The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-06-04
cOloNEL
||DsAvED LINE
Isl GIVEN v. c.
Awards Made Of Highest
Honor to English Soldiers,

K UUIlOf 10 CngllSIl OOlul6lS'
<sLONDON, June six new recipi
onts Of the Victoria Cross have beet
ooSted. In one case, that OF Lieutenan
Colonel Watson. X. o. Y. /. l., wht
without doubt saved the line" at |
critical moment. the honor Is posthu
nously awarded, for he gave his III,
h personally covering the retiremen
Of his men. The awards are as fol
lows:
H. Col. Oliver c. s. Watson, d. s. o
n His Command was at point
where continual attacks were made
Z BY the enemy In order to pierce
the line. and an intricate system OF
old trenches in front. coupled with
the fact that his position was under
constant rifle and machine gun fire,
rendered the situation still more
dangerous. A eounter-attack had
been made against the enemy posi-
tion. which at first achieved its OBJ
ject, but as thy were holding out in
two improvised strong points, 1t
Col. Watson saw that immediate
action was necessary, and he led his
remaining small reserve to the at
tack, organizing bombing parties
and leading attacks under intense
rifle and machine gun fire Out
numbered, he finally ordered his
men 10 retire, remaining himself in
q communication trench 10 cover
the retirement, though he faced al
most certain death by so doing.
The assault he led was at a critical
moment, and without doubt saved
the line. Both in the assault and In
covering his mems retirement he
held his life as nothing, and his
splendid bravery inspired all troops
in the vicinity TO rise TO the occas-
ion and save a breach being made
In a hardly tried and attenuated
line. 1t. Col. Watson was killed
while covering the withdrawal.
Capt. Prank Crowther Roberts, d. S. Q
During continuous operations
which covered over twelve days
Lieutenant Colonel Roberts showed
most conspicuous bravery. excep-
tiofial military skill in dealing with
the many very difficult situations
of retirement, and amaIing endur-
anee and energy in encouraging and
inspiring all ranks under his COM
mand. On one occasion the enemy
attacked a village and had practi-
caily cleared il of our troops when
this officer got together an impro-
vised party and led counter-at-
tack which temporarily drove the
enemy out OF the village, thus Gov
ering the retirement OF troops on
their flanks who would otherwise
have been cut off.
Second Lieutenant Alfred M. Toye
When the enemy captured the
trench at bridge head. he three
times established the post, which
was eventually recapturcd by fresh
enemy attacks, After asccrtsining
that his three other posts were cut
oft he fought his way through the
entmy with one officer and six men
ofthis company Finding seventy
mer OF the battalion on his left re
firing, he collected them, counter
attacked, and took up a line which
he maintained until reinforccmcnts
arrived. Without this action the
defense of the bridge must have
been turned In two subsequent
operations, when in command of a
composite company, he covered the
retirement of his battalion with
skill and courage Later, with a
party OF battalion headquarters, he
pressed through the enemy in the
village, firing at them in the streets,
thus covering the left flank of the
battalion retirement. Finally, on
stin later occasion, when in COM
mand of a mixed force OF the brig
ads, he re-established, after hard
fighting, a line that had been
absnoned before his arrival He
was twice wounded within ten days,
but remained on duty
Sergeant Harold Jackson.
For most conspicuous bravery
and devotion to duty, Sergeant
Jackson volunteered and went out
through the hostile barrage and
brought back valuable information
regarding the enemys movements
Later, when the enemy had estab-
lished themselves in our line. this
man rushed at them and, single
handed, bombed them out into the
open. Shortly afterwards. again
single ehanded, he stslked an enemy
machine gun, threw Mills bombs al
the detachment, and put the gun out
OF action.
Private Richard G. Masters.
Owing to an enemy attack com
munications we're cut off and our
wounded could not be evacuated.
The road was reported impossible,
but Private Masters volunteered TO
try 10 get through, and after the
greatest difficulty succeeded. al
though he had 10 clear the road Of
oil sorts OF debris. He made tn,
journey throughout the AFTERNOON.
ovet road consistently shelled
and swept by machine gun fire, and
( was on one occasion bombed by an
airplane. The greater part Of the
wounded cleared from this area
wefe evacuated by Private Masters,
as bis was the only car that got
through during this particular time.
Private Harold whitfield.
Dsrin~ the first and heaviest OF
three counter attacks made by the
enemy on the position which had
lust been captured by his battalion.
Private Whitfield, single handed.
charged and captured a Lewis gun
which was harassing his company
At short range. He ~6ayoneted or