Fred Holmes, corporal in the Yorkshire Light Infantry, was awarded
France’s chief military decoration, the _Médaille Militaire_, for
gallantry during the fight on the Aisne. The official account of the
exploit is quite brief: Holmes saw a platoon of French struggling
against heavy odds, whereupon he dashed over the river for a machine
gun, carried it to the platoon, and turned it on the enemy, with such
effect that the German pressure was immediately relieved. However, when
Corporal Holmes’ name is mentioned men usually think of the thrilling
record at Le Cateau which brought him the V.C.
The Yorkshire Light Infantry were in the very thickest of the fighting
at Mons. At the little colliery town at Warmb they received a severe
shaking from the enemy, but gave as good as they got. It was after the
engagement at this place that the brave fellows, footsore and tired,
but still cheerful, tramped many weary miles to the famous battlefield
of Le Cateau.
It is not necessary to describe the stand made there, but only to
mention a few facts, as recorded by G. A. Leask in his _Heroes of
the Great War_, without knowledge of which Holmes’s feat would be
unintelligible.
Orders were given to entrench, and the men set to work with zest, glad
of the change from the continuous retreating. The task accomplished,
the regiment lay down in the trenches, while the booming of the German
guns grew ever louder.
At dawn of August 26 there was suddenly a fierce bombardment from the
enemy’s artillery. According to Holmes, “We could feel the breath
from their guns. It was awful.” The Yorks stuck to their trenches,
firing incessantly. They had been told that French troops would
reinforce them, but as the day dragged on no French appeared. The
British artillery kept up a hot fire from behind Holmes’s trench, which
suffered the proverbial discomfort of the unlucky victim between two
fires.
Late in the afternoon the Yorks received orders to retire; to have
remained longer would have meant annihilation. The troops retired in
small sections, Holmes remaining with five men to the last to cover the
retreat of the others.
Holmes was actually the last man to leave the trench. No sooner had
he climbed over the parapet than he met the full brunt of the enemy’s
fire, which by this time had become fiercer than ever. He had seen many
of his comrades drop to earth, but his heart was undaunted. Suddenly,
when he had proceeded a few yards from the trench, he felt his boot
clutched and heard his name called.
“For God’s sake, save me, Fred!” said a feeble voice.
[Illustration:
© _New York Herald._