Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

SUPER HEROES
FIVE V.CS AWARDED.
SOME OF THE DEEDS.
(Renter's Tclcgvoms.)
LONDON. Tj-day.
Almost superhuman Tieroieni character
ises the acts for which five Victoria
Crosses have been awarded. Three of the
recipients are dead. The following :are
typical* incidents. Second-Lieutenant B. ?-
CassidV (late Lancashire Fusiliers),' — 'Dar-
ing a hostile attack, when a flajJi'of h«
division waa endangered, , he commanded
his company in c!oee support and carried
cJ; to the letter the orders that he must
hold the position to the laet. The enemy
came on in overwhelming numbers, endea
vouring to. turn the flank. He, however,
continually rallied hir. men under a Jwaafic
bombardment; The enemy -were Spiral
times cleared out of their trenches by his
personal leadership.' His company was
eventually surrounded, but Caesidy fouglit
on, encouraging and exhorting lis men
until he was killed. Hk gallant conduct
iicM Bp the whole attack at this point, and
undoubtedly saved the left flaufc from pOE^
jible disaster.
An Intrepid Australian.
The Victoria Cross has afeo been award
ed to Sergeant S. R. McDougaU, of tlie
Australian Infantry. When the first
enemy wave entered our line McDougall,
who w-^G on the flank, realised the situation
and charged the enemy's second wave
singiehanded, and with rifle and bayonet
billed seven of the enemy and cv»tured a
machine gun, which he turned against tihe
enemy. Firing from his hip, infli-ting fur
ther .casualties and routing- the remainder
of the wave, McDbnga.Il then attacked the
first wave at close quarters tintil his ammu
nition was exhausted. He seized hie bay
onet and charged, tlie enemy again, killing
three, also, officers who were about to kiH
one of our officers. He then used a Lewis
gun against the enemy, killing many and so
enabling us to capture thirty-three pri
soners.
A Gallant Private.
Private H-.G. Columbine, late of the
Machine Gun Corps, has been awarded the
V.C. Owing to casualties Columbine took
command of a gun and kept firing irom
9 in the morning till 1 in the afternoon in
an isolated and us wired position, beating
back successive waves of attack. By low
flying an aeroplane enabled ihe ' snemy
finally to gain a strong footing in the
trench, one on either «de. The position
being untenable, Colunsbine ordered the
two remaining men to get away, and
though '.bombed from either side he kept
the gun firing, inflicting heavy losses on
the enemy. He was eventually killed by a
bomb, which blew him up with his^gun.
$