Robert Gordon McBeath, VC (22 December 1898 – 9 October 1922) born in Kinlochbervie, Sutherland was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious medal that can be awarded to members of British military forces. McBeath was a 19 years old lance-corporal in the 1/5th Battalion, The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, Duke of Albany's) of the British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.Citation: On 20 November 1917 during the Battle of Cambrai in France, Lance-Corporal McBeath volunteered to deal with a nest of machine-gunners that checked the advance of his unit and which had caused heavy casualties. He moved off alone, armed with a Lewis gun and a revolver. Finding that several other machine-guns were in action, McBeath attacked them with the assistance of a tank and drove the gunners to ground in a deep dug-out. McBeath rushed in after them, shot the first man who opposed him and then drove the remainder of the garrison out of the dug-out. He captured three officers and 30 men. McBeath's award was published in the London Gazette on 11 January 1918, which reads: For most conspicuous bravery when with his company in attack and approaching the final objective, a nest of enemy machine-guns in the western outskirts of a village opened fire both on his own unit and on the unit to the right. The advance was checked and heavy casualties resulted. When a Lewis gun was called for to deal with these machine-guns, L/Corpl. McBeath volunteered for the duty, and immediately moved off alone with a Lewis gun and his revolver. He located one of the machine-guns in action, and worked his way towards it, shooting the gunner with his revolver at 20 yards range. Finding several of the hostile machine-guns in action, he, with the assistance of a tank, attacked them and drove the gunners to ground in a deep dugout. L/Corpl. McBeath, regardless of all danger, rushed in after them, shot an enemy who opposed him on the steps, and drove the remainder of the garrison out of the dug-out, capturing three officers and 30 men. There were in all five machine-guns mounted round the dug-out, and by putting them out of action he cleared the way for the advance of both units. The conduct of L/Corpl. McBeath throughout three days of severe fighting was beyond praise Following the end of World War I McBeath married and emigrated to Canada where he was killed in the line of duty while working as a Police Officer in Vancouver, British Columbia. The attached account of his actions includes that He has already lost three brothers in the war.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: 17 January 1918. || Article with annotations.

Captain Robert Gee VC MC MP (7 May 1876 – 2 August 1960) was an English 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. Born in Leicester he was 41 years old, and a temporary Captain in the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers,British Army during the First World War when he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 30 November 1917 at Masnières and Les Rues Vertes, France for an action of supreme courage, an achievement which must surely rank as one of the most wonderful in the history of the war. He organised a defence during the German counter-attack of 30 November 1917 on British positions near Cambrai. During this action he rushed a machine gun with a revolver in each hand. His citation reads: An attack by the enemy captured brigade headquarters and ammunition dump. Captain Gee, finding himself a prisoner, managed to escape and organised a party of the brigade staff with which he attacked the enemy, closely followed by two companies of infantry. He cleared the locality and established a defensive flank, then finding an enemy machine-gun still in action, with a revolver in each hand he went forward and captured the gun, killing eight of the crew. He was wounded, but would not have his wound dressed until the defence was organised. Captain Robert Gee M.C., Royal Fusiliers, 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: 16 January 1918. || Article with annotations.

Article with annotations. || Private R. Ryder, 12th Middlesex Regiment, was awarded the V.C. for bravery on 26 September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. His Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was held up by heavy rifle fire and all his officers had become casualties. This caused the usual confusion and for want of leadership the attack was flagging when Private Ryder, acting alone and with great bravery advanced at a quick pace towards the German held trench. Not only did he suppress the occupants but also, by the skillful handling of his Lewis Gun succeeded in clearing the trench - his success seems to have encouraged his companions making the subsequent advance possible and turned what could have been failure into an advance. The British officially adopted the Lewis Gun in .303 calibre for Land and Aircraft use in October 1915; it is the first true LSW (Light Support Weapon). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun 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: 12 April 1918.