If one man can represent the fighting prowess of a people then the Irishman Michael John O'Leary fits the bill for his Catholic kin. Already an ex-RN seaman and decorated ex-member of the Royal North West Mounted Police (Canada) during December 1914, Private O'Leary saw heavy fighting with the Irish Guards. He was was Mentioned in Despatches and subsequently because of his actions was promoted to Lance Corporal on 5 January 1915. Three weeks later on 30 January, his unit was ordered to prepare for an attack on German positions near Cuinchy on the La Bassée Canal in response to a successful German operation in the area five days before. The Germans attacked first however and on the morning of 1 February seized a stretch of canal embankment on the western end of the line from a company of Coldstream Guards. This section of the line, known as the Hollow, was tactically important as it defended a culvert that passed underneath a railway embankment. Number 4 Company of Irish Guards, originally in reserve, were tasked with joining the Coldstream Guards in retaking the position at 04:00, but the attack was met with heavy machine gun fire and most of the assault party, including all of the Irish Guards officers, were killed or wounded. To replace these officers, Second Lieutenant Innes of Number 1 Company was ordered forward to gather the survivors and withdraw, forming up at a barricade on the edge of the Hollow. Innes regrouped the survivors and, following a heavy bombardment from supporting artillery and with his own company providing covering fire, assisted the Coldstream Guards in a second attack at 10:15. Weighed down with entrenching equipment, the attacking Coldstream Guardsmen faltered and began to suffer heavy casualties. Innes too came under heavy fire from a German barricade to their front equipped with a machine gun. Michael O'Leary had been serving as Innes's orderly, and had joined him in the operations earlier in the morning and again in the second attack. Charging past the rest of the assault party, O'Leary closed with the first German barricade at the top of the railway embankment and fired five shots, killing the gun's crew. Continuing forward, O'Leary confronted a second barricade, also armed with a machine gun 60 yards (55 m) further on and again mounted the railway embankment, to avoid the marshy ground on either side. The Germans spotted his approach, but could not bring their gun to bear on him before he opened fire, killing three soldiers and capturing two others after he ran out of ammunition. Reportedly, O'Leary had made his advance on the second barricade intent upon killing another German to whom he had taken a dislike. Having disabled both guns and enabled the recapture of the British position, O'Leary then returned to his unit with his prisoners, apparently as cool as if he had been for a walk in the park. For his actions, O'Leary received a battlefield promotion to Sergeant on 4 February and was recommended for the Victoria Cross, which was gazetted on the 18 February. The attached account of his actions was written by James Price Lloyd of the Welsh Regiment, who served with Military Intelligence. After the war, the government to destroyed all the archives relating to this propaganda (section MI 7b (1)). They were regarded as being too sensitive to risk being made public. Remarkably these documents have survived in the personal records of Captain Lloyd. Many of these papers are officially stamped, and one can trace the development of many individual articles from the notes based on an idea, to the pencil draft which is then followed by the hand-written submission and the typescript. The archive Tales of the VC comprises 94 individual accounts of the heroism that earned the highest award for valour, the Victoria Cross. These are recounted deferentially and economically, yet they still manage to move the reader. Date stamp: 25 April 1918. || Article with annotations.

