At Delville Wood, on 18th July 1916. For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. A bombing party under Lieutenant Craig attempted to rush across forty yards of ground which lay between the British and enemy trenches. Coming under very heavy rifle and machine-gun fire, the officer and the majority of the party were killed or wounded. Unable to move, Lieutenant Craig lay midway between the two lines of trenches, the ground being quite open. In full daylight Private Faulds, accompanied by two other men, climbed the parapet, ran out, picked up the officer and carried him back, one man being severely wounded in so doing.
Two days later Private Faulds again showed most conspicuous bravery in going out alone to bring in a wounded man, and carrying him nearly half a mile to a dressing-station, subsequently rejoining his platoon. The artillery-fire was at the time so intense that stretcher-bearers and others considered that any attempt to bring in the wounded men meant certain death. This risk Private Faulds faced unflinchingly, and his bravery was crowned with success.
Captain Henry Reynolds, M.C., 12th Bn. The Royal Scots
For most conspicuous bravery. When his company, in attack and approaching their final objective, suffered heavy casualties from enemy machine-guns and from an enemy “Pill-box,” which had been passed by the first wave, Captain Reynolds reorganised his men, who were scattered, and then proceeded alone by rushes from shell-hole to shell-hole, all the time being under heavy machine-gun fire. When near the “Pill-box” he threw a grenade, intending that it should go inside, but the enemy had blocked the entrance. He then crawled to the entrance and forced a phosphorous grenade inside. This set the place on fire and caused the death of three of the enemy, while the remaining seven or eight surrendered with two machine-guns.
Afterwards, though wounded, he continued to lead his company against another objective and captured it, taking seventy prisoners and two more machine-guns.
During the whole attack the company was under heavy machine-gun fire from the flanks, but despite this Captain Reynolds kept complete control of his men.
Lance-Corporal William Henry Hewitt, 2nd Regiment, South African Infantry
At east of Ypres on 20th September 1917, for most conspicuous bravery during operations. Lance-Corporal Hewitt attacked a “Pill-box” with his section, and tried to rush the doorway. The garrison however proved very stubborn, and in the attempt this N.C.O. received a severe wound. Nevertheless, he proceeded to the loophole of the “Pill-box” where, in his attempts to put a bomb into it, he was again wounded in the arm. Undeterred, however, he eventually managed to get a bomb inside which caused the occupants to dislodge, and they were successfully and speedily dealt with by the remainder of the section.
Lieutenant Robert Vaughan Gorle, “A” Battery, 5th Brigade R.F.A.