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Cpl. Peter Joseph Ross MM.
British Army 20th Btn. London Regiment
from:Birtly
Peter Ross was my father.who received the Military Medal, I think for taking a machine gun post alone? He did tell me a few stories but not many. One he said he witnessed the first group to enter I believe the Hindenburg line. An officer he said was under reprimand and decided to do an act of bravery to retrieve his reputation ( I do not think this was the 20th Londons?) The officer got several volunteers, around a dozen and took off and the managed to get into a section of the impenetrable Hindenburg line. He was told the story by the only survivor who my father spotted walking backwards with some German prisoners to cover him from enemy fire. They had fought for quite a long time in a section of the line with the Germans throwing grenades into there section until he was the only survivor. Some how he managed to get these prisoners about 6? in front of him to protect him from the German fire and waked backwards to the British trenches. This was the point my father, very carefully as putting your head above the trench was very dangerous, observed this strange procession from quite some distance until they reached the trench where my father was waiting, with others of course, and heard the story from this very brave soldier All the rest of the volunteers he said including the officer were killed. My father said he believes this incident would never have been recorded as it was not observed by an officer and the following day after the incident a major battle happened that may have even killed the single survivor of that attack and many others.
He also told me as he was a runner he would usually go over the top with and officer and one time a sergeant as well either side of him. A German Machine gun popped up and all three dropped to the ground, only my father survived.
I would like to know why he was awarded the MM, it may have been something to do with a solo attack on a machine gun post but I am not sure. He did mention that he was also mentioned twice in dispatches.
