Thomas S Hutchinson

MM L/CPL. 18/1567 26. 4.17 18Bn.

"For personal bravery and cool-headed grasp of the situation in the 1st Garde Stellung on 3rd March 1917. He was in charge of a Lewis gun section, and during the early stages of the attack on the 1st and 2nd Garde Stellung, he was the first to enter the trench with the bombing section on the right. He saw the enemy snipers firing and others throwing bombs at the bombing section who were attempting to get up to the hostile barricade, but were, in face of the enemy's fire and opposition unable to advance along the trench. With level headed determination and coolness he immediately grasped the situation and, he himself carrying the gun, crossed the trench and took up a dangerous position, and opening fire at once, made the enemy keep their heads down, thereby enabling our bombers to get up to the barricade. He remained in this position throughout the day, even when the enemy opened intense shell fire on the captured trench and in spite of a shell actually bursting in the trench, which had been consolidated. His ready and clear grasp of the situation undoubtedly had tactical effect and was a considerable factor in our successful and permanent occupation of this important trench."