SERGEANT TRAVIS, V.C.

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 78, 28 September 1918, Page 5

SERGEANT TRAVIS, V.C.

AN EXTRAORDINARY FIGHTER

SINGLE HANDED DEFIANCE.

(ADS. AND H.Z.- CADIS A6SH. AH» REDT2B.)

(Received September 28, 1 p.m.)

LONDON, 27th September. The Victoria Cross has been awarded' to Sergeant B- C. Travis, late of the Otago Regiment (who has been nicknamed "King of No Man's Land"). He volunteered to destroy an impassable block of wire, and crawled out at dawn.. During the daylight, and in close proximity to the enemy's posts, he successfully destroyed . the block with bombs, and enabled the attacking parties to pass. A few minutes later two enemy machineguns held up one of our bombing parties, endangering the success of the whole operation. Sergeant Travis, utterly disregarding the danger, rushed the position, killed the crew, and captured the guns. An enemy officer and three men attempted to retake the guns, and Sergeant Travis killed them singlehanded. He was killed twenty-four hours later when going from "post to post encouraging the men under,a most intense enemy bombardment.

The. late Sergeant Travis, in addition, to the V.C, won the Distinguished Conduct Medal, the Military Medal, and the Belgian Croix de Guerre. He was about thirty years of age, and was a native; of Texas, but, being left..an, orphan at an early age, he emigrated V" Victoria, and later came to' New ' Zealand. He enlisted from Ryal Bush, Southland, in the Main Body, having been a horse trainer up to that time. He was on Gallipoli until the evacuation. Early, in 1916 he transferred from the mounted arm to the'Bth Southland Company, Second Otago Battalion, and proceeded to France.