TWO VICTORIA CROSSES

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23087, 1 August 1940, Page 7

TWO VICTORIA CROSSES

AWARDS FOR VALOUR IN FRANCE FOURTH AND FIFTH OF THE WAR (Received July 31, 1010 a.m.) LONDON, July 30. Two more Victoria Crosses, the fourth and fifth of the war, have been awarded. This time the awards go to the Army. The men decorated were Captain Harold Marcus Ervine-An-drews, of the East Lancashire Regiment, and the late Cnnce-Corporal Harry Nicholls, of the Grenadier Guards. Captain Ervine-Andrews was decorated for most conspicuous gallantry in the face of the German advance at Dunkirk. His company took over 1000 yards of the front line and held it in the face of vastly superior forces. When the enemy crossed a canal and threatened both flanks, Captain ErvineAndrews called for .volunteers and ran forward. Hu climbed>to the top of a straw-roofed barn, and in spite of the fact that it was being, penetrated by mortar bombs, engaged the enemy. He himself accounted for 17 Germans with a rifle and many more with a Bren gun. When the barn was shattered and on fire, he sent the wounded back, and collecting the remaining eight survivors of his company, waded and swam through the canal back to cover. His magnificent example imbued his troops with the same heroic fighting spirit he displayed himself. Silenced Two Machine-Guns Lance-Corporal Nicholls was leading a section which was ordered to attack on May 21. Although wounded in the arm immediately he went over the top, he continued to lead his section forward. When a machine-gun opened fire on them he ran forward firing from the hip with a Bren gun. putting the enemy gun out of action. Another machine-gun nest was wiped out in similar fashion. Although he was again wounded, Lance-Corporal Nicholls pressed forward to higher ground, engaging the enemy and enabling the British advance to continue and force the Germans back across the Scheldt. Lance-Corporal Nicl. 11s • was Wounded four times but refused to give in. He has since been reported killed in action. SOUTH AFRICAN DISORDERS GENERAL SMUTS REBUKES DR. MALAN ' (Received July 31. 11 P.m.) GAPE TOWN, July 31. The Prime Minister (General Smuts) vigorously accused Dr. Malan and. his Colleagues of stirring up strife, when Dr. Malan protested oh behalf of a number of Afrikaans students who had been * hadly man-handled, for deliberately breaking the daily two-minutes’ silence General Smuts said: “The disorderliness. Sabotage, and public violence at present being perpetrated are the most likely outcome of the vehement peace propaganda you and conducting. You have slighted Parliament’s decision, opposed the country s policy, and cultivated a spirit of resistance against lawful authority.