D.S.O. Captain’ Eye-glass

Hokitika Guardian, 31 January 1922, Page 3

D.S.O. Captain’ Eye-glass

CART. ENTWISLE’S FATE

LONDON, Dec. 2,

A career of courage and great promise has been ended by the death of Captain F. Entwisle, D. 5.0., M.C., at the head of the little British column in India which was surprsied by a gang of Wazirs from across the Afghan frontier.

Captain Entwisle served witli the greatest distinction in the 23rd Battalion London Regiment throughout the war. He received the immediate award of the Military Cross for gallantry on May 25 and 26, 1915, at Givenchy, when he was the only company officer not killed or wounded in his battalion. Upon being ordered to withdraw from an advanced position with the surviving men of his company, then numbering about 18, he led them to a flank and rushed and captured a German strong post and machine-guns, which had been giving untold trouble for many hours. This action enabled an almost untenable position to be retained.

Immediately on regaining our lines, altlioiig.h lie had been continuously fighting for 36 hours, lie volunteered to work throughout the night collecting wounded in No-man’s-land, under heavy shelling and machine-gun fire. Tn December 1917 he was transferred to the second line battalion of the same regiment, which formed part of the 6flth (London) Division in Palestine. Arriving just in. time to take part in the first raid on Amman, he again found himself, within a fortnight of having joined, the only company officer in his unit who was not' a casualty. His conduct in this little-known action, which gained him his D. 5.0., forms an epic worthy of the highest award a soldier can receive.

With two companies of his own and two companies of another battalion, ho found himself isolated on a ridge which overlooked the only road by which the division of cavalry, and other troops engaged in the operation could withdraw.

Owing to the configuration of the ground the Turks were able to bring artillery five to hear on his right roar, while they attacked him frontally with constant reinforcements.

For sixty hours lie hold his ground, beating off five successive attacks, in three of which lie actually took prisoners from the enemy, and eventually found himself reduced to one wounded officer remaining at duty, and about 40 men.

A sixth attack drove him off the summit of the ridge, but be managed to hold on to the lower slopes until nightfall, when, the object of the raid having been achieved, a general withdrawal was ordered.

Entwisle w'as a great “card,” the most imperturbable person that ever existed, and the only person I ever knew who was inseparable from a dandified eye-glass under every condition, even when in action.

The writer, who was closely associated with him in both the above episodes, and on many other occasions,

has never come across a man so entirely devoted to duty in action or so devoid of fear.