A hundred years ago on the 26th Aug, 1914 the Battle of Le Cateau was taking place after the British and French retreated from the Battle of Mons. The Allied forces had set up defensive positions in a fighting withdrawal against the German advance at Le Cateau-Cambresis.
After the fighting the total British casualties at Le Cateau amounted to 7,812 of all rank, killed, wounded and missing.
During this rear-guard action fought by the British five Victoria Crosses were awarded for valour and “most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy.". These medals were awarded to Job Drain - Royal Field Artillery, Frederick Holmes - King’s Own, Frederick Luke - Royal Field Artillery, Charles Yate - King’s Own and Douglas Reynolds - Royal Field Artillery.
First Name: Job Henry Charles
Surname: Drain
DOB: 15/10/1895
Age: 18
Birth Town: Barking, Essex
Resided Town: Barking & Dagenham, Essex
Nationality: British
Resided Country: England
Date of Action: 26/08/1914
Date of Death: 26/07/1975
Information: Later Sergeant.
More Information: Further gazette dates: 16/10/1914 (MiD); 20/10/1914 (MiD) Further gazette pages: 8349 (MiD); 8381 (MiD) Further Gazette issues: 28942 (MiD); 28945 (MiD)
Rank: Driver
Service Number: 69960
Gazette Info: Driver Job Henry Charles Drain, 37th Battery, Royal Field Artillery. On 26th August 1914 at Le Cateau, France, when a captain of the same battery was trying to recapture two guns, Driver Drain and another driver volunteered to help and gave great assistance in the eventual saving of one of the guns. At the time they were under heavy artillery and infantry fire from the enemy who were only 100 yards away.
Service: British Army
Regiment: Royal Field Artillery
Battalion: 37th Battery
Tertiary_Unit: 8th Brigade
Place of Death: Dagenham, Essex
First Name: Frederick William
Surname: Holmes
DOB: 13/09/1889
Age: 24
Birth Town: Tottenham, Middlesex
Resided Town: Tottenham, Middlesex; Bermondsey, London, Port Augusta, South Australia
Nationality: British
Resided Country: England; Australia
Date of Action: 26/08/1914
Date of Death: 22/10/1969
Information: Record Office. Later Second Lieutenant and Captain. Emigrated to Australia in the 1920s.
More Information: Further gazette dates: 16/10/1914 (MiD); 20/10/1914 (MiD) Further gazette pages: 8355 (MiD); 8387 (MiD) Further Gazette issues: 28942 (MiD); 28945 (MiD)
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service Number: 937
Gallantry Awards: Victoria Cross
Gazette Info: VICTORIA CROSS. Lance-Corporal Frederick William Holmes, 2nd Battalion, The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. On 26th August 1914 at Le Cateau, France, Lance-Corporal Holmes carried a wounded man out of the trenches under heavy fire and later helped to drive a gun out of action by taking the place of a driver who was wounded.
Gazette Date: 24/11/1914 (V.C.)
Gazette Page: 9958 (V.C.); Issue: 28985 (V.C.)
Duty Location: Le Cateau, France; France and Flanders
Service: British Army
Regiment: King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Battalion: 2nd Battalion
Commemorated: Cremated Stirling North Garden Cemetery, Port Augusta, South Australia
Place of Death: Port Augusta, South Australia
First Name: Frederick
Surname: Luke
DOB: 29/09/1895
Age: 18
Birth Town: West Tytherley, Near Romsey, Hampshire
Resided Town: West Tytherley & Lockerley, Hampshire; Glasgow
Nationality: British
Resided Country: England; Scotland
Date of Action: 26/08/1914
Date of Death: 11/03/1983
Information: Later Sergeant. Served in the Second World War with the RAF Regiment. Mentioned in Despatches x 2, 8th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.
More Information: Further gazette dates: 16/10/1914 (MiD); 20/10/1914 (MiD) Further gazette pages: 8349 (MiD); 8381 (MiD) Further gazette issues: 28942 (MiD); 28945 (MiD)
Rank: Driver
Service Number: 71787
Gallantry Awards: Victoria Cross
Gazette Info: VICTORIA CROSS,: No. 71787 Driver Frederick Luke, 37th Battery, Royal Field Artillery. On 26th August 1914 at Le Cateau, France, when a captain of the same battery was trying to save two guns which had been recaptured, Driver Luke and another driver volunteered to help and gave great assistance in the eventual saving of one of the guns. At the time they were under heavy fire from the enemy who were only 100 yards away. (See also Captain Douglas Reynolds and Driver Job Henry Charles Drain.) Gazette Date: 24/11/1914 (V.C.)
Gazette Page: 9957 (V.C.); Issue: 28985 (V.C.)
Duty Location: Le Cateau, France; France and Flanders
Service: British Army
Regiment: Royal Field Artillery
Battalion: 37th Battery
Place of Death: Glasgow, Scotland
First Name: Charles Allix Lavington
Surname: Yate
DOB: 14/03/1872
Age: 42
Birth Town: Madeley
Birth County: Shropshire
Nationality: British
Resided Country: England
Date of Action: 26/08/1914
Date of Death: 20/09/1914
Fate: Died as a Prisoner of War
Information: Served in the Second Boer War. Parents: the Reverend George Edward Yate, Vicar of Madeley, Shropshire and Prebendary of Hereford; husband of Florence Helena Yate.
More Information: Further gazette dates: 16/10/1914 (MiD); 20/10/1914 (MiD) Further gazette pages: 8355 (MiD); 8387 (MiD) Further Gazette issues: 28942 (MiD); 28945 (MiD)
Rank: Major
Rank (2nd): Acting Lieutenant-Colonel
Gallantry Awards: Victoria Cross
Gazette Info: VICTORIA CROSS - Major Charles Allix Lavington Yate, 2nd Battalion, The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. On 26th August 1914 at Le Cateau, France, Major Yate commanded one of the two companies that remained to the end of the trenches, and when all other officers had been killed or wounded and ammunition exhausted, he led his 19 survivors against the enemy in a charge in which he himself was severely wounded. He was picked up by the enemy and subsequently died as a prisoner of war.
Gazette Date: 24/11/1914 (V.C.)
Gazette Page: 9957 (V.C.); Issue: 28985 (V.C.)
Duty Location: Le Cateau, France; France and Flanders
Service: British Army
Regiment: King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Battalion: 2nd Battalion
Commemorated: Berlin South Western Cemetery, Germany
Place of Death: Germany
First Name: Douglas
Surname: Reynolds
DOB: 20/09/1882
Age: 31
Birth Town: Clifton, Bristol
Resided Town: Clifton, Bristol; Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Nationality: British
Resided Country: England
Date of Action: 26/08/1914
Date of Death: 23/02/1916
Fate: Died of wounds.
Information: Later Major and Acting Lieutenant-Colonel. Husband of Mrs Douglas Reynolds, of Clerkley Court, Leatherhead, Surrey.
More Information: Further gazette dates: 17/11/1914 (V.C.); 19/10/1914 (MiD); 31/12/1915 (MiD); 03/11/1914 (Légion d'Honneur). Further gazette pages: 9402 (V.C.); 8349 (MiD); 17 (MiD); 8880 (Légion d'Honneur). Gazette issue: 28977 (V.C.); 28942 (MiD); 29422 (MiD); 28961 (Légion d'Honneur).
Rank: Captain
Gallantry Awards: Victoria Cross
Award Details: Award received from France during First World War (Légion d'Honneur).
Gazette Info: GAZETTE ISSUE 28976, VICTORIA CROSS,: The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the grant of the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned for their conspicuous bravery whilst serving with the Expeditionary Force:- At Le Cateau, on 26th August he took up two teams with volunteer drivers and limbered up two guns under heavy artillery and Infantry fire, and though the enemy was within 100 yards he managed, with the help of the two drivers, one gun away safely. At Pisseloup, on 9th September, he reconnoitred at close range, discovered a battery which was holding up the advance and silenced it. He was severely wounded 15th September 1914. Gazette Date: 16/11/1914 (V.C.)
Gazette Page: 9373 (V.C.); Issue 28976 (V.C.)
Duty Location: Le Cateau, France; France and Flanders
Service: British Army
Regiment: Royal Field Artillery
Battalion: 37th Battery, 83rd Brigade
Commemorated: Etaples Military Cemetery, France; War Memorial, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire; Leckhampton Churchyard, Cheltenham
Place of Death: Le Touquet, France
Read more about his actions in: Deeds That Thrill The Empire, Volume 1.
