Evening star., 1940-09-20
Victoria Cross Given
Officer Who Risked
Life 10 Save Orderly
Britoin's Highest Honor
Is Awarded to Ten
For Heroic Feuts


Associated Press. - Bullets spat-
tered through the black Flanders
night from a German entrenchment
under the Dyle River Bridge.
Back in the British lines Second
1t. Richard Armand, tired and
shaken from the latest brush with
the enemy, prepared to 90 out again
alone.
His orderly was somewhere in No
Mans Land, wounded, helpless, and
he felt he had to get him.
The German sniping continued.
-. "A pistol would be useless against
that, and there were no other small
guns around. Quickly 1t. Armand
filled his pockets with hand gren-
AIDES and stepped out, alone, toward
the Germans.
Their bullets continued to sing
around him, but he strode forward,
intent on rescuing his wounded
companion.
AS he got within throwing dis
tance of the German position he
pulled out hand grenade, plucked
the fuse and hurled it. 1t exploded
with a binding flash. The sniping
subsidized somewhat Every few Sec
onds he followed it with another
and gradually worked his way to-
ward the wounded man, driving the
Germans back out of their position.
Wheelbarrow Sighted.
The orderly was lying on the
ground writhing with pain. Car
rying him back through that storm
of bullets would be suicide for them
both. 1t. Armand looked around,
pondering way out.
BY a stroke of fortune fash OF
gunfire disclosed in the middle of
the battle-scarred stretch of ground
an abandoned wheelbarroW.
The lieutenant lifted the orderly
into it, seized the handles, ducked
his head and rolled the barrow
through the tortuous stretch back
to safety inside the British lines.
That is the story behind one of
10 awards during the first year OF
war of the Victoria Cross, highest
and rarest honor British fighting
man can be given.
Another recipient was Lance
Corpl Harry Nichols, whose story
was told few days ago, when,
after being reported dead, he was
discovered alive, a prisoner of the
Germans.
Comma nding a section as coun-
ter attack was ordered, the citation
said, he seized a Bren gun and
dashed forward toward machine
guns, firing from the hip
Wounded Four Times.
His company went over a ridge
and found enemy machine guns
commanding the other side, but
Corpl. Nichols, although "at the
very start of the advance he was
wounded In the arm by shrapnel,
continued to lead his section for
ward"
Alone he silenced three machine
gun posts and. although wounded
four times, engaged the infantry
massed behind, causing many cas-
ualties, and continued to fire until
he had no more ammunition left"
Some other recipients Of the cross
and their citations:
1t. Roderick Alastair Brook Lea
royd, q, for bombing the Dort-
mund- Ems Canal August u from
$50 feet. when "his plane was re-
peatedly hit and large pieces of the
plane torn away"
Sergt. Maj. George Gristock-Al-
though severely wounded in both
legs. his right knee being badly
smashed" he led eight rihemen to
a point 20 yards from an advanced
enemy machine gun post and by
''wel1-ahNed rapid FIRE killed a ma
chine gun crew of four and put
the gun crew out OF action"
Defended Dunkerque.
Capt. Harald Marcus Ervine-An-
drews, whose company took over
''about 1000 yards of defenses in
front of Dunkerque" the night of
May 81 and held the position "for
over 10 hours, notwithstanding in
tense artillery, mortar and machine
gun fire and In the face of vastly
superior forces
Seaman Jack Mantle of the con-
verted merchantmen Foylebank.
The ship was attacked by enemy
aircraft, and his left leg was shat
tered early in the action. But he
stuck to his post at pom-pom gun
and continued to fire with hand
gear after the ships electric power
was put out of commission.
He was wounded again in several
places and between his bursts Of
fire" said the citation, had time
to reflect on the grievous injuries
of which he was soon to die. but
his great courage bore him up until
the end Of the fight. when he fell
by the gun he had so valiantly
served"