These two gallant officers belonged to the Manchester Regiment which
fought with special bravery on the Western Front. The former was only
twenty when he won the V.C., in company with Sergeant Hogan who had
seen service in the South African War.
The Manchesters were stationed at Festubert not far from Ypres and,
near the end of October, their trenches were fiercely bombarded by the
Germans and then rushed with the utmost violence. One morning, just
before day began to break, and at the time when the courage of most men
is at its lowest, the enemy made an attack in great numbers.
They climbed over the parapet of the first trench and the British were
forced to fall back into the second, where they were quite able to hold
their own. By this time the massed attack of the Germans had spent
itself, and the Manchesters prepared to drive them out of their front
trench as soon as they could.
At about nine o’clock, Lieutenant Leach left the second trench and
crept out to discover what the Germans were doing. What followed may be
partly gathered from his own very modest account which was afterwards
published:--
“I found that they had occupied three out of four of the traverses. At
eleven o’clock I went again and found that they had occupied the lot.
Later, I called for Sergeant Hogan and for ten volunteers. I took the
first ten men, and we crawled along the communication trench, which led
into the right of the advance trench.
“Our idea was to push the Germans as far to the left as we could and
then wait for them to attempt to get back to their own lines, and shoot
them. After some time we managed to push them to the left traverse.
“As we crawled along we had to climb over the bodies of dead or wounded
Germans. Gradually we drove the others along until they were in the
left traverse as far as they could go. I was surprised then to hear a
voice call in English, ‘Don’t shoot, sir!’ and there was one of my own
men who had been with me in the morning. He told me that the German
officer had sent him to say that they wished to surrender.
“We went round the corner, and there were the officer and about
fourteen Germans on their knees with their hands up crying ‘Mercy!’
I told them to take their equipment off, and then run into our main
trench. This they did, and I was surprised that their own friends did
not snipe them for surrendering. Twenty wounded Germans also joined the
others.
“I found that the Germans had captured two of my men in the early
morning, and the German officer, who could speak English, had told
them that they would have a good time when they were sent to Berlin as
prisoners.”
The lieutenant’s story does not make it clear what was the nature of
the “push” which was applied to the Germans to bring them in a huddled
heap to the end of the left traverse. He really employed a very clever
ruse which completely deceived the enemy.
He and his companion left the rest of their party some distance behind
them and went forward alone to drive the Germans along the winding
trench which they knew had a blind end. When they came to a square
corner Leach put his right hand round and fired at the Germans without
exposing his body, which a man with a rifle could not do. Meanwhile,
Hogan, who was a little way behind him, was watching the parapet to
ward off attacks from above.
When the two men had cleared one section in this manner, they took up
their stand at the next corner where Leach repeated the treatment;
while Hogan raised his cap on the end of his rifle to show his friends
how far progress had been made, and prevent the trench being swept by
their fire. The whole operation showed remarkable coolness as well as
daring and resource.