Groups and Single Decorations for Gallantry


The general inspecting the trenches Exclaimed with a horrified shout, “I refuse to command a division Which leaves its excreta about.”


But nobody took any notice No one was prepared to refute, That the presence of shit was congenial Compared to the presence of Shute.


And certain responsible critics Made haste to reply to his words Observing that his staff advisors Consisted entirely of turds.


For shit may be shot at odd corners And paper supplied there to suit, But a shit would be shot without mourners If someone shot that shit Shute.


On the 13 November 1916 the 63rd R.N.D. (now placed under V Corps of the 5th Army) was moved along the Ancre River in an attempt to give the lagging Somme offensive another push. It participated in the opening attack at 05:45 hours under the cover of the artillery barrage. The leading battalions made good progress but at the cost of severe casualties from enfilading fire. By 06:45 hours Freyberg had managed to take his first objective along with hundreds of prisoners. On his left though the Hawke and Nelson Battalions had encountered very stiff opposition with the C.O. of the Hawke Battalion wounded and that of the Nelson killed. Hawke and Nelson, got machine gunned and shelled into virtual non-existence, mainly at the hands of the strong-point on Hawke’s sector that also created much havoc to 188 Brigade. This strong-point was unmarked on any map and therefore avoided the customary treatment from artillery preparation normally given to such structures. The Germans had been far from idle during their long stay in the area and they had constructed a well-connected system of tunnels using medieval tunnels and catacombs. This meant that in places machine gun posts were well concealed and specially adapted to provide enfilading fire against any attackers.


The original planning for the attack had utilised a number of tanks, but it had quickly been realised that with the ground so well churned by the bombardment that they would be more of a hindrance and had been sent back to the rear. Now, on the second day, two were again brought forward in an attempt to deal with the stronghold machine gun nest which continued to hold up the Division's advance to the west of Beaucourt. Both tanks soon became bogged down in mud but not before one of them had advanced far enough to be able to use its 6 pounder guns to good effect, and causing the German garrison of over 400 to surrender. That evening the line of advance was pushed further forward but it would take another few days of fighting to finally secure all that had been envisaged on the 12th. On the night of 17 November it started to snow and the final assaults of the battle of the Somme were launched the following morning.


Harrison, as Lewis Gunner, was probably stationed on the flank of his unit and survived the carnage of the battle. He was discharged to U.K. on 8 February 1917, to enter Cadet School where he was presented with his MM by the G.O.C. Blandford on 1 April 1917. On 28 August 1917 he was appointed to a Temporary Commission as 2nd Lieutenant and posted to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, with whom he was awarded the M.C. during the closing months of the war.


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