Page 36 - All About History - Issue 12-14

Victoria Cross

MICHAEL JOHN O’LEARY

Praise
for a hero 03 First machine-gun unit

O’Leary closed in on the barricade and
“ No writer of fiction discharged his weapon five times – all the
shots hit their mark and, seconds after
would dare to fasten he had reached their position, all five of
the Kaiser’s men were dead. In taking out
such an achievement one of the machine guns, O’Leary had
significantly improved the chances of the
to any of his characters, British forces achieving their mission while
saving the lives of many of his colleagues.
but the Irish have
always had the
reputation of being
excellent fighters and

Lance Corporal Michael
O’Leary is clearly one of
02 O’Leary races ahead
them” Arthur Conan Doyle Lance Corporal O’Leary soon
outpaced his colleagues after they
had left the trench but instead of
“ O’Leary came back heading for the enemy trench he
made straight for one of the German
from his killing as machine-gun encampments placed at
the top of a railway embankment.
cool as if he had been
for a walk in the park,

accompanied by the 05 Prisoners of war
It seemed that O’Leary had at last decided
two prisoners he had that his work for the day was done and
he returned to his Company with his
taken. He probably two German prisoners. His actions had
saved the lives of many of his British
saved the lives of the forces and O’Leary received a battlefield
promotion to sergeant on 4 February and
whole Company” was recommended for the VC, which was
gazetted on 18 February.
Sergeant Lowry

01 Initial attack
Following an artillery barrage and
covering fire from the 2nd Company,
O’Leary’s 1st Company and some of the
Coldstream Guards left their trench and
German soldier before the first made for the German lines. The distance
Battle of Marne during WWI,
September 1914. The medals on between the two trenches was between
the uniforms means that the 90 and 135 metres (300 and 450 feet).
photo may have been staged

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