Distinguished Service Cross

Seeing his right flank badly exposed to the enemy’s advance across the Marne, Lieutenant Barber changed the position of two of his guns to meet his emergency, performing this task during terrific enemy fire. He then ran a distance of 150 yards in the open to stop the fire of our own infantry on our troops. Going forward to the aid of a wounded soldier, Lieutenant Barber administered first aid and was carrying the wounded man to safety, when the latter died. Picking up the one remaining undamaged gun, he opened fire on the enemy, who were crossing the river, sinking one boat, killing many, and causing the others to abandon their boats.

Working his way over ground swept by machine-gun fire, Private Insley attacked an enemy machine-gun which was harassing our advance from the rear, shot one of the crew, mortally wounded the gunner, and returned to his command with the enemy gun.

When the advance of the battalion to which his company was attached, was halted by heavy machine-gun fire this soldier boldly leaped to the top of his machine-gun replacement to draw the enemy fire and thus enable his crew to locate the enemy’s emplacement. Later in the action he fearlessly left his trench in search of an enemy sniper, who was causing many casualties among our troops, and killed him with a captured German rifle.

Sergeant Horseman voluntarily left shelter and went through heavy shell fire to rescue some men who had been wounded when a shell struck their dugout. After administering first-aid treatment he assisted them to a dressing station.

Corporal Smith volunteered and led an automatic-rifle crew forward, silencing a machine-gun nest which was holding up the advance of his company. He worked his way forward through a barrage from four machine-gun nests, killing all the occupants of two nests and forcing the others to withdraw, thus permitting his company to advance.