Margaret Isobel DOVASTON
DEEDS THAT THRILL THE EMPIRE
'Deeds That Thrill the Empire' is subtitled 'True Stories of the Most Glorious Acts of Heroism of the Empire's Soldiers and Sailors during the Great War'.
It was published in instalments by The Standard Art Book Co Ltd of Ludgate Hill, London and describes some of the most thrilling deeds of the British Empire forces in the First World War.
Most of the illustrations are black & white prints but there are a few coloured plates.
The paintings are highly dramatic and most were produced especially for this work by a variety of artists.
Each volume consists of approximately 180 pages with an elegant gilt-decorated binding.
The following are some of Margaret's contributions.
Private L. Barton attempting to rescue wounded men while under heavy fireSeeing some of his comrades lying wounded close to the door of a burning house, near Houplines, Private L. Barton, of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, bravely volunteered to rescue them. The house was held by the enemy, and as Barton approached he came under a heavy fire. He succeeded, however, in recovering one of the men, and was rewarded with the D.C.M. for conspicuous gallantry. On recovering consciousness Finlay saw one of his two men lying on the ground five yards to his left, and on crawling to him found that the man was wounded in two places. He at once bandaged him up, and then half carrying, half dragging him, brought him safely into the trench, for most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty Lance-Corporal, now Sergeant, Finlay was rewarded with the VC.
Lance-Corporal Finlay dragging a wounded comrade into the trench while under fire
Lance-Corporal Fuller kills with a bomb the leader of a party of Germans who were endeavouring to escapeSeeing a party of the enemy endeavouring to escape along a communication trench at Neuve Chapelle in March 12th 1915. Lance-Corporal Wilfred Dolby Fuller, of the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, ran towards them and killed the leading man with a bomb; the remainder, who numbered nearly fifty, on finding no means of evading his bombs, surrendered to him. Lance-Corporal Fuller was quite alone at the time, and for the most conspicuous bravery displayed by him he was awarded the V.C. At Neuve Chapelle on October 29th, 1914, Private J.Goodman, of the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, accompanied another man and set fire to a farmhouse, occupied by about fifty of the enemy, whilst exposed to heavy fire. The enemy were thereby forced to leave the farm, which was an important position. For his gallant conduct Goodman was awarded the D.C.M.
Private Goodman and a comrade retiring from a farmhouse which they had set alight under heavy fire
Captain Hansen and Lance Corporal Breese carrying back a wounded man from the burning gorse to the British linesLance-Corporal Breese and two other men at once answered Captain Hansen's call for volunteers, and getting out of the trench with him, ran up the hill and dashed into the blazing scrub amidst a storm of bullets. Six wounded men were snatched up one after another, and carried down the hill into safety. It was impossible to save more as a barrier of fire and of danse clouds of smoke intervened. For his most heroic conduct Captain Hansen was awarded the V.C., while Lance-Corporal Breese was awarded the D.C.M. for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. On the night of August 3rd, 1915, Lance-Corporal Harvey, of the 1/5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment (T.F.) and another non-commissioned Officer went out with a patrol to reconnoitre in the direction of a suspected listening-post near Hebuterne. In advancing they encountered the hostile post, which was evidently covering a working-party in the rear. Corporal Knight at once shot one of the enemy and with Lance-Corporal Harvey rushed the post, shooting two others.
Lance-Corporal Harvey shooting one of the men of a German Listening Post encountered at Hebuterne
Lance-Sergeant F L Hastings bombing seven of the enemy who were attempting to seize the lip of a mine craterAfter the enemy had exploded a mine, Lance-Sergeant F. L. Hastings, of the Royal Fusiliers, rushed off with two men, through a heavy barrage of shrapnel, telling the rest of his party to follow as quickly as possible. On reaching the lip of the crater he met seven of the enemy creeping round to seize the lip. He attacked them and bombed them off. For his conspicuous gallantry he was subsequently awarded the D.C.M. When a bomb thrown by the enemy fell at his feet in the trench, Temporary Lieutenant Hugh Cowell Kinred, of the 14th Battalion, Gloucester Regiment, at once threw himself on it, and was blown into the air and much bruised and cut by the explosion, his life being saved by his steel waistcoat. His plucky action saved many casualties. He was awarded the M.C. for conspicuous gallantry.
