RGJ E-Zine Jun 2015

Page 29

The Royal Green Jackets Associa on

2 Lt SC Woodroffe VC, The Rifle Brigade

Woodroffe was awarded the VC for most conspicuous bravery on the 30th July 1915, at Hooge, Belgium. As part of the WW1 commemorations a memorial paving stone will be laid in his town of birth Lewes in East Sussex at 11am on Thursday 30 July 2015. The location of the ceremony is at Lewes Library, Styles Field, BN7 2LZ This is a public event and lasts for about 30 minutes. The Rifle Brigade Assn will be represented. Members of the RGJ Assn from the local area may wish to attend.

Hooge, near Ypres, Belgium 30 July 1915 On 30 July 1915 at Hooge, east of Ypres, 8th Battalion The Rifle Brigade had just taken over a section of trenches when at about 3.15am the Germans attacked. A two- or three-minute bombardment was followed by the Germans deploying 'liquid fire', their first use of flamethrowers. Under cover of the flames and smoke German bombers then stormed the British line. Second Lieutenant S C Woodroffe's platoon had been unaffected by the flame throwers and fought off the attempts of the bombers. However they were almost cut off by the German advance and Woodroffe managed to withdraw the platoon to British lines by wayof the Menin Road. At 2.45pm the British mounted a major counter-attack but the preceding bombardment had made little impression on the enemy and Woodroffe was among the many attackers to be killed, shot while cutting through enemy barbed wire. Sidney Clayton WOODROFFE VC Second Lieutenant, 8th Battalion The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own), 41st Brigade, 14th Division War Office, 6th September, 1915. Second Lieutenant Sidney Clayton Woodroffe, late 8th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own) CITATION: For most conspicuous bravery on the .30th july, 1915, at Hooge. The enemy having broken through the centre of our front trenches, consequent on the,use of burning liquids, this Officer’s position was heavily attacked with bombs from the flank and subsequently from the rear, but he managed to defend his post until all his bombs were exhausted, and then skilfully withdrew his remaining men. This very gallant Officer immediately led his party forward in a counter-attack under an intense rifle and machine-gun fire, and was killed whilst in the act of cutting the wire obstacles in the open. (Third Supplement to The London GazeƩe of 3 September 1915. 6 September 1915, Nunib. 29286, p. 8839) E-Zine 2015

Volume 7 Issue 1 | 29


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook

Articles inside

The Lt Div Memorial

2min
page 48

A ‘Haka’ in Honour of Donald Charles Nairn

2min
page 47

Gar den SJM Barracks Winchester In Memoriam

2min
pages 49-50

4RGJ fi re team in Belize

2min
pages 41-42

Fire up the Mercedes Viano

15min
pages 43-46

Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (SOF O) Looking Forward 2015- 2016

3min
page 40

General Sir Nicholas P atrick Carter

2min
page 39

The Bermuda Regiment

5min
pages 34-35

SwiŌ and Bold 2014

1min
page 38

Rifl eman Denzil Haenow

4min
pages 36-37

2 Lt SC Woodroff e VC

2min
page 29

The Rout of the French

2min
pages 22-23

Imperial Guar d at Waterloo 18 June 1815 Sir John Colborne

8min
pages 24-28

The Royal Green Jackets

3min
pages 20-21

Wiltshire Branch

3min
pages 18-19

North West Branch

3min
pages 16-17

North East Branch

1min
page 15

East Midland Branch

1min
page 14

Pla tes RGJ AssociaƟ on Branch and Photographic Websites

1min
page 10

A ylesbury Branch Central England Branch

4min
pages 12-13

From the Editor

2min
page 7

Foreword

3min
page 3

Veteran’s Day 18 July th

0
page 4

RGJA Branches

1min
page 11

Regimental Number

2min
pages 8-9
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.