Battle of Loos - Awards

Awards

• Angus Falconer Douglas-Hamilton, commanding officer of the 6th Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for leading his men against a German machine gun post and was killed at their head.
• Arthur Frederick Saunders, of the Suffolk Regiment was awarded the Victoria Cross for supporting the Cameron Highlanders with machine guns despite his own injuries.
• George Stanley Peachment, of the 2nd Battalion of the King's Royal Rifle Corps was awarded the Victoria Cross for attempting with no regard to his own safety to provide first aid to his company commander who was lying wounded in the open. He died on 25 September 1915 near Hulluch.
• Alfred Alexander Burt, a corporal in 1/1st Battalion the Hertfordshire Regiment, was awarded the Victoria Cross for an action that took place on 27th September near Cuinchy. He saved the lives of many of his comrades by disarming a trench-mortar round that had landed amongst them as the battalion formed up to attack.
• The 1st Battalion London Irish Rifles distinguished themselves when storming across No-Man's Land to capture the enemy trenches, Sgt. Frank Edwards, the Captain of the football team, kicked a football along in front of the troops. This earned the LIR their second Battle Honour - "Loos, 1915", the football is still preserved in the Regimental Museum. To this day, Sergeant Edwards' memory is commemorated on Loos Sunday.
• Daniel Laidlaw, a Scottish piper received the Victoria Cross as a reward for rousing his unit to a charge.
• The 39th Garhwal Battalion was led by Rana Jodha with great courage and gallantry which won him the Military Cross. Rana Jodha Jang Bahadur, who, in spite of being wounded, continued to lead his men against the Germans, and did not desist until a second wound rendered him unconscious. He received 5 bullet wounds in the neck and upper shoulder during The Great War and recovered in Europe.
• Subedar-Major Jagindar Singh Saini, a Sikh officer from the Sappers, received the Indian Order of Merit and the Order of British India for 'conspicuous bravery' and 'striking leadership'.
• William Noel Hodgson was awarded the Military Cross for holding a captured trench for 36 hours without reinforcements or supplies during the battle and he was subsequently promoted to lieutenant.
• Captain Anketell Moutray Read VC. On 25 September 1915 near Hulluch, France, Captain Read, although partially gassed, went out several times in order to rally parties of different units which were disorganised and retiring. He led them back into the firing line and regardless of danger to himself, moved about under withering fire, encouraging them, but he was mortally wounded while carrying out this gallant work. He had shown conspicuous bravery on other occasions, particularly on the night of 29/30 July when he carried out of action an officer who was mortally wounded, under a hot fire of rifle and grenades.He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.