AWARDED THE V.C.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25304, 14 August 1943, Page 5

AWARDED THE V.C.

SCOTS GUARDS OFFICER RUGBY, Aug. 12.

The Victoria Cross has been awarded posthumously to Captain Lord Lyell, of the Scots Guards, who by outstanding leadership and gallant self-sacrifice at Djebel Bou Arrar (Tunisia) enabled his company to carry out a task which had an important bearing on the success of the battalion and brigade. On April 27 his company was held up in the foothills by heavy fire from an enemy post consisting of a heavy machine gun and an 88-millimetre gun in separate pits. He collected the only available men not pinned down by the fire—a sergeant, a lance-corporal, and two guardsmen—and led them to the attack. He lobbed a grenade into the machine-gun pit, destroying the crew. At this point the sergeant was killed and both guardsmen were wounded. Quickly he ran towards the 88-milli-metre gun. while the lance-corporal gave covering fire, and was in among the gun’s crew with the bayonet before they had time to fire more than one shot. He killed a number of them before being overwhelmed and killed himself. The few sui’vivors of the crew then left the pit, some being killed while retreating. Thus both guns were silenced and the company was able to advance and take the objective.