Temporary Lieutenant H C Kinred throws himself onto a bomb to save his Comrades and is blown into the air
Corporal A. Marsh encounters a party of Germans while scoutingOn the morning of October 23rd, 1915, the Leicesters' position near the Rue du Bois was attacked, and Corporal A. Marsh, of the 1st Battalion, East Kent Regiment, was sent to find out how they were faring. In dashing across the open, a machine-gun was turned on him. It smashed the butt end of his rifle, though he himself was fortunately not hit. After running for some way he got into a ditch, but on looking out, found that he was between the Germans, who had captured the Leicesters' position, and the enemy's lines. Following the explosion of the Turkish mine, which wrecked a British underground working on Galipoli Peninsula, On October 13th, 1915, Corporal J. McCartney, of the 1/5th Battalion, The Manchester Regiment (Territorial Force), entered the partly destroyed working and, with assistance of another man, dug out a miner alive. He then went to the surface for a fresh light and returned with another man, and three of them carried the miner to safety. This was accomplished in an extremely poisonous atmosphere, due to the fumes of the exploded mine. For conspicuous gallantry Corporal McCartney was awarded the D.C.M.
Corporal J McCartney digging out, with the assistance of a comrade, a miner who had been buried by a mine explosion
Company Sergeant Major Reid bringing up reserves to the forward trenches on Hill 60, under heavy fireCompany Sergeant-Major Reid was stationed on the right flank of Lieutenant Roupell's company of the East Surreys on Hill 60. The situation rapidly became most critical here, and Sergeant-Major Reid therefore determined to go himself to the supports for men and ammunition. Rushing back over ground which was being broken up into great craters by the hugh shells of the enemy, he gathered what men and ammunition he could find and led them forward. Men were falling fast in the trenches and he returned just in time to place the reinforcements at crucial points and distribute the ammunition. Three times he journeyed between the forward and reserve trenches, and for his heroic conduct was awarded the DCM. Having decided to make use of a deserted Wayside Inn at Zillebeke, Lance Corporal George Royall set to work with the stretcher bearers to prepare it as a dressing station in readiness for the attack which was to begin on the following morning. Mattresses were brought from the rooms upstairs to the ground-floor for the accomodation of the most serious cases, and soon after 9.30 am. on November 8th, 1914 when the British had begun the Attack, the Inn was filled with wounded soldiers. Before long shells began to fall close to the house, but Lance Corporal Royall braverly continued his work among the sufferers till a shell struck the building, partially destroying it, and he at once began to get his patients away.
Lance-Corporal Royall attending to the wounded in a wayside inn which was under fire
Rifleman Shee and his company advancing to recapture lost British trenchesAt 4 a.m. on March 15th, 1915 the british advanced to recapture four trenches near St Eloi. While artillery was shelling the enemy lighting up there postion with bursting sharpnel, the men emerged from a disused trench about sixty yards from the german lines. advancing in torrents of rain and through thick mud the Cornwalls and the King's Royal Rifles attacked the two most easterly trenches, while the Royal irish Fusiliers and half a company of the King's Royal Rifles, to which Rifleman Shee was attached, advanced against the other two. In a few minutes all except one of the trenches had been captured. When nearly all his men had been killed or wounded at Hohenzollern Redoubt on October 14th, 1915, and with only two men available to hand him bombs, Second-Lieutenant (temporary Captain) Vickers held a barrier for some hours against heavy German bomb attacks from front and flank. Regardless of the fact that his own retreat would be cut off, he had ordered a second barrier to be built behind him in order to ensure the safety of the trench. Finally he was severely wounded, but not before his magnificent courage and determination had enabled the second barrier to be completed. A critical situation was thus saved, and for his most conspicuous bravery Captain Vickers was awarded the V.C.
Captain Vickers holding the enemy at bay while a barrier was being built up behind him