Samuel Honey VC DCM MM

Lieutenant Samuel Lewis Honey VC DCM MM
78th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Winnipeg Grenadiers)
(Wiki Image)

Bourlon Wood. Battle of the Canal du Nord: Actions of 27 and 29 September 1918
DEAR LEW THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN ARE ETERNAL

For most conspicuous bravery during the Bourlon Wood operations, 27th September to 2nd October, 1918. On 27th September, when his company commander and all other officers of his company had become casualties, Lt. Honey took command and skilfully reorganised under very severe fire. He continued the advance with great dash and gained the objective. Then finding that his company was suffering casualties from enfilade machine-gun fire he located the machine-gun nest and rushed it single-handed, capturing the guns and ten prisoners. Subsequently he repelled four enemy counter-attacks and after dark again went out alone, and having located an enemy post, led a party which captured the post and three guns. On the 29th September he led his company against a strong enemy position with great skill and daring and continued in the succeeding days of the battle to display the same high example of valour and self-sacrifice. He died of wounds received during the last day of the attack by his battalion [30 September 1918].

My time at Queant Communal has always been short, but I recall on both occasions that I hopped up the stairs and into this place of rest. The series of images taken at Queant have always stood out with wonderful blues accented by the white and grey toned clouds above. Beauty in these places of sorrow…calm and rasping. Queant is one place I should like to spend some extra time. Our short visits to many of these sites on this 2010 trip were self-imposed due to the number of places I wished to see. My project? A dedicated effort to photograph the burial places and memorials of many of Canada’s highest decorated soldiers who lost their lives during the Great War and apart from Honey this day too included…Nunney, McAndie, Gibson, Milne, Bogicevich, Slattery, Moore, Ironside, and Trendell. Stories for another time.

The November Series 2022 has now met with the next chapter, this day of days 11 November. With camera in hand…it is time to gather.

Honey marker (centre) at Queant Communal Cemetery, France. (P. Ferguson image, October 2009)

Honey marker (centre) at Queant Communal Cemetery British Extension, France, Age 24.
(P. Ferguson image, October 2009)

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The Canal du Nord taken from the car as a passenger.
(P. Ferguson image, September 2005)

Tags: 27 September 1918, 29 September 1918, 30 September 1918, 78th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Winnipeg Grenadiers), Bourlon Wood, Canal du Nord, Honours and Awards, Samuel Lewis Honey VC DCM MM

This entry was posted by pferguson on Friday, November 11th, 2022 at 9:43 am and is filed under November Series, Remember Them Well. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

About The Author

pferguson

Paul has worked with the Paradigm Motion Picture Company since 2009 as producer, historian and research specialist. Paul first met Casey and Ian WIlliams of Paradigm in April 2007 at Ieper (Ypres), Belgium when ceremonies were being held for the re-dedication of the Vimy Memorial, France. Paul's sensitivity to film was developed at an early age seeing his first films at RCAF Zweibrucken, Germany and in Sardinia. Paul returned to Canada in 1967 and was further amazed by David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Bridge on the River Kwai". Film captivated Paul and with time he became increasingly interested in storytelling, content development, character, direction, cinematography and soundtracks. At the University of Victoria, Paul studied and compared Japanese and Australian film and became interested in Australian film maker Peter Weir and his film "Gallipoli" (1981). Paul was entranced when he learned Weir had visited the beaches, ridges and ravines of the peninsula. The film "Gallipoli" alone led Paul on many journeys to sites of conflict in England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Malta, Hawaii and Gallipoli. It was, however, when Paul watched documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, "The Civil War", that Paul understood how his own experience and insight could be effective and perhaps influential in film-making. Combining his knowledge of Museums and Archives, exhibitions and idea strategies with his film interests would be a natural progression. Paul thinks like a film-maker. His passion for history and storytelling brings to Paradigm an eye (and ear) to the keen and sensitive interests of; content development, the understanding of successful and relational use of collections, imagery and voice. Like Paul's favorite actor, Peter O'Toole, he believes in the adage “To deepen not broaden.” While on this path Paul always remembers his grandmother whose father did not return from the Great War and how his loss shaped her life and how her experience continues to guide him.

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