Colonel Freyberg is another winner of England’s highest military
honor—the Victoria Cross. “For enduring courage and brilliant
leadership his achievement,” writes the London _Times_, “was
unsurpassed by any act for which the Cross was conferred.”
To begin with he carried an initial attack straight through the enemy’s
front system of trenches, but after the capture of the first objective
his command was much disorganized owing to mist and a heavy fire of all
descriptions. The Colonel himself rallied and reformed his own men,
as well as men from other units who had become intermixed. His own
contempt of danger inspired the troops. He was finally able to lead
them to the successful attack of the second objective. Colonel Freyberg
had by this time been wounded twice, but he again rallied his men and
reformed them, and, although under heavy artillery and machine-gun
fire in a very advanced position and unsupported, still he held his
ground for the rest of the day and throughout the night. On the
following morning, having been reinforced, he organized an attack on a
strongly fortified village, and such was his dash and enterprise that
the village was captured and 500 prisoners were taken. For the third
time the officer was wounded, and later in the afternoon he was again
wounded, this time seriously, but he refused to leave the line until he
had issued final instructions.
[Illustration:
_Brown & Dawson._