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Posthumous V.C.

POSTHUMOUS V.C. Scots Guards Captain Rec. 12.45 p.m. RUGBY, August 12. The Victoria Cross has been awarded posthumously to Captain Lord LYELL, of the SCOTS GUARDS, who by outstanding leadership and gallant self-sacrifice at JEBEL BOU ARADA, in TUNISIA, enabled his company to carry out a task which had an important bearing on the success of his battalion and brigade. On April 27 his company was held up in the foothills by heavy fire from an enemy post consisting of a heavy machine-gun and an 88-millimetre gun in separate pits. He collected the only available men who were not pinned down by fire - a sergeant, a lance-corporal, and two Guardsmen - and led them to attack it. He lobbed a grenade into the machine-gun pit, destroying the crew. At this point the sergeant was killed and both Guardsmen were wounded. Quickly he ran towards the 88-millimetre gun while the lance-corporal gave covering fire, and was in among the gun's crew with the bayonet before they had time to fire more than one shot. He killed a number of them before being overwhelmed and killed himself. A few survivors of the crew then left the pit some being killed while retreating. Thus both guns were silenced and the company was able to advance and take its objective.

Posthumous V.C.
dbf, May 11, 2013
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