20th July 1916 – ON THIS DAY IN RWF HISTORY

Cpl JJ Davies and Pte A Hill won VCs, 1916

10 RWF attacked Delville Wood in support of the South Africans. In the dark Cpl Davies and six men became separated from their company. From a shell hole they held up a German counter-attack and then drove the enemy off with the bayonet. Later Pte Hill, acting on his own, dispersed twenty of the enemy before helping to bring in some wounded men under enemy fire. They both received a VC.

On the 20th July 1916, at Delville Wood, Corporal Davies and eight men were surrounded during an enemy counter-attack. Taking cover in a shell hole, they repulsed the attackers with grenades and rapid fire. He then followed up the retreating party of Germans and bayoneted several of them. All the officers had become casualties, Corporal Davies, badly wounded in a shoulder, took charge and led two attacks and kept a tight control of the reserves.

On the 20th July 1916, at Delville Wood, when the battalion had deployed under very heavy fire for an attack he dashed forward, when the order to charge was given, and meeting two of the enemy suddenly, bayoneted them both. He was sent later by his platoo, sergeant to get in touch with the company, and finding himself cut off and almost surrounded by some twenty of the enemy, attacked them with bombs, killing and wounded many and scattering the remainder. He then joined a sergeant and helped him to find the way back to the lines. When he got back, hearing that his Company Officer and a scout were lying out wounded, he went out and assisted in bringing in the wounded officer, two other men bringing in the scout. Finlly, he himself captured and brought in as prisoners two of the enemy.