Article with annotations. || Private L. Keyworth, 24th London Regiment (The Queen's), was awarded the V.C. for bravery on the night of the 25-26 May 1915 on the left of the La Bassee Canal near Givenchy. During the act he threw some 200 bombs! His regiment went to France on 16th March 1915 Billeted near Bethune, the battalion first went into the front line on 25th April 1915 in the Rue de l'Epinette sector, north of Festubert. In its first engagement at Aubers Ridge on 9th May the battalion suffered over 100 casualties. At 17:30 hours on 25th May 1915 the 24th Bn took over trenches just north of Givenchy in readiness for an attack later that evening. After a supporting artillery bombardment the attack began at 18:30 advancing on a stretch of the enemy line known as the 'S' Bend, the leading companies reaching its objective with few casualties. The supporting companies followed and within thirty minutes all were in the German front line but were unable to advance further as the enemy was holding the slightly higher ground to the south and from there were able to inflict heavy rifle fire on the attacking troops. The Battalion War Diary records '18:45 - 21:00 captured trench being consolidated. A severe 'bomb' (hand grenade)fight taking place all the time on the right flank'. Keyworth described how half his section were shot down by enemy machine-gun fire before reaching the German line and how all the 'bombers' had been killed except him. When his supply of grenades was exhausted, Keyworth was supplied with more by men behind him who continually implored him to lie down. For about two hours Keyworth remained on a parapet throwing some 150 grenades and although blinded with dirt he survived unscathed. The captured trench was held throughout the night and the whole of the next day, despite being under shell and rifle fire for much of the time until the battalion was relieved. The Battalion War Diary states: he most noticeable feature of the operation was the retention of the captured trench by a few exhausted, and in many cases wounded, men, after it had been subjected to a very heavy enfilade rifle fire. Keyworth was recommended for the DCM for his actions by his company commander Captain Armstrong, but was actually awarded the Victoria Cross, as published in the London Gazette on 3rd July 1915. The first Keyworth knew of his VC was when he read a newspaper containing the citation on 4th July. This account of his actions was written by James Price Lloyd of the Welsh Regiment, who served with Military Intelligence. After the war, the government to destroyed all the archives relating to this propaganda (section MI 7b (1)). They were regarded as being too sensitive to risk being made public. Remarkably these documents have survived in the personal records of Captain Lloyd. Many of these papers are officially stamped, and one can trace the development of many individual articles from the notes based on an idea, to the pencil draft which is then followed by the hand-written submission and the typescript. The archive Tales of the VC comprises 94 individual accounts of the heroism that earned the highest award for valour, the Victoria Cross. These are recounted deferentially and economically, yet they still manage to move the reader. Date stamp: 7 February 1918.

James Edward Tait VC MC (27 May 1888 – 11 August 1918), was a Scottish/Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Although Tait was born on 27 May 1888 in Maxwelltown (Dumfries), Scotland he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in February 1916. Tait was 32 years old, and a Lieutenant in the 78th (Winnipeg Grenadiers) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, during the First World War. He died in action on 11 August 1918 in Amiens, France for actions on the 8th and 12th August 1018 for which he was awarded the VC. It should be noted that prior to these events he had been wounded four times. VC Citation: For most conspicuous bravery and initiative in attack. The advance having been checked by intense machine-gun fire, Lt. Tait rallied his company and led it forward with consummate skill and dash under a hail of bullets. A concealed machine gun, however, continued to cause many casualties. Taking a rifle and bayonet, Lt. Tait dashed forward alone and killed the enemy gunner. Inspired by his example his men rushed the position, capturing twelve machine guns and twenty prisoners. His valorous action cleared the way for his battalion to advance. Later, when the enemy counter-attacked our positions under intense artillery bombardment, this gallant officer displayed outstanding courage and leadership, and, though mortally wounded by a shell, continued to aid and direct his men until his death. —The London Gazette, 24 September 1918 The attached account of his actions was written by James Price Lloyd of the Welsh Regiment, who served with Military Intelligence. After the war, the government to destroyed all the archives relating to this propaganda (section MI 7b (1)). They were regarded as being too sensitive to risk being made public. Remarkably these documents have survived in the personal records of Captain Lloyd. Many of these papers are officially stamped, and one can trace the development of many individual articles from the notes based on an idea, to the pencil draft which is then followed by the hand-written submission and the typescript. The archive Tales of the VC comprises 94 individual accounts of the heroism that earned the highest award for valour, the Victoria Cross. These are recounted deferentially and economically, yet they still manage to move the reader. Date stamp: 19 November 1918. || Article with annotations.