Heroesarehonoured

Details of the citations were released in early 1920 for two Stirling soldiers awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal during the final days of World War One.

One of the recipients was Pte T Harley (55295), 1/8th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, TF (Stirling).

The deed for which he was honoured occurred on November 6, 1918, just days before the end of hostilities.

While employed as a runner east of the Foret de Mormal, he took a message to a Lewis gun team instructing them to move forward to a position close to the enemy. On finding that the whole team had become casualties, he carried the Lewis gun and ammunition forward to the new position, returned and guided a fresh team to the gun. Later, he carried the wounded from the first team back to safety.

The second recipient was Spr (A/2nd Cpl) JC Henderson (93585), 219th Field Company, Royal Engineers (Stirling) whose gallantry and devotion to duty from August 30 to September 2, 1918, was recognised.

He was in charge of a party repairing a footbridge across the Somme Canal and it was due to his ‘drive and energy’ that the strategically important 500yard structure was completed.

The work was performed under heavy shell fire. Both men had already benefited from the fund set up during WW1 to honour Stirling’s heroes of