Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Books little force intact. It was a commendable performance, worthy of one of far greater age and experience than your son. His company then continued the withdrawal until we came to the next village (Oisy), when it was detailed to act as rearguard. Again they were sharply engaged by largely increased forces this time, but they gallantly held their own, your son again holding a detached position at an important cross roads, and again the battn. was able to withdraw in safety. Your boy's party was the last to come in, and though he lost a few men he saved many more. It was now six o'clock (p.m.), and it was now discovered that we were cut off from the main body. The battn. shook out to the attack in an endeavour to break through, every officer doing good work, your son no less than the others. With sword drawn he led his men in support of the attack which was in progress in front (to the south), and as he advanced he fell shot through the lungs. His death was painless and practically instantaneous. He was buried with his eight brother officers who fell the same day, 28 Aug. 1914. I write as a prisoner in German hands. The grave is near the railway station of Etreux, 400 yards to north of the level-crossing, right-hand side of the road." It seems clear that from the first the situation was so critical that to enable the Army to escape the sacrifice of a regt. might possibly prove to be inevitable. Major Charrier, in command of the Munsters, fully recognised this, and, according to a survivor, in the absence of definite orders to retire, felt it his duty to hold on to the last at all costs. Though they had had two little "scraps" with the Germans lasting a few minutes on 24 and 26 Aug., the Munsters' first serious fighting was on the 27th. The morning was very misty, and while waiting for the Germans a German aeroplane came over them, quite close, about 10 a.m. It flew back at once, and shortly afterwards a heavy fire was opened on them, rendering their position untenable. They therefore retired through Fesmy, where Awdry with his platoon held a detached position and succeeded in holding the Germans back till the regt. was safe, and then rejoined. He received a slight flesh wound here. Next they came to Oisy. Here they had to cross a canal, a little distance in rear of which was an important cross roads. Attacked in flank, in danger of being cut off in front, a cavalry attack now threatened them in rear, and Awdry was sent to the cross roads with his platoon. He left about 12 men under a sergt. at the canal bridge while he with the rest went forward and succeeded in holding the Germans at bay for some three-quarters of an hour. The sergt. and nearly all the detachment at the bridge were killed, and a corpl. went forward to get instructions, and as he got up he saw Awdry put his hand up to his chest and fall. Private C.... says he was hit high up on the left side. The corpl. thought he was killed, and as nearly all that party were _hors de combat_ he returned to the bridge, where, finding no one left, he thought all was over and escaped as best he could with a few stragglers who joined him and worked round to St. Quentin, where they eventually joined the remnant of the regt. (about 260) who had escaped destruction or capture. Awdry was not, however, killed then, and held on; but his numbers were so reduced that he signalled for reinforcement, and though none could be sent then, he refused to leave the post till assured that the battn. was safe. Eventually a few men from another platoon came to his help, and finally they retired and rejoined, his party being the last to come in. Then about 6 p.m. the battn. found themselves attacked on three sides, and it was now in the last desperate attempt to break through that Awdry got his fatal wound, in the forehead. Private C. ... was again close to him, and though himself slightly wounded managed to get him back near the road, and was putting his own field dressing on the wound when his left shoulder was shattered and he fell over and Awdry fell on the top of him, and so about an hour later died in his arms. They lay there all night till a burial party composed of captured men of the Munsters under German guards brought them in. The nine officers of the Munsters who fell that day were buried in one grave, and the N.C.Os. and men in another, side by side, near the railway station of Etreux, on the right hand side of the road, 400 yards north of the level-crossing. A German Pastor read a funeral service over them and the Germans put up crosses to mark the spot. Two memorial windows have been put up in St. Mark's Church, Ampfield, in memory of 2nd Lieut. Awdry and officers, N.C.O.s and men of the Munsters who fell that day. [Illustration: =Carol Edward Vere Awdry.=] =AXON, WALTER HENRY=, Ship's Corpl., 1st Class, R.F.R., A. 1230, late Ports., A. 2045, 128826, H.M.S. Hawke; lost in action in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914; _m._ =AXUP, VICTOR EMMANUEL=, Leading Signaller, 215587, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914. =AYLING, WILLIAM=, L.-Corpl., No. 9330, 1st Battn. Hampshire Regt., _s._ of Horace Ayling, of Stubbington Lane, Stubbington, Fareham, Hants, Cowman, by his wife, Anne, dau. of Edward Etherington; _b._ Hindhead, co. Surrey, 18 Dec. 1895; educ. Fareham and Crofton Elementary School; enlisted April, 1912; went to France, 12 Aug. 1914; was seriously wounded near Ypres, 7 Nov. 1914, by a wounded Prussian, and was invalided home; but returned to the Front in May, appointed L.-Corpl. June, and was killed in action at Ypres, 9 July, 1915; _unm._ His commanding officer wrote that "he was killed instantly by a shell which burst in a trench"; adding, "He was an excellent fellow.... He was buried behind the trench. I am afraid it was only a rough grave, as we left that night." =BABER, THOMAS EDWARD=, Petty Officer (N.S.), 154395, H.M.S. Hawke; lost in action in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914; _m._ =BACHELOR, FRANK=, Gunner, R.M.A., 12282, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =BACK, JOHN RICHARD=, A.B. (R.F.R., Ch. B. 2843), 199592, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =BACON, BASIL KENRICK WING=, Major, D Coy., 1st Battn. Worcestershire Regt., 4th _s._ of Kenrick Verulam Bacon, of The Lodge, Hale, Farnham, J.P., late Capt. Worcestershire Regt. (with which he served in the Indian Mutiny, 1857-8), by his wife, Jessie, dau. of the late T. Wing, Gray's Inn; _b._ Eastbourne, 28 May, 1872; educ. United Services College, Westward Ho! was gazetted as 2nd Lieut. to the 2nd Battn. of the Worcesters, from the Militia, 4 Oct. 1893, and promoted Lieut. 14 Dec. 1896, and Capt. 14 Feb. 1900, and Major 1 April, 1909. When the Boer war broke out he was with his regt. in Bermuda. They came home to Aldershot in order to mobilise, and then went to South Africa. He served with the 2nd Battn. in the South African war of 1899-1902, took pa |