Jorgan Christian Jensen ["Tales of the V.C."], item 5
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Transcription history
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enemy, who kept up a continuous fire upon him and
his small band. When still some distance away he
threw a bomb, which fell on the parapet of the German trench.
Taking advantage of the confusion caused among the enemy by the explosion, he succeeded in reaching
a small trench close by, and beckoned to the others
to follow him. Two of his small party had been
wounded, and were practically out of action, but the
survivors made up in courage for what they lacked in
numbers. There were two bodies of Germans in front of
them, about fifty men in all, and they had a
machine gun. Such odds as these must have daunted
men less stout-hearted than Private Jensen and his Australian comrades. But they
fought on.
At first they concentrated their fire on the party of Germans
on their right front, who had brought their machine gun
into position, and were using it to prevent the advance
of another company of the battalion. Meanwhile the
second party of Germans had lined a barricade, and
were already opening fire on some of the British, who
were moving up to the attack just beyond a sunken
road. Hitherto Pte. Jensen and his small band had
refrained from firing upon this second party of the
enemy, as they were observed to be wearing white
bands upon their arms, which the Australians took to
be a sign of the Red Cross. As became soldiers of Britain, they had not forgotten
their chivalry and humanity even in the heat of battle.
In the meantime a lucky shot from one of the Australian soldiers had
knocked at the German machine gun on the right. Pte. Jensen
-
enemy, who kept up a continuous fire upon him and
his small band. When still some distance away he
threw a bomb, which fell on the parapet of the German trench.
Taking advantage of the confusion caused among the enemy by the explosion, he succeeded in reaching
a small trench close by, and beckoned to the others
to follow him. Two of his small party had been
wounded, and were practically out of action, but the
survivors made up in courage for what they lacked in
numbers. There were two bodies of Germans in front of
them, about fifty men in all, and they had a
machine gun. Such odds as these must have daunted
men less stout-hearted than Private Jensen and his Australian comrades. But they
fought on.
At first they concentrated their fire on the party of Germans
on their right front, who had brought their machine gun
into position, and were using it to prevent the advance
of another company of the battalion. Meanwhile the
second party of Germans had lined a barricade, and
were already opening fire on some of the British, who
were moving up to the attack just beyond a sunken
road. Hitherto Pte. Jensen and his small band had
refrained from firing upon this second party of the
enemy, as they were observed to be wearing white
bands upon their arms, which the Australians took to
be a sign of the Red Cross. As became soldiers of Britain, they had not forgotten
their chivalry and humanity even in the heat of battle.
In the meantime a lucky shot from one of the Australian soldiers had
knocked at the German machine gun on the right. Pte. Jensen
-
enemy, who kept up a continuous fire upon him and
his small band. When still some distance away he
threw a bomb, which fell on the parapet of the German trench.
Taking advantage of the confusion caused among the enemy by the explosion, he succeeded in reaching
a small trench close by, and beckoned to the others
to follow him. Two of his small party had been
wounded, and were practically out of action, but the
survivors made up in courage for what they lacked in
numbers. There were two bodies of Germans in front of
them, about fifty men in all, and they had a
machine gun. Such odds as these must have daunted
men less stout-hearted than Private Jensen and his Australian comrades. But they
fought on.
At first they concentrated their fire on the party of Germans
on their right front, who had brought their machine gun
into position, and were using it to prevent the advance
of another company of the battalion. Meanwhile the
second party of Germans had lined a barricade, and were already
opening fire on some of the British, who were moving up to the
attack just beyond a sunken road. Hitherto Pte. Jensen and
his small band had refrained from firing upon this second party
of the enemy, as they were observed to be wearing white
bands upon their arms, which the Australians took to be a
sign of the Red Cross. As became soldiers of Britain, they
had not forgotten their chivalry and humanity even in the heat
of battle.
In the meantime a lucky shot from one of the
Australian soldiers had knocked at the German machine gun on
the right. Pte. Jensen was quick to seize the opportunity.
Shouting to a comrade to cover his advance with rifle fire,
he rushed across to the barricade with a bomb in each hand.
The enemy, with British bullets sweeping their parapet,
dared not raise their heads to fire at him, but one of them
threw a stick bomb, which fell at Jensen's feet. Even that
failed to stop him, however, and he finished the duel by
throwing a Lill's Grenade over the parapet. It exploded
beneath the German's feet, and blew him nearly into the sunken
road.
The remaining Germans fled for refuge to a
deep dug-out adjoining the barricade. Pte. Jensen followed
them up, took his stand at the entrance, and invited the
occupants
-
enemy, who kept up a continuous fire upon him and his small band. When still some
distance away he threw a bomb, which fell on the parapet of the
German trench. Taking advantage of the confusion caused among
the enemy by the explosion, he succeeded in reaching a small
trench close by, and beckoned to the others to follow him.
Two of his small party had been wounded, and were practically
out of action, but the survivors made up in courage for what
they lacked in numbers. There were two bodies of Germans in front
of them, about fifty men in all, and they had a machine gun.
Description
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Location(s)
Story location
- ID
- 5394 / 60354
- Contributor
- Jeremy Arter
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- Western Front
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- Prisoners of War
- Propaganda
- Remembrance
- Trench Life











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