OUSTANDING ACT OF COURAGE
GRENADE WHICH FELL INTO TRENCH AWARDS TO BRITISH AIRMEN AND SOLDIERS. L British Official Wireless.] RUGBY, April 21. An outstanding act or courage resided in the immediate award of the Military Medal in France to LanceCorporal Gallacher, Lancashire Fusiliers. When Gallacher's section was in a post on the lookout for the enemy just before dawn, a fusilier, thinking he heard Germans approaching, snatched a hand grenade and drew out the pin, ready to throw it. The grenade, however, caught against his leg and fell into the bottom of the trench, disappearing in the mud under the duckboard, Gallacher tried to find the grenade by groping with his hands. Then he suddenly felt a hard object under his 1 foot, which was obviously the grenade, , but there was no time to pick* it up. ISo he pushed it hard down into lhe mud under the duckboard with his foot , while the other men took what cover I they could. The grenade exploded and Gallacher was only slightly wounded, while lhe other men were uninjured, although nearby sandbags burst with the explosion. Immediate awards for gallantry in France were also made to Lieutenant Hudson, Lancashire Fusiliers, who received the Military Cross, and Fusilier Worsley, of lhe same regiment, ! who received the Military Medal. | Three awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross h’ave been made to R.A.F. airmen for flights over Bergen. The first award was to Squadron Leader Peacock for remarkable courage and I determination when leading a formation of aircraft in an attack on enemy j warships. 1 The second award was to Flying I Officer Derek J. French, Melbourne, i who attacked a German cruiser in the I Bergen roadstead, enabling the bombI aimer to secure a direct hit. The j third award was to Pilot Officer Muli Joy for the same attack. ! A fourth award was made to Ac'ingI Flight Lieutenant Ryder, whose courage and coolness when investigating lan enemy raid at sea set a splendid > example to his squadron. “
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Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 94, 23 April 1940, Page 5
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334OUSTANDING ACT OF COURAGE Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 94, 23 April 1940, Page 5
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