Edward Foster ["Tales of the V.C."], item 4

• December 22, 2016 23:17:13 Sue Bryant

  --TALES OF THE V.C.—

  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  Corporal Edward Foster, 13^th East Surreys.

  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  By Lieutenant J.P. Lloyd

  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

   

  This is the story of how an English soldier of a

  London Regiment, with the help of a comrade, attacked a

  German trench, captured two German machine-guns, and killed

  their crews.

  At daybreak on the morning of the 24^th of April,

  1917, the 13^th battalion of the East Surreys advanced against

  The German positions near the village of Villers PLOOICH.

  The company on the right was held up by two machine-guns

  gave firing from a trench in front of the village. Protected

  by a thick belt of barbed wire the two guns swept the ranks

  of the attackers from end to end.  Under such a hail of

  death it was impossible to advance.

  Then, when it seemed as if the attack must fail,

  Corporal Edward Foster and a Lance-Corporal of his company

  volunteered to make an attempt to silence the machine-guns. 

  Armed each with a Lewis Gun and some bombs the two men jumped

  to their feet, and rushed across the open ground towards the

  German trench. they had reached the entanglements almost

  before the enemy had realized that the desperate enterprise

  had begun. Under a storm of rifle and machine gun fire the

  gallant pair forced their way through the wire, and jumped

  down into the trench against the Germans.

  Hopelessly outnumbered as they were, the two

  Englishmen proved more than a match for their enemies.  Luck

  was not with them at the first, as the Lance-Corporal’s gun

  jammed, and before he could free the stoppage, the Germans were

  upon him.  They swarmed like bees down the trench, thinking

  to have an easy victory. The Lewis gun was wrenched out of his

   

   

Description