ctoria Cross:--

"No. 15888 Sergeant JAMES YOUNG TURNBULL,
late Highland Light Infantry.

"For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty, when, having
with his party captured a post apparently of great importance to
the enemy, he was subjected to severe counter attacks, which
were continuous throughout the whole day. Although his party was
wiped out and replaced several times during the day, Sergeant
Turnbull never wavered in his determination to hold the post,
the loss of which would have been very serious. Almost
single-handed he maintained his position and displayed the
highest degree of valour and skill in the performance of his
duties.

"Later in the day this gallant soldier was killed whilst bombing
a counter-attack from the parados of our trench."

Of all the units operating in that ghastly Sector, the 17th H.L.I. was
the only Battalion which reached and occupied and held the enemy's
trenches from La Boiselle northwards. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, writing
of the battle of the Somme in his history of the war, emphasises what
this unadorned record of the day's fighting bears out--that there had
been no flinching anywhere, and the military virtue shown had been of
the highest possible quality; but the losses from the machine guns and
from the barrage was so heavy that they deprived the attack of the
weight and momentum necessary to win their way through the enemy's
position. "In the desperate circumstances," he says, "it might well be
considered a remarkable result that a stretch of the Leipzig Redoubt
should be won and permanently held by the Highlanders, especially by
the 17th Highland Light Infantry."

Throughout these terrible operations Colonel Morton was present in the
most advanced positions encouraging and cheering the men by his
personal example and utter disregard for danger. In this work he was
gallantly seconded by his Adjutant and his Headquarters' Staff, who
were individually forward directing operations when all the Company
Officers had been knocked out. It is not too much to say that the
resolute spirit and example of the Colonel rallied the Battalion to
heights of endurance and endeavour which found their greatest
inspiration in his presence in the firing line.

Great work was also done by Captain D.C. Evans, R.A.M.C., who, for
over forty-eight hours, without interval or rest, attended to the
Battalion wounded. Th