Military History

The March 1918 section is missing from the war diary. On 21 Mar 1918 the Germans mounted a huge spring offensive and Albert died 2 days later. The following is taken from The Story of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment by C.L. Kingsford.

"The experience of the 10th Royal Warwickshire was not less arduous or prolonged on the morning of March the 21st they were in camp near Basatre, but in the afternoon was sent forward to a position N.E. of Velu. That day the enemy had taken Lagnicourt and Doignes.  At nightfall the 10th Royal Warwickshire was put under the 154^th Brigade of the 51^st Division. Orders were to hold to the last. For them the next day was only one of constant shelling but elsewhere the line was being gradually forced back. On the 23rd in the morning the Germans broke through at Beaumetz, one unit after another was forced to give ground but the royal Warwickshire not till afternoon. Even then Captain J. R. Gribble [VC], with his company on the right would not yield. His orders were to hold on and he did not withdraw, though he might easily have done so when the rest of the battalion was forced back to the secondary position.

When his right flank was in the air owing to the withdrawal of the neighbouring troops, he sent a runner to the left with a message that he would stay till ordered to retire,  this resolution he inspired his men to accomplish, and when last seen he was still fighting [he was then actually taken prisoner], surrounded by the enemy at close range. By his splendid example Captain Gribble was instrumental in preventing for some hours the enemy from obtaining a complete mastery of the crest of the ridge, and by his own magnificent self sacrifice he enabled the remainder of his own brigade to be withdrawn. His heroism won him the Victoria Cross".