The Washington times., 1915-08-22
WINNING OF CROSS
ASTORY OF BRAVERY
Charmed Life of Lieutenant in
Sikhs Told in Official Lon
don Dispatches.
Rv WILBUR S. FORREST.

LONDON. Aug. 10 Cbv maiO.-The
charmed life OF Lieut.. J. G. Smyth
Fifteenth Laudhiana Sikhs. and the
manner in which his almost fanatical
bravery won for him the Victoria Cross
was described today In official dis
patches from northern France.
Followed by ten volunteer Indian Sc
poys Of his regiment. which held n re-
serve trench MAY II near Fcrme Du
Bois, Smyth covered perilOus Journey
with desperately needed ammunition for
comrades who had taken portion Of
an enemy trench. but who faced annihi
lation from an impending. re-enforced
attack
Telling that with tho break of day It
was ascertained that the German sec
ton of this forward trench was packed
with men ready to attack, the narrative
continues:
The situation was desperate. It was
resolved to attemnt to relieve It by
sending UP bombing party from the
reserve trenches. The nature OF this
undertaking may he FauP"G from tn"
fact that two attempt had hecn made by
the Highland Light lnfanty and both
had failed. the officers In command be-
ing killed and the parties having su"cr-
ed severely.
However, the nosition was critical.
and Lieutenant Smyth. Il young officer
who, in spite Of his Nears--onlH number
rg twentN-one-had already been
brought to notice for his gallantry. was
ordered to take command Of the party.
Send Volunteers.
Volunteers were called for and were
Immediately Forthcoming. Tho alacrity
with which the demand was responded
i,.it nr tn
regiment for each man felt sure ne was
proceeding to almost certain death.
Lieutenant Smyth and his little party
started at y. IN. to cover the $50 yards
which interviewed between them and our
trench. taking with them two boxes Of
ninety-aix bombs.
The ground to he covered was abso-
lutelv open. devoid Of natural cover.
The only possible shelter from the
frghtful fire which met the party as
soon IS they We're over the parapct was
an old broken down trench which, at
the best Of times was hardly knee deep
but now in places. was filed almost %
| the top with the dead bodies OF High
land Light Infantry, Worcesters. In
dans. and Germans.
Pa9ris (ropes) had been attached to
| the front of the boxes. By means of
these the men in front pulled the boxes
along over and through the dead bodies
while those in rear pushed with all their
might, the whole party lying fiat.
| At any moment the bombs might eX-
plOde.
The whole ground was kissing with
the deluge of rifle and machine gun fire,
! " While the air above tha.n was white
| with the puffs Of shrapnel.
To the anxious watchers in the rear
il seemed impossible that single man
should win through
After they had accomplished mere
| 41-. II x;r hot,
, Scpoy Fatteh Singh rolled over wound
cd, followed in the next eighty yards by
| Scpoy such" Singh, Cjagar Singh and
| Sunder s !.
This only left Lieutenant Smyth and
| six men to get the two boxes along.
| Under ordinary circumstances four men
were required to handle a box of bombs
| However. these were super-mcn, and the
! thought of their comrades IN dire neCes-
| sity ahead OF them rut fresh hc0rt into
them. They crawlcd on and on until
just before they reached the end of tho
| trench, the party had DIV indlCd to two,
Lieutenant Smyth and SeDov Lal Singh
| or the remainder of the band Of heroes.
| tive Of the SepOys had been killed and
| three wounded
Tho 2ecnnd box OF bombs had 10 be
aharGoncd, and to haul even one box
al0IE in the free Of such difficulty ap
| p"ared an impossible task.
Go Into the Open.
! Still pulling and hauling, Smyth and
Lal Singh emerged wriggllng painfully
along into the open where they were
met with an increased Blast of fire.
Miraculousy surviving this. they
| craWled on, only to DC confronted sud
denly by a small stream which was too
, Ceep to wade. Across Il lay the direct
| line to safety. The ordinary man. un-
| der such circumstances, would have
probably StO7ppd, but these crawled on
! and on in full view OF the enemy, now
at close CuRrters, until they came 10 q
point In the stream which was Just
! fordahle.
Across this they rtIucgied with their
! valuable burden and N Few wards
! they wero nmongat their frlcn n II, our
! trench, both unt0Ichcd although thnir
clothes were perforated With outlet
holes.