FRED FISHER VC at St Julien April 1915 by Bill Smy

 By 1900 hrs, the 10th Battery, commanded by Major William B. King, found itself in close contact with the enemy and in imminent danger of being over run.

The battery, consisting of four 18-pounders, was deployed in an orchard just south of the village of Keerselare, about 450 metres north of St Julien and 90 metres east of the St Julien-Poelcappelle road, and had been firing almost continuously in support of the 13th Battalion since 1745 hrs. A French sergeant, who had attached himself to the battery, suddenly pointed to a hedgerow and shouted “Allemands!” King now discovered German infantry on his left flank within 300 yards of his gun position, and was forced to reverse two of his guns and fire over open sights in an attempt to break up the German envelopment of his battery. “We had no idea what happened,” one gunner recounted. “It came right out of the blue. In the gun pit we had one of our men hit by a bullet.” Under heavy small arms fire from the encircling Germans, King requested help from brigade, and at 2000 hrs a half-company, about 60 men, from the 14th and 15th Battalions and a machinegun detachment from the 13th Battalion were sent forward from St. Julien. Lance Corporal Fred Fisher commanded the detachment.  Fisher’s arrival was opportune. He worked his way forward into an isolated building and brought his machine-gun into action, driving off the German infantry nearest the guns, and then driving 15 back any attempt by the Germans to bring reinforcements forward. During the action, four of the gun crew were killed and Fisher made his way to the rear to find replacements. READ FULL STORY HERE