Overpowered by Germans but Not Captured
A Stiff Fight - Rushden Soldier Home On Leave

Pte. Albert Laughton (Rushden), of the 2nd Scottish Rifles, has been spending seven days’ leave with his father, Mr. Albert Laughton, of 213 Wellingborough-road, Rushden. He was given his leave last Tuesday week and arrived in Rushden on Thursday morning. His relatives were surprised to see him as they had received no information that he was on his way home.

Pte. Laughton was wounded in the left thigh on March 10th at Neuve Chapelle, but he was not then allowed to come home, being kept in hospital at Rouen. He was kept in hospital about one month and got back to the trenches just in time to participate in the battle of Aubers Ridge.

Interviewