The Ypres Times.
81
Captain Francis Octavius GRENFELL,
9th Lancers.
For gallantry in action against unbroken
infantry at Andregnies, Belgium, on 24th
August, 19x4, and for gallant conduct in
assisting to save the guns of the 119th
Battery, Royal Field Artillery, near Doubon
the same day..London Gazette, 16th No
vember, 1914.
Bt.-Colonel C. A. Grenfell sends us the
following account
Captain Francis Grenfell,V.C.said the 9th
Cancers were ordered to charge some German
Infantry and gunsthey never reached their
objective (though there were beautiful
pictures in the illustrated papers of them
sabreing gunners). He said they were
stopped by wire and that as they
neared them shrapnel rained on them.
His horse was killed. He got on another
and caught up his squadron, which
had scattered, he said, like a covey
of partridges after they had been driven
over the guns. They rallied behind a
railway embankment, which gave them
some cover.
From rising ground close by came an
officer of 119 Battery, R.F.A., undei Major
G. H. Alexander, and said that all the
officers and most of the men of his battery
were knocked out, could Francis help him
to get the guns away. Francis said We
have no harness or ropes and cannot pull
them out without it." Oh," said the
officer, our horses, with their harness, etc.,
are further down the embankment, but the
Germans have so exactly our range that
we cannot bring the horses up." Francis
said he would go and reconnoitre the situa
tion and rode out to the hill, at the trot.
I fancy that as soon as he appeared they
renewed the shelling. He saw that it was
quite possible to man-handle and roll the
guns down to the lee side of the embank
ment, so he walked his horse quietly back
to the squadron. (Fie said that was the
part that required the most nerve, his
inclination being to gallop but he walked
to reassure his men.) Having rejoined them
he told his squadron what he wanted them
to do and called for volunteers. They all
volunteered. Having selected the number
he wanted and left the rest with their horses,
he went up the hill again with his men on
foot. When they got to the guns they were
heavily shelled. Francis was knocked over
and wounded rather badly in the hand
and thighhowever down the hill they
rolled the guns, the gun horses were
brought up, attached to the guns, and
what was left of the Battery got away.
By this time the German infantry were
within 300 yards.
Francis always ascribed all the credit to
his men who, he said, worked splendidly
he always felt that the V.C. was given to
the regiment and not to him, and left it to
them in his will.
He then tried to rejoin his regiment.
Feeling faint from his wounds he fri
leave his squadron. Having got to a
and a dressing station, as he was bleeding
rather badly, he went into it. They put
him into an ambulance and sent him off
at once, having more serious cases, to
deal with. The ambulance became so
crowded, as it progressed, with bad cases
that, after going a few miles he got out
