So ended the short but valiant career of the avenging “Lusitania.” For his very gallant command, Second Lieutenant Weber received an immediate award of the Military Cross, and Sergeant Latham the Military Medal. The specific action for which the latter was decorated is officially described as follows:
“76441 Sgt. F. Latham, ‘C’ Batt., awarded M.M. for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During the Battle of Arras on April 9, 1917, whilst passing through a severe enemy barrage, lengths of barbed wire were caught up by the tracks of his Tank which pulled the camouflage cover over the exhaust openings, and caused the whole mass to catch fire. Without waiting for orders Sergeant Latham climbed on top of the Tank and removed the burning material. Later on this N.C.O. displayed the greatest courage whilst attempting to dig out his Tank under heavy fire.”
Another Tank, commanded by Second Lieutenant S. S. Ching, in this sector was late in starting, and had barely caught up its infantry when it became ditched. It held out, however, for no less than three days while the fighting eddied about it.
It made most active use of its 6-pounders, thereby effectively protecting the right flank of its infantry.
Another Tank fell bodily into an old gun emplacement near Neuville-Vitasse which had been carefully turfed over.
V
Bullecourt
By the night of the 9th the force of the first wave was spent, and though, as we have seen, many units were continuously in action for the next three days, for the bulk both of Tanks and infantry April 10 was spent in consolidating positions or digging out and repairing Tanks.
On April 11 the attack on Bullecourt and two other lesser actions were fought. One of the two minor attacks was that on Monchy, in which six Tanks took part.
It was highly successful owing chiefly to the extremely gallant way in which the machines were fought. The Tanks took the village practically unassisted and held it for two hours till the infantry came up.
Unfortunately, there were no further supplies of Tanks to exploit the success or more might have been achieved. The second attack was made from Neuville-Vitasse down the Siegfried Line. Four Tanks took part and did great execution, all the machines returning safely.