MY V.C.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 273, 28 April 1915, Page 7

MY V.C.

HOW I WON IT. WHAT THE KING SAID TO ME. |3y George Wilson, tho.Edinburgh. Her-.) The proudest minute of my life wi'S when the King pinned the Victoria Cross on my breast and talked to me for a IV.v minutes.

'"You're not a very big man but you've got a very big heart Tr.iiy, I'm proud of my soldiers.' These wove tho words he used, and there were tears in his eyes. The King also asked me what were my feelings while I was going through the job, and I told lam that the thing I remembered best was when the Gorman officer tried to shoot me with his revolver and 1 put the bayonet through him. 'T will try and tell you all that happened to me. "After the retirement from Mons the 1T.L.1. came to a village called Verncuil, and wo entrenched there. Not far oil' a few snipers were potting away. oic of our officers got up out of tho tr-nch and was just kneeling down and* putting j his binoculars to his eyes when a buiictl struck him. He rolled over dead. I was a few paces oil", and, turning to the next man, I said, 'Poor Powell is over j and I'll have revenge.'

DISOBEYED THE OFFICER. "We tried all we could to locate the snipers, and I was lucky to get a good uight of them. Two bullets from 'my rifle did for them, and then we advanced cautiously nearer the enemy.' When vc were getting nearer, I was surprised to see a nuiuber of spiked helmets. 1 was taken aback for a second, but then I decided to make a rush for it.

"Shouting at the top of my voice, 'Charge, men, charge,' I rushed at them, ".hey were taken by surprise, and threw down their rifles. Two men in a Middlesex Regiment came up and I. told them to look after the Germans. There were eight of thorn.

"Further along I took up my posicun in a trench, but when I looked over I was horrified to see men lying about in all sorts of positions. Some were dead, and others were writhing in agony. I asked the man next me what was wrong, and he said, 'lt's a maxim, and its not done with its work yet.' *

"I stood up to see for myself. The machine-gun of the Germans was not a great distance off, and I said to iiiyr-elf 'lt will kill us all if something doo.m't happen to it.' I thought I would ai least have one shot, and got in position to fire. The officer told me to get down, but I was so-excited that I ran forward Besides me there was a man in the Middlesex Regiment, and he turned to me and said, Mock, will you have a try to stop the gun ?' I said 1 would, and he replied, 'l'll go with you.' ONLY ONE LEFT. "By this time we had got beyond range of the officer's orders, for we had gone without permission. "Then began a journey that as long as I live will ever remain in my memory.

"The Germans saw us coming and bullets flew thick around us. My pal was struck in several places and dropped. I ran zig-zag and dropped on my knees to take a shot at the operators of the machine-gun. My first shot knocked tiie man sitting on tho maxim backwards. His place was taken by another German, but he, too, I accounted for. How I escaped being hit myself I cannot explain. There seemed to be a good providence keeping guard over me.

"When four of the Germans were killed there only remained one officer bcj'de the gun. He had crept behind it and was waiting for me with his automatic pistol ready. "I rushed forward, yelling at the top of my voice, when the pistol started to spit. One bullet just passed the side of my head and my ear tingled. That was all the damage that German officer did. I sprang at him in wild fury and drove the bayonet straight into his body. He collapsed, and to withdraw the steel I had to put my foot on his face. My clothes were spattered with blood, but 1 felt much easier in mind, and I put down my rifle and turned to the belt containing the ammunition.

"There were over 700 rounds left. I shifted the maxim round in the direction of the Germans. They wore over a hundred yards off, and massed in close formation. I started firing, and to my delight I saw big holes being made in their ranks, for it was impossible to mi'J3 thein. They fell in bunches, and the heaps kept piling up.

GERMANS FLED. "The enemy now saw the deadly effect of their own gun being used against themselves and sent shells in my direction. They flew on all sides of me and threw up dirt and splinters, but not once was I struck. I continued working the maxim until the Germans fled in disorder.

"There must have been four companies of Germans altogether, and I reckon the maxim accounted for at least half their number—2oo men.

"As there was no further use in me remaining where I was I took the gun and two boxes of ammunition back to the lines. I hadn't gone very far when I began to feel sickish, but once I came near our own lads I bucked up, and an officer came to meet me.

" •There's the d—d thing that's been doing all the damage,' I said to him, and he replied, 'You have done splendidly.'

" "Then I was told that my comrade Mas still lying out in the open, and I told those 'near me that I would fetch him in. They told me not to risk it, as the. snipers were again busy potting. However, I wasn't going to rest until I had made an effort to save him.

"I reached my pal all safe, and lifted him on my shoulder. When I had gone a few yards a terrible hail of bullets whiraed' around us. I felt the finger of one of my hands tingle. A bullet had just grazed it. My poor mate was, however, struck several times, and he did not live long after I carried him into our lines.

"His dying words to me were—'Thank God you got that gun.'"