HEROISM IN EVOLUTION, 1915–1916 135
the officers, and sergts: Stubbs and Richards, corpl: Grimshaw and private
Keneally, are the N.C.O.s and men, to whom perhaps the greatest credit
is due. As the representatives therefore of the Battalions as well as for the
deeds of great gallantry performed by them themselves under my own
eyes, I strongly recommend these Officers, N.C.O.s., and men for the
Victoria Cross.^11
There are some immediate problems with this statement. Hunter-Weston
observed the action on W Beach from his command ship HMSEuryalus,at
least 2000 and more probably about 6000 yards offshore, keen eyesight
indeed to pick out and note individual acts of heroism.^12 The letter itself
contradicts the opening sentence by attributing the selection of nominees
to the consensus of the battalion rather than his own determination.
This is not to say that he had been entirely random, but rather made his
nominations according to an investigation of the circumstances surrounding
the actions of the battalion. Richards, it was revealed, continued to lead his
men forward despite a broken leg. Grimshaw managed to keep control of his
section and likewise lead them through the wire. Keneally crawled up and
tried to cut a gap in the entanglements, with no report as to his success in the
endeavor. Bromley ‘perhaps did more than anyone else in getting the men
forward through the entanglements and up the cliff,’ while Willis ‘shouted
to the men to get up and rush through the gap a few yards away and they
would not move.’^13 Stubbs was not mentioned in the report. It is apparent
that the officers and men had been picked by their peers on the basis of
existing pre-battle respect and a certain amount of battlefield leadership.
On 11 June 1915 Military Secretary Frederick Spencer Robb kicked the
six recommendations back to Hamilton on the grounds that they viol-
ated the provisions of Clause XIII of the VC warrant, that of elective
recommendations.^14 The clause stipulated that in such cases:
for every Troop or Company of Soldiers one Officer shall be selected by the
Officers engaged for the Decoration; and in like manner one Petty Officer
or Non-commissioned Officer shall be selected by the Petty Officers and
Non-commissioned Officers engaged; and two Seamen or Private Soldiers
or Marines shall be selected by the Seamen or Private Soldiers or Marines
engaged respectively for the Decoration; and the names of those selected
shall be transmitted by the Senior Officer in Command of the Naval Force
Brigade Regiment Troop or Company to the Admiral or General Officer
Commanding who shall in due manner confer the Decoration as if the
acts were done under his own eye.^15
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