THE IRISH GUARDS' V.C.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13771, 7 May 1915, Page 2

THE IRISH GUARDS' V.C.

Sergeant Michael O'T^oary, V.C., the '. story of whose amazing deed in killing eight Germans, taking two prisoners, and jractksally capturing tho enemy's 1 position,--is still on every lip, has'given in a 'otter to his parents, published in tho "Daily News1 and Leader," a. modf-st account of .the episode, which is far [vom doing him justice:— ■""When wo charged the Huns and routed them in disorder (lie writes) 3011 bet the Irish Guards are getting their own back. Now on that date 1 took some of our men up to 'a very important position of theirs and took it from .them capturing their machine gun and lulling some of their gunners and taking a few prisoners. The Huns lost t.erribly. We had only a few casualties. "On the 6th wo attacked them again with a bayonet charge,, and took all their trenches, which we never expected to do; but when iho Irish Guards charge- they do charge, and the Huns know it. You would laugh if you saw us chasing them, mowing them down by, the hundred. • Our men, wu'ild follow tlK<m to Berlin if they were let."' A v.'vitl account, which puts O'Leary's achievement in aver.v different ligh';, was i dated tea "Daily Mail1 representative by Company Quartermastersergeant J. G. Lowry, of the Irish Guards. TJi G fight occurred near-tho famous La Bassee brickfield. "The British and Fi-ench artillery," i>ai d Qua r ter m a ster-ser ft ca n t Lowry, ' 'opened lire on tho brickfield. .My company was ordered from our trench tr, keep up a hot rifle and machine gun fire across tho German trenches- and points of cover. Our business was to male; thf» enen\\ Keep ■thenY heads down, no matter how much t'lioy,..weio troubled by tho artillery. "T»io diversion we and the artiln-i-y causer! led tho Germans to expect someihiiig was going to happen from cur direction, and they devoted particular attention to our trench. After tho rain of bullets and shrapnel had boon kept up for 20 minutes, No.-l Company (O'Leary's) was let loose on our lolt. Tiny came out of tho trenches w.th a yell, bayonets fixed, and went for the enemy at the double. "They had from 100, to 150 yards to travel, and' tJio\- went at a tidy pace, but rt-er£ easily outstripped by Lancecorporal O'Leary, as he then was. He uover looked to see ii his mates were coming, and he. must have done pretty i;ear even time over ihat patch of ground. When he got near tho end ol' one of the German trenches he dropped, and so did many others a Io;;g way' behind him Th.'? o»iemy had disco\r erp-r] what was up. '' \ machine gun was O'Leary's mark. Ikfor-> the Germans could manage to .slew it round and meet the charging men, O'Leary' picked off the whole of Iho Syo of tho machine gun crew, and, leavi.ig some of his matei. to come vpand cap hire the gun, he dashed forward. to the second barricade", which, the (■'ermans were quitting in a hurry, and "-hot three more. "Some of the - enemy who couldn't get away quick enough faced our men, but very little bayonet work was needed. The majority did not wait, and we picked off a good lot of them from our trencn as they .k<ft their holes. "I had a job ir* keeping nry men in the t'.onch. 'Why can't we go across?' they shouted to me, and I wanted to go as nmeh as they .did. We* soon understood how necessary it was to keep up tho steady fire-. We actually lost more men then the storming party. 'T!i3 brickfield was won inside half an hour. Wo went forward and occupied the German trenches and prepared for a co'.mter attack, but none came. "O'Leary cam-i back from his killing as cool as if he had been for a walk in the park, and accompanied by two prisoners lie had taken. He probably saved the lives of a w-hok- company. Had that machine gun got slewed roun.l. No 1 Company might have been nearly wiped out. "Sergeant O'Leary joined us aboiit three months ago. After his ihree years' service in the battalion he went to Canada and joined the- North-West

Mounted "Police. Although he is"a quiet and unassuming chap he has many good tales to /".ell about his adventurous lif<' out West. T don't think he is 95 yet. "He seemed surprised that his comrades thought he had done something wonderful."