A Company, 1 Wilts
CHIPPENHAM MAN RECOMMENDED FOR DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL.
Mr J Rose of Nelson Place, Chippenham has three sons serving in His
Majesty’s Forces and news has come to hand that one of them, Pte Roland
Rose, who is serving in France in the 1st Wilts has, according to the man’s
own statement, been recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal. In
His letter under the date 6 Sept sent to his parents "You will be
pleased to know that I have been recommended for the DCM. I hope I shall
be fortunate enough to get it. I don’t think there is one DCM in our
town at present and it will be a great honour to be the first Chippenham
man to get it. I think myself lucky I am alive as we have just had a
terrible bombardment losing about 130 of our chaps. It is said by some of
the men that it was the worst bombardment all through the war. The Germans
shelled our trenches for 3 days without stopping. I was recommended for
digging a poor chap out who got buried by one of the German shells."
Wilts Times 18 September 1915
PTE ROLAND ROSE
Recommended for DCM but killed.
As reported in the edition dated 18 September Pte Roland Rose was
recommended for the DCM in letter sent to his father. "You will be
pleased to know that I have been recommended for the DCM. I hope I shall
be fortunate enough to get it. I don’t think there is one DCM in our
town at present and it will be a great honour to be the first Chippenham
man to get it. I think myself lucky I am alive as we have just had a
terrible bombardment losing about 130 of our chaps. It is said by some of
the men that it was the worst bombardment all through the war. The Germans
shelled our trenches for 3 days without stopping. I was recommended for
digging a poor chap out who got buried by one of the German shells."
To this there has been a sad sequel for on Thursday morning (30th Sept)
Pte Rose’s mother received the following letter:
"Dear Mrs Rose. I much regret to have to inform you that Pte Rose
was killed by a shell when supporting an attack on the 25 September. He
had been my servant for a few weeks and I had time to admire his courage
and many good qualities. I feel that I have lost a good servant and a good
friend. He was splendidly cool under the bombardment. It may be of some
consolation to you to know that he did not suffer any pain being rendered
unconscious at once.
I had the pleasure at the beginning of the month of recommending Pte
Rose for bravery. A man was buried by the explosion of a shell and he
volunteered to go out under heavy bombardment and dig him out. His
sergeant who had asked for volunteers, and who has already been mentioned
for this received the DCM, so you can be sure it was a gallant act.
Be sure that every one act of bravery is seldom recognised officially;
if it were so, few of them could remain long undiscovered.
Yours truly Arthur Hales. Capt."
(Capt Arthur Hoare Hales MC was killed on 6th July 1916
on the Somme. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval
Memorial)
Previously wounded while serving at the front and came home on short
leave but as soon as recovered volunteered for the front only to be killed
and to be deprived of the honour which it was hoped awaited him of
receiving the coveted medal. We trust that the honour, though the hero
cannot receive it, will not be withheld, but that the medal, as a
posthumous recognition will be forwarded to the family for Mr and Mrs Rose
have 2 other soldier sons. One of whom was wounded some time ago. Monday’s