"FOR VALOUR."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15998, 17 August 1915, Page 4

"FOR VALOUR."

WINNERS OF THE V.C.

FROM SHOP TO TRENCH.

A WONDERFUL FEAT.

When the war broke out Douglas Belcher was a vouug man serving behind the

counter of Messrs. Waring and Gillow. I * one of London's " universal providing " ! 1 firms. He left and joined the London ! I Rifle Brigade, and now he has been : 1 awarded the V.C., and has been promoted i ' to the rank of sergeant. He won his cross ! ' on the Wieltje - St. Jnlien Road during i ' the last German terrific attack on the j ' British lines at that point. The official | 1 mention of the award states that " during i a very fierce and continuous bombardment j ] Lance-Sergeant Belcher elected to remain ! and endeavour to hold his position after i the troops near him had been withdrawn. I and by his skill and great gallantry main- i tained his position during the day, pre- j venting the enemy breaking through on j the Wieltje Road and averting an attack j on the flank of one of our divisions." Ser- , geant Belcher tells the story with more . raciness in his own words. "We took up j a new position," lie said. " and T was ■ given eight men and told to hold an ad : vanced post. Well, we were being shelled to blazes, but I got a message through. ' * Regiment on my right retiring, but I am holding on.' I got a. reply, 'Good;' hold on.' I held on until reinforcements came up. I had to see the commanding ; officer next morning, and he said, ' Ser- ■ geant Belcher, allow me to congratulate j you personally on your brilliant perform- j ance yesterday. You saved the situation.' i I had nothing ■■ .orse than a bit of shrapnel j through my hat and a slight scratch on , the chin." Incidentally, it may be men- j tioned that the ex-London shopman finds j soldiering more beneficial to the health ! than standing behind the counter. When ! he went to the front he weighed lOst 71b. j Now ho weighs over 13st. Gallant Work With Bombs. ! Private William Mariner, of the 2nd | Battalion, King s Royal Rifle Corps, was i awarded the Victoria Cross for a truly ! astonishing feat, in the course of which he stopped a German force in front of ] him single-handed. During a violent thunderstorm on the night of May 22 Mariner left his trench near Cambrin, and crept out through the German wire en- ; tanglements till he reached the emplace- j ment of a Gerpian machine-gun which i had been damaging the British parapets j and harrying their working parties. After ! climbing on the top of the German para- ! pet, Mariner threw a bomb in under the ! roof of the gun emplacement. He heard some groaning and the enemv running away. After about a-quarter of an hour he heard some of them coming back again, and climbed up on the other side of the emplacement and threw another bomb among them left-handed. He then lay still while the Germans opened a heavy fire on the wire entanglement behind him, j and it was only after about an hour that j he was able to crawl back to his own j trench. He was out alone for an hour ! and a half carrying out this gallant work. Kept On While Wounded. Indomitable personal heroism was shown by Lieutenant George Roupell. Ist Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, which . won him the Victoria Cross. During the fighting on Hill 60 he was commanding a company of his battalion in a front trench, and, though wounded in several places, he remained at his post and led his company in repelling a strong German attack. During a lull in the bombardment he had his wounds hurriedly dressed, and then insisted on returning to his ■ trench, which was again subjected to a heavy bombardment. Towards evening ( his company being dangerously weakened, he went back to his battalion head- . quarters, represented the position to his ' commanding officer, and brought up reinforcements. With these reinforcements he held his position through the night and until his battalion was relieved in the morning. He was one of the few survivors of his company.