The Monticellonian., 1916-11-09

round at him and hit him. l was daZed for a second, and did not know whether to rush him or not, so shouted to my party to get round the traverse. 1 then reloaded and kept guard while the officer and men be- hind threw bombs at the enemy A little later we got word to retire. so kept guard while my party got clear of the trenches, and then mount ed the ladder and made my way back, covering the enemy while the iads got the wounded in. Of the 63 men in the whole raid 21 were reported missing, 21 got back wounded and 21 answered the roll call. After the smelling had subsided l was able to get back to 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 I would soon have something to wear on my breast"
 That something" is the Victoria Cross-with it's inscription-"For Valor"
 Lieutenant BaxtePs 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-raiding party known to their comrades as the Forty Thieves because of the fact that they were raid without pile of swag in the shape of captured Germans. One night Baxter took his men out under cover of machine gun fire. At criti- cal moment Baxter tripped and drop ped bomb he was carrying. It was when they were nearly through and could hear the movements of Ger man sentry few feet away. Baxter had previously removed the split-pin, and obviously the lever flew out and the fuse commenced to fiZz. Within five seconds it would have exploded, SNotititA lAC NAlt pGI y anu SiACh Ill1 whole show away. Scarcely hesitat- ing to think of the risk, he picked it up, whipped the case plug out of the screw and threw away the detonator, which went off unnoticed. It was d fine example of merit, skillfulness and resource. But more was to follow.
 The party cut all the wire that de- tended the German trench and leaped into the trench and turned in single file alternately right and left, one sec tion led by Sergeant McClelland and the other by Baxter. This trench was and it was obvious that there would be trouble in hauling out any fat and unwilling souvenir of the occasion in the shape of prisoner
 Tribute in Orders.
 'The sentry they had heard was promptly shot. Another was bayonet- ed and as he fell back a bomb was thrown out of dugout and exploded at the entrance, fortunately doing the raiders no damage. Six bombs were sent in by way of an exchange of com pliments and more sentries were met and given the unhappy dispatch. They screamed like lot of old wom- en- said one man who was on the spot. The bombers attended to three more dugouts, and afterwards the whole party withdrew, without noise and confusion, on a prearranged signal be- ing given. They returned to their own trenches to the tune of rapid fire all along the whole front from the British field guns and 'heavies.'
 Tt was glorious little exploit, but sad tidings awaited the party on re- assembling in their own line, for mo- where was the gallant Baxter. Search parties went out for him, but without