The Ypres Times.
73
COMPETITIONS.
GALLANT DEEDS.
Our Gallant Deed Competition produced an
enormous number of entries. With considerable
difficulty, we have picked out the following five
episodes as the most universally interesting. To
the firstMr. Ernest Winnarda prize of one
guinea has been forwarded, and Calendars have
been sent to the other four. It was an invidious
job to choose the best from among so many tales
of gallantry.
HUMOUR.
The Humorous Incident Competition was not
so productive of results. Nobody seems to have
had anything really very funny to write about,
probably the reason is that told in cold blood,
many things seem dull that at the time they
happened were very amusing. We have for
warded Calendars to the following five competitors,
but lack of space unfortunately prevents our
publishing their efforts. Won't you all rack your
brains again for something really funny
G. W. Harper, 10 Viewforth Square, Edinburgh
G. A. Burrell, Southend," Cockton Hill, Bishop
Auckland, Co. Durham Henry A. Stokes, 10
Langley Road, Branksome, Bournemouth Sidney
Rivers Foster, Anmere Nurseries, Stanmore.
THE MOST GALLANT DEED.
Below is the winning entry for our Competition
for describing the most gallant deed witnessed in
the Salient. Following it will be found the episode
to which we accord Honourable Mention, and the
entries of three other competitors to whom Con
solation Prizes have been sent.
THE WINNING ENTRY.
By ERNEST WINNARD
(late Corpl. C. Coy., 9th Platoon, 1st East
Lanes. Regt., B.E.F.)
The following is the most gallant deed of
which I was a, witness.
It was at Wieltje Farm more familiar
to us as Shell Trap Farm." We had
been there a few days, but the real circus
began on Thursday, May 13th, 1915, when
Jerry commenced to bombard us at the
early hour of 3.30 a.m. Their guns were
trained dead on our trenches and they let
us know it. The place was soon a shambles,
every big shell was followed by a volley of
Whizz-bangs, behind us a deadly fury of
curtain fire. This lasted till 4 o'clock in
the afternoon when the attack came and
was repulsed. All the stretcher bearers
were killed with the exception of onename
of Smith or Taylor, I cannot recall the name
just now. From start to finish he was in
and out of the trenches attending to the
wounded, calm and collected through it all,
he seemed to bear a charmed life, those who
could walk at all, he helped down to the
dressing station those who could not walk
he carried on his back, the dressing station
was a matter of 300 yards behind us, and
to get to it, he had to pass there and back
through that hellish curtain fire. I saw
him myself take 30 men down, and every
time he came back, grave of face but
smiling. Several times he got men to help
him with a stretcher and each time as they
got behind the trench the helper was killed
or wounded leaving the S.B. who gave the
stretcher business up in despair and,
making the bad cases as comfortable as
possible in dug-outs, carried on as usual
with the slightly wounded. When the
show was over, and assistance came, that
man still carried on getting away the
wounded all that day, all night, and the
next day, never stopping to eat or sleep
until we were relieved from the trenches on
the night of the 14th May, 1915, by the
South Lanes, and Monmouthshire Regts.
If ever a V.C. was earned, that man earned
it. I don't think he even got Mentioned."
I agitated amongst the men to send in a
statement signed by every Officer, N.C.O.
and man of the Regiment, stating the deed,
and demanding recognition for such a brave
and nobleaction, but nothing was done.
If any man of C. Coy., 1st East Lanes.
Regt., who reads this, and remembers the
episode and the man's name, he will no
doubt verify my story.
Ernest Winnard.
5, Springfield View,
Cloicbridge, Burnley, Lanes.
HONOURABLE MENTION.
Capt. E. H. HAYWARD, tote 5th Brigade, R.F.A.,
Bryn-Hyfryd, Upper Dyserth, N. Wales.
At Kitchener's Wood," near Wieltje on the 10th
November, 1917, the guns (6) of the 64th Battery
R.F.A., 5th Army Brigade R.F.A. (Regulars) in
action immediately in front of the Wood were
accurately ranged by a hostile plane at about
6 a.m. During the bombardment the dug-outs in
the Wood received a terrific shelling, many men
were severely wounded and dug-outs completely
destroyed, the guns also received attention and
one after another were knocked out by direct hits.
The shells were H.E., gas and shrapnel, but
mostly gas.
