THE VICTORIA CROSS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 236, 5 October 1928, Page 6

THE VICTORIA CROSS.

A very interesting article on the Victoria | Cross appeared in your supplement of Saturday last. However, the writer was in error in his statement that only one bar had been awarded to the V.C., namely, that of Captain Martin-Leake. There have been two. The other bar was awarded to Captain X. G. Chavasse, V.C., M.C., R.A.M.C., one of the outstanding personalities among the winners of this coveted decoration. The deeds performed by this officer form a magnificent record of bravery and devotion to duty and his fellow men and were not done in the heat of action, but by continuous work rescuing and attending to wounded for long periods often under heavy fire, and in one case (when the bar was awarded) he was wounded himself. He won the V.C. at Guillemont on August 9, 1916, and the bar at Wieltje on August 2, 1917. He died of wounds a few days after this latter date. Like Martin-Leake, Chavasse was a regimental doctor. He was a twin son of the Bishop of Liverpool and in his day a noted athlete. H. FLEMING. [Mr. W. H. Alexander writes to the same effect.—Ed.]