Captain Foss’s Victoria Cross

Tuesday 24^th August: It is with the greatest pleasure we have to announce that Captain Charles Foss, DSO, of the 2nd Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment, has been awarded the Victoria Cross for conspicuous bravery at Neuve Chapelle. The award was made, together with five others, last night and the feat that won the coveted honour for Captain Foss irresistibly recalls O’Leary’s famous exploit(1). The captain, with only eight men, captured an important German position and 52 men. The following is the officlal account of Captain Foss’ bravery: -

“For most conspicuous bravery at Neuve Chapelle on 12th March 1915. After the enemy had captured a part of one of our trenches, and our counter-attack made with one officer and 20 men having failed (all but two of the party being killed or wounded in the attempt), Captain Foss, on his own initiative, dashed forward with eight men, under heavy fire, attacked the enemy with bombs and captured the position, including the 52 Germans occupying it. The capture of this position from the enemy was of the greatest importance and the utmost bravery was displayed in essaying the task with so very few men”.

Captain Foss joined the Bedfordshire Regiment in March 1904 as a Second Lieutenant, and went with the 2nd Battalion to Gibraltar in 1906, afterwards proceeding to Bermuda and South Africa. On November 20th 1912 he was promoted to the rank of Captain and on returning from South Africa he was the Adjutant of the Battalion. On arrival in this country he immediately went to the front, where he quickly distinguished himself for his heroic work. In the words of an officer who was with him in France, Captain Foss “never spared himself and met with some very narrow escapes. He was always to the fore and never failed to look after his men”.

Caotx Foss is a son of the Right Rev Hugh James Foss, Bishop of Osaka and in June last he obtained leave, coming over to England and was married at the time, not knowing he had won the VC although the action in which he gained the Cross was fought in March(2)

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 27th August 1915

(1) Lance Corporal (later Major) Michael John O’Leary, Irish Guards, won his VC on 1st February 1915 at Cuinchy, not far from Neuve Chapelle, by taking our two machine gun nests single-handed in front of his unit’s advancing men. He later emigrated to Canada for a while and led a colourful life, before returning to Britain and serving in World War two. He died in 1961, aged 70.

(2) Charles Calveley Foss was born in 1885 in Kobe [Japan]. He later rose to the rank of Brigadier and died in London in 1953. The medal is on display in the Regimental Gallery at Wardown Museum, Luton.