Leach and Hogan win the Victoria Cross

An illustration by Fortunino Matania (based on a report in the Manchester Guardian newspaper) showing how Lieutenant James Leach and Sergeant John Hogan of The Manchester Regiment recaptured a trench near Festubert, France, from German occupation and in the course of doing so, earned Victoria Crosses. Along with their ten strong force, Leach and Hogan surprised the Germans with a bayonet attack and then reached a point in the trench where it turned sharply at right angles. Armed with a revolver, Leach was able to reach round the corner and fire without exposing his body, whereas the Germans, armed with rifles, could not do so without exposing part of their bodies. Meanwhile Sergeant Hogan watched the parapet to protect them against any attacks from Germans crawling out of the trench. In this manner the two British soldiers made progress along the trench, until finally sixteen German soldiers were captured (two had been wounded and eight killed). As the two advanced, Hogan raised his hat on his rifle (shown here behind Leach) to indicate to the British behind them how far they had made progress so that they would not sweep that part of the trench with fire

Bravery Crosses Gallantry Hogan Leach Matania Outnumbered Recapture Recaptured

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