BAN ON BRAVERY

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 58, 31 May 1927, Page 7

BAN ON BRAVERY

OFFICER RECOMMENDED FOR V.C. RECEIVES A REPRIMAND To have been recommended for the Victoria Cross, but instead to have been reprimanded by senior officers, was the unusual experience of Colonel the Hon. James L. Ralston, C.M.G., D. 5.0., the Canadian Minister of National Defence. It has just become known that it happened toward the close of the war, when Colonel Ralston was in command of the 85 th Battalion Nova Scotia Highlanders, says a “Central News,” Toronto, message. The battalion had just taken over a onto, message. section of the front line at the end of | July, 1918, when a daring and brilliant reconnaisance was carried out by a small party under Lieutenant Evans. After regaining their own trenches it was found that the young officer had not returned. Lieutenant-Colonel Ralston, accompanied by Lieutenant Adams, entered No Man’s Land in an attempt to locate the missing officer. By this time the enemy thoroughly aroused were sweeping the whole area with trench mortars, machine-guns and and rifles, but the present Minister of Defence carried on the search until he located Lieutenant Evans within enemy territory', and rescued him. For this act of courage, LieutenantColonel Ralston was recommended for the Victoria Cross. The higher authorities refused to entertain the recommendation on the ground that it was not the business of a commanding officer to risk his life in such a manner.