The line was forwarded somewhat from where we had left it,
and the position that I had to take over with “D” company was up
in front of Lens, L-E-N-S. We went in on a Monday night and had
got word that our battalion on our right was going to attack the
Germans at five o’clock on Saturday morning. We did not have
trenches up at this point but I had men in foxholes, or shell
holes you might say, and be about five or six men to a shell hole
and they were more or less (inaudible) our front line. During the
nights, I would go around and visit each one of the corporals and
men in the shell holes and this night about Friday, Saturday
morning of the 28th of April, my sergeant and I were, we had gone
around and visited each one of them. We had just finished and
coming back to our little dugout. And the Germans were shelling
pretty heavily at that time and they were landing around about
three hundred yards away from us. Just about that moment,
about four o’clock in the morning, one landed right within five
feet of where I was standing and the shrapnel shell caught me in
the back of the head. The strap on the steel helmet which I was
wearing was cut in two and the shell went into my skull. If it
hadn’t have been for this strap I would have been killed
instantly I’m sure, because this took away the force of the
impact. And while I was in the hospital in London, I got a
message, or a wire, from the King’s representative saying that
I’d been awarded the Military Cross and asked to attend an
investiture at Buckingham Palace on a certain day in May.
This is a highlight of my venture there, because I proceeded to
Buckingham Palace, 11 o’clock, right before noon and was ushered
into the room where King George was, and he shook my hand and
pinned a Military Cross Medal on my chest. I was very proud at
that moment to have received such an honour.