of the water and carried him, in broad daylight, right across the open ground under heavy machine gun fire; so the entire party got safely away. Private Thomas Woodcock of Wigan, Lancashire, receives the Victoria cross as does his N. C. O. lance sergeant, Moyney. Their adventure is a very fine example of the initiative and courage of the British soldier.