Jacob Rivers ["Tales of the V.C."], item 3

• October 23, 2018 22:28:47 Sara Fresi

  TALES OF THE V.C.

   

  Private JACOB RIVERS.

  1st. Notts and Derby Regiment.

   

  Germans, who obviously intended to press their attack home through

  this gap, proceeded to mass about one thousand men on the right flank

  of the Sherwoods.

  
  

  But the proposed attack was never launched. Pte. Rivers,

  from his post on the right of the line, had seen what was happening.

  He knew that this was no time to wait for orders, but to act quickly.

  Seizing a bag of bombs, he crept out towards the Germans, the nearest

  of whom was about 50 yards away. He approached them with all a

  stalker's skill, kept well under cover of the parapet, and succeeded

  in getting to within 10 yards of them before he was seen. Further

  concealment was useless. Standing boldly on the parapet, he hurled

  bomb after bomb into their midst. Evidently believing that it was

  the beginning of a counter-attack the men near him began to retire.

  The panic spread to the remainder, and soon the whole line was in

  full retreat. As they fled the machine-gunners of the Sherwoods

  reaped a great harvest. Caught in the flank, the Germans suffered

  heavily before the remnant of them gained the shelter of the old

  British fire-trench.

  
  

  Private Rivers then returned to his Company.

  
  

  It was not long before he had another opportunity of

  distinguishing himself. A Sergeant and 6 men of the Sherwoods had

  forced their way into the left of this old fire trench, and were

  bombing their way along it. As they advanced the right of the

  trench became full of Germans, all huddled into the narrow ditch.

  
  

  Taking 3 men with him Private Rivers crawled out towards

  them across the open ground. He had been seen this time, and the

  enemy opened a heavy fire upon the party of four. But Private

  Rivers and his men reached the trench. They sprang onto the parapet,

  and tossed their load of bombs into the mass below. This was more

  than the enemy could face. The survivors scrambled out of the

  trench, treading each other underfoot in their eagerness to escape

  from this rain of death, and ran back across No-Man's-Land towards

  their

• October 23, 2018 22:28:40 Sara Fresi

  
  

  
  

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• July 8, 2017 02:26:11 Denise Ravenhill

  TALES OF THE V.C.

   

  Private JACOB RIVERS.

  1st. Notts and Derby Regiment.

  
  

  Germans, who obviously intended to press their attack home through
  

  this gap, proceeded to mass about one thousand men on the right flank

  of the Sherwoods.

  
  

  But the proposed attack was never launched. Pte. Rivers,

  from his post on the right of the line, had seen what was happening.

  He knew that this was no time to wait for orders, but to act quickly.

  Seizing a bag of bombs, he crept out towards the Germans, the nearest

  of whom was about 50 yards away. He approached them with all a

  stalker's skill, kept well under cover of the parapet, and succeeded

  in getting to within 10 yards of them before he was seen. Further

  concealment was useless. Standing boldly on the parapet, he hurled

  bomb after bomb into their midst. Evidently believing that it was

  the beginning of a counter-attack the men near him began to retire.

  The panic spread to the remainder, and soon the whole line was in

  full retreat. As they fled the machine-gunners of the Sherwoods

  reaped a great harvest. Caught in the flank, the Germans suffered

  heavily before the remnant of them gained the shelter of the old

  British fire-trench.

  
  

  Private Rivers then returned to his Company.

  
  

  It was not long before he had another opportunity of

  distinguishing himself. A Sergeant and 6 men of the Sherwoods had

  forced their way into the left of this old fire trench, and were

  bombing their way along it. As they advanced the right of the

  trench became full of Germans, all huddled into the narrow ditch.

  
  

  Taking 3 men with him Private Rivers crawled out towards

  them across the open ground. He had been seen this time, and the

  enemy opened a heavy fire upon the party of four. But Private

  Rivers and his men reached the trench. They sprang onto the parapet,

  and tossed their load of bombs into the mass below. This was more

  than the enemy could face. The survivors scrambled out of the

  trench, treading each other underfoot in their eagerness to escape

  from this rain of death, and ran back across No-Man's-Land towards

  their

  
  

  • Show revision
  • Compare to current version
  • Compare to previous version

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