FOR VALOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 27, 31 July 1940, Page 7

FOR VALOUR

TWO V.C/S AWARDED

FIRST FOR THE ARMY

CAPTAIN AND N.C.O.

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.)

(Received July 31, 8 a.m.)

LONDON, July 30

The first Army Victoria Crosses earned in this war have been awarded to Captain Harald Marcus ErvineAndrews, of the East Lancashire Regiment, and to Lance-Corporal Harry Nicholls, of the Grenadier Guards.

Captain Ervine-Andrews, on the night of May 31, called for volunteers to fill a dangerous gap in front of Dunkirk. He himself climbed on top of a barn, from where he engaged the enemy with rifle and Bren gun fire, although the enemy were sending mortar bombs and bullets through the roof. Captain Ervine-Andrews accounted for seventeen of the enemy with the rifle and for many more with the Bren gun. He then extricated the remnants of his company from, their perilous position. He displayed courage, tenacity, and devotion to duty and magnificently imbued his troops with his own dauntless fighting spirit.

Lance-Corporal Nicholls was commanding a section when ordered to counter-attack on May 21. He was wounded in the arm immediately, but continued to advance over a small ridge into heavy close-range machinegun fire. He dashed forward, firing a Bren gun from his hip, and- silenced three machine-guns, despite a further serious wound. He went up to higher ground and engaged massed German infantry, causing many casualties. He fired until his ammunition was exhausted and received further wounds, but refused to give in. His gallantry compelled the enemy to fall back across the River Schelde. Lance-Cor-poral Nicholls has since been killed in action.