John Leslie GREEN, V.C.

Captain, Royal Army Medical Corps attached 5th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regt.) who was killed in action on Saturday, 1st July 1916. Age 26. Born at Buckden, Hunts. Son of John George and Florence May Green, of St. Mark's Lodge, Cambridge. Educated at Felsted School and Downing College, Cambridge, and Bartholomew's Hospital. Buried in Foncquevillers Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave III. D. 15.

An extract from the London Gazette, No. 29695, dated 4th Aug., 1916, records the following:- "For most conspicuous devotion to duty. Although himself wounded, he went to the assistance of an officer who had been wounded and was hung up on the enemy's wire entanglements, and succeeded in dragging him to a shell hole, where he dressed his wounds, notwithstanding that bombs and rifle grenades were thrown at him the whole time. Captain Green then endeavoured to bring the wounded officer into safe cover, and had nearly succeeded in doing so when he himself was killed."

See the Chapter One, Victoria Cross Reference site maintained by Mike Chapman. Also see Foncquevillers Military Cemetery and Hellfire Corner - The Nine VCs of the First Day on the Somme

From Huntingdonshire Heroes of the First World War by John Bell ISBN 0 946965 21 8. Letter to Mrs. Green Leslie's wife from the Commanding Officer.

139th Brigade.
August 1916.

Dear Mrs.Green,

I have seen the letter you wrote to the officer Commanding 5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, asking for news of your husband.

I am deeply grieved to tell you that I am afraid there is no doubt your husband was killed on the 1st of July, and I would like you to know how much I feel for you in your sorrow, but at the same time I must express my intense admiration for the manner in which he met his death.

He was advancing in the rear of his battalion in their assault on the German trenches.

On reaching the German wire he found an officer lying seriously wounded. He moved him under fire, into a shell hole, and dressed the wound under continuous fire and bombing from the German trenches.

He then carried him back towards our lines, still under fire, though wounded himself.

Just before reaching our advanced trench his brother officer was hit again. His brother officer was brought into our trench, and then told a relation of his story.

I regret to say that this officer since died of his wounds in hospital.

I am sure this account of your gallant husband's death will bring comfort to you in your deep sorrow, and make you feel proud of having been the wife of such a man.

Yours sincerely,

General Commanding.

Second Lieutenant, 5th Bn. attached to 4th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment who died of wounds on Sunday 10th February 1918. Age 19. Son of Mrs. A. L. Honey, of Houghton, Huntingdon, Hunts, and the late Rev. Albert Alexis Honey. Native of Huntingdon. Buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Grave XXVIII. E. 9.

From Andy Pay's research into the Marquis de Ruvigny's Roll of Honour the following:

Volume 2, Part 4, Page 86 - HONEY, Alec Cowper - 2nd Lieut, 4th Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment

Only son of the late Rev. Albert Alexis Honey, by his wife, Amy Logan (Houghton, co. Huntingdon), dau. of the late T.A. Marsh; born Huntingdon, 18th July, 1898; educated St. Wilfreds, Little Common, Bexhill, and Malvern College; joined the Public Schools O.T.C. in April 1917; gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the Worcestershire Regiment 28th Aug. following; served with The Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from Oct 1917, and died at No 20, General Hospital, at Camiers, France, 10th Feb, 1918, from wounds received in action at Cambrai 30th Nov, 1917. Buried in the Cemetery, Etaples. 2nd Lieut Honey at school attained a high standard in work and in games; head of his house and of the school; in the first elevens for cricket and football, and senior cadet officer in the school corps, and gave promise of a successful career at Oxford, where his name was entered for Brasenose College. Unm.

J S CAMERON