Friday 28th April 1916: A gallant feat by Private Walter Guess,
of the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, has been recognised by the
Brigadier-General commanding the 6th Division(1), in a personally signed note,
in which he says the Private’s commanding Officer and Brigade Commander have
informed him that he distinguished himself near Ypres, on December 19th last,
and he had read their report with much pleasure. Private Guess, who is only 21
years of age, was employed at the Leighton Buzzard Post Office before he
enlisted in Kitchener’s Army in the early stages of the war, and he has been at
the Front since then. On account of his plucky deed he has been allowed home on
special leave and while at Leighton Buzzard he gave an account of his action to
his friends. It seems that his officers asked for volunteers to take an
important message over a particularly dangerous piece of country to a
well-concealed post. Several men volunteered to go, but were unable to find
their way and then Guess offered to “have a go”. He had to hide in “pot-holes”
several times and cross at the double several open spaces that were
bullet-swept, and when he reached his destination and delivred his message he
was on the point of collapse and scarcely able to tell where the message was
concealed(2).
Source: Bedfordshire Standard 28th
April 1916
(1)
presumably they meant the Major-General commanding 6th Division, who was
Major-General Charles Ross
(2) On 19th
December the 8th Battalion war diary reads as follows: “5.30 am Gas attack,
opened rapid fire, the Germans did not come over the parapet, very heavy
shelling, gas cleared at 7.30 pm. Telephone wires cut between companies. B
Company in Forward Cottage trench relieved by 1 Company of 2nd Battalion, York
& Lancaster Regiment. Heavy shelling all day, also gas shells”.
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