Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-10-04
LOST THREE FRIENDS
IN A SINGLE WEEK,
Former Midshipman Writes From
English Hospital.

Manderville Officers Hospital.
Vaudeville Place. London. W.
1896
Dear Editor-Just little peep at the
war Three OF my friends were killed
last week. Charles Lester died Of
wounds in GaIlipoli. How his wounds
were received I do not know I do
know that he fought with honor The
whole summer Of 1913 we were in
Rome together. Such jolly feeds and
talks we had But now for the other
two. I don not know how they died
and il is with pride that I repeat the
story.
Gilbert Talbot and Sidney Wood
run went into their first action at
Hooge on July 80 Woodruff was nine
teen Many plebe is the same age.
But Woodruff was lieutenant In
this war there are even captains
younger than Woodruff Talbot was
older. He and his men were ordered
TO hold one of these awful craters
which the British shells had carved out
| in front of Hooge They held it, and
had just come out of it when the mad
dogs Of Europe with murderous at
tack Of liquid fire recaptured IT, Talbot
| and his men were turned back at once,
after two hours sleep, half away back
10 billets. 10 remarch the eight miles
already covered, and to be ready for
Icounter attack TO re-take the captured
trench. Woodruff and his men. who
had held on against the Huns liquid
fire, the machine guns and the bombs
until their ammunition was gone, fell
back and Joined in the counter attack
For this maneuver these brave young
sters had to work their way by COM
lmunieation trench through a wood that
was being heavily shelled. and then
rush an open $50 yards wide. Talbot's
/ platoon led the attack. He deplored his
men on the edge of the wood. and made
them lie down i'm low ditch until the
artillery preparation was over At the
sound of five whistles, they we're to
make the rush.
1 The whistles blew Talbot rose at
once and leaped forward, crying Come
Ialong, lads, now's your time!" But the
platoon had lost heavily from shrapnel
while in the ditch, and, what with this
land the tumuIt, only twelve men could
be found to follow him. He ran for
ward pointing the way with his arm,
Ibding his servant to keep close up with
him. He was hit by a bullet in the
neck He fell, gave a smile to his
| servant, Nash who tried to stop the
spurts of blood, and rolled forward on
n I. 80 Il
lets struck him, and one went through
his now quiet heart Nash was twice
wounded himself, and was forced TO
leave him lying there.
Liquid fire and gas drove back what
was left of the twelve. Talbot's body
had to lie there where it had fallen So
also Woodroffe's, who came TO the res
cue And Woodroffe was nineteen, as
they count years When | was nine
teen / was plebe thumbing my trous-
4 er or seam in Bancroft Hall Woodroffe
had lived his whole life
Talbot's brother, Neville could not
endure to let it lie unhonored and
prey to ghouls. After a day and a half
of anxious searching for exact details,
he got to the nearest trench by the
murdered" wood which the shells had
now smashed to pieces, no mans
land Creeping out of the far end of the
trench as dusk FELL he crawled through
the grass on hands and knees, in spite
of shells and snipers, dropping fiat on
the ground as the flares shot up from
the German trenches And, at last, 80
yards away in the open he felt that he
was touching young Woodroffe's body.
He recognized the black buttons Of that
smart corps, the Rife Brigade.
For the honor of the corps. Wood
roffe's elder brother had died in May.
Back in camp a younger brother was
waiting to do his bit But TO think
of living all your life at seventeen, and
the only son left Neville Talbot
crawled along He knew he was close
to what he sought. Two yards fur
ther he found it. But before he could
come out again week Of agony passed.
Then, with the help Of three men from
a Yorkshire regiment they brought in
what they call "the bodies" Talbot
and woodroffe were buried behind the
farm house at the beginning of the
wood. The men made two crosses.
That was a week ago.
Last night the Gazette" announced:
For most conspicuous bravery on
July 30, at Hooge, the King has been
gracionsly pleased to award the Vic
toria Cross to Lieut.. Sidney Clayton
Woodroffe, late Sth Blu. Rife Brigade.
"The enemy having broken through
through the centre of our frail trench
es. consequent on the use of burning
liquids. this officers position was heav-
lily attacked with bombs from the flank,
and subsequently from the rear, but he
managed to defend his post until all his
bombs were exhausted. and then skill
fully withdrew his remaining men.
This gallant officer Immediately led
his party forward in a counter-attack
under an intense rifle and machine gun
fire, and was killed whilst in the act Of
cutting the wire obstacles in the open"
such is official fame. Two weeks
after the night in the murdered" wood
the King has been graciously pleased
to award the highest soldiers honor,
the v c.
/ suppose the rest of those fighting
ing spirits who have been absorbed
again in the whole welcomed Wood
roffe even If his Victoria Cross did