Who is the bravest man that the war has produced?
It would probably be impossible to answer this question with any
approach to accuracy and impartiality. But it is interesting to compare
some of the incidents reported and see how modern courage compares with
that of past history.
It is generally admitted that all the nations engaged have fought with
remarkable bravery and steadiness, so that a man must have done some
extraordinarily daring action to make himself notable. Thousands and
thousands of acts of bravery have been performed by many among the
millions of soldiers engaged. Doubtless some of the most heroic have
died without having their acts mentioned.
Of the innumerable feats of bravery reported the one that has impressed
the British public most is that of Sergeant Michael O'Leary, of the
Irish Guards, who is a native of Ireland, as his name suggests.
He has received the coveted Victoria Cross, been promoted Sergeant and
a long description of his deeds has been given him on the official
records--a very great honor. He has also been offered a commission,
but will not take it at present because he does not want to leave the
Irish Guards, and there is no place for him there as an officer.
The cold official record says that O'Leary won his Victoria Cross "for
conspicuous bravery at Cuinchy. When forming one of the storming party
which advanced against the enemy's barricades he rushed to the front
and himself killed five Germans who were behind the first barricade,
after which he attacked a second barricade, about sixty yards further
on, which he captured, after killing three of the enemy and making
prisoners of two more. Lance Corporal O'Leary thus practically captured
the enemy's position by himself and prevented the rest of the attacking
party from being fired on."
Further details of O'Leary's wonderful exploit were given by Company
Quartermaster Sergeant J. G. Lowry, of the Irish Guards, who was
engaged in the fight.
"Our First Battalion," he said, "had been holding trenches near the La
Bassee brickfield, and our losses were heavy. The Germans had excellent
cover, both in trenches and behind stacks of bricks.
"We were all delighted when the order came that the brickfield had to
be taken by assault next day.
"Lance Corporal O'Leary never looked to see if his mates were coming,
and he must have done pretty near even time over that patch of ground.
When he got near the end of one of the German trenches he dropped, and
so did many others a long way behind him. The enemy had discovered what
was up.
"A machine-gun was O'Leary's mark. Before the Germans could manage to
slew it around and meet the charging men O'Leary picked off the whole
of the five of the machine crew, and leaving some of his mates to come
up and capture the gun, he dashed forward to the second barricade,
which the Germans were quitting in a hurry and shot three more.
"O'Leary came back from his killing as cool as if he had been for a
walk in the park and accompanied by two prisoners he had taken. He
probably saved the lives of a whole company.
"Had that machine gun got slewed round, No. 1 Company might have been
nearly wiped out."