Samuel Lewis Honey

Samuel Lewis Honey, VC, DCM, MM (9 February 1894 – 30 September 1918) was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details

Samuel Lewis Honey went by his middle name, Lewis. Born in Conn, Ontario in 1894 to Reverend George Edward Honey and Metta Blaisdell. Lewis was a schoolteacher in civilian life, and was going to attend Victoria University for an Arts degree. War interrupted these plans, and Lewis answered the call to arms.

Lewis originally joined the army as a non-commissioned member, enlisting January 22 1915. He earned the Military Medal raiding German trenches on the 22nd of February, 1917, and covered his platoon and another in the face of heavy grenade fire. Lewis wrote that his party deserved recognition as much as he did. Lewis fought in the Battle of Vimy Ridge, earning the Distinguished Conduct Medal for leadership and maintaining morale in the face of extremely heavy fire. He was recommended for a commission after the battle, and Lewis earned his commission in 1918. Lewis remained modest about his role, stating in correspondence to family that he was simply lucky.

He was 24 years old, and a lieutenant in the 78th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 21 September 1918 at Bourlon Wood, France, when his company commander and all the other officers of his company became casualties, Lieutenant Honey took command, continuing the advance and gaining the objective. Then, finding his company suffering casualties from enfilade machine-gun fire he made a personal reconnaissance and locating the machine-gun nest, rushed it single-handed, capturing the guns and 10 prisoners. Later, after repelling four enemy counter-attacks, he captured another machine-gun post. He continued to lead his company with great initiative and daring, but died of wounds received on the last day of the attack by his battalion.

King George V authorized the Victoria Cross posthumously. Lewis was buried in Pas de Calais, France, at the Queant Communal Cemetery.

For Valour.

Medals

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Canadian War Museum "(Ottawa, Canada)" alongside his Distinguished Conduct Medal, Military Medal, British War Medal (1914-1920), and Victory Medal. The Victoria Cross was not the 'Canadianized' version (bearing the linguistically unbiased phrase "PRO VALORE"). As Liuetenant Honey was commissioned from the ranks, it was possible for him to earn medals reserved for non-commissioned ranks.

References

*Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
*The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
*VCs of the First World War - The Final Days 1918 (Gerald Gliddon, 2000)
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
] at en.wikipedia.org Image of Honey's Medals on display at the Canadian War Museum.

External links

* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=7451 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]
* [http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem/Detail&casualty=316100 Samuel Lewis Honey] "(service/personal details, photograph, citation, relevant documents, burial information)"
* [http://ontarioplaques.com/Plaque_Wellington07.html Ontario Plaques - Lieutenant S. Lewis Honey, V.C., D.C.M., M.M. 1894-1918]
* [http://www.legionmagazine.com/features/victoriacross/06-01.asp Legion Magazine Article on Samuel Honey]
* [http://www.macleans.ca/switchboard/columnists/article.jsp?content=20041108_91841_91841 Peter Mansbridge "Pausing to Remember" in Maclean's ]