The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1916-11-30


round a. him and hl, him. vss
dazed for a second. and Old not know
ahether % rush him or not. 80
shouted "a my party 70 get round the
fraverse. then reloaded and kept
guard while the officer and men be-
hind threw bombs az the enemy. A
little later we got word 20 retire. 50
kept guard while my party got
clear Of the trenches, and then mount
ed the ladder and made 10y way back
covering the enemy while the lads got
the wounded 10. of the % men In the
whole raid u were reported missing.
Il got back wounded and p answered
the roll call. After the shellinz had
subsidized was able 20 get back 20 the
village. and the next day had an inter-
view with the major general in charge
Of the division. An officer took my
name and number and said that
would soon have something 10 wear
on my breast"
That something" f. the Victoria
Cross-with its lnscription---FOr
Valor.7
Lieutenant BspteTs Exploit
Lieutenant; Baxter, a Liverpool man
who has been awarded the Victoria
Cross posthumOusly. closed his career
With an exploit which stands out
prominently. Here Is the Official
story:
Baxter was the captain Of a dare
devil trench-raldlng party known to
their comrades as the Forty Thieves
because Of the fact that they were
never known 10 come back from a
raid without a pile Of swag In the
shape Of captured Germans. one
night Baxter took his men out under
cover OF machine gun fire. At criu-
cal moment Baxter tripped and drop
ped a bomb he was carrying. II wss
when they we're nearly through and
could hear the movements Of a Ger
maf sentry few feet away. Baxter
had previously removed the split-pin,
and obviously the lever flew out and
the fuse commenced to nzz. Within
five seconds II would have exploded
scattered the wire party and given the
whole show away. Scarcely hesitat.
ing to think Of the risk. he picked II
up, whipped the case plug out Of the
sgrew and threw away the detOnator
which went of unnotced Il was q
fine example OF merit, skillfulness and
resource. But more vas to follow.
'The party cut all the wre that ~.
Tended the German trench and leaped
into the trench and turned In single
file alternately right and left, one sec
ton led by Sergeant McClelland and
the other by Baxter. This trench was
very deep. about twelve to fifteen feet
and II was obvious that there would
be trouble In hauling out any fat anC
unwilling souvenir Of the occasion Ia
the shape Of a prisoner.
Tribute In Orders.
''The sentry they had heard was
promptly shot Another was bayonet
ed and as he fell back bomb wa,
thrown out Of dugout and exploded
at the entrance, fortunately doing tn,
raiders no damage. Six bombs were
sent In by way OF an exchange OF com
pllments and more sentries were met
and given the unhappy dispatch
They screamed like lot of old WON
en-, said one man who was on the spot
The bombers attended to three more
dugouts, and afterwards the Who'll,
party withdrew, without noise anC
confusion, on a prearranged signal be
1 In WiN ROT 10 Iaf
own trenches to the tune Of rapid fir,
all along the whole front from tn,
British field guns and 'heavies.'
ut was a glorious little exploit, bu
sad tidlngs awaited the party on re
assembling in their own line, for no
where was the gallant Baxter. Searcl
parties went out for him. but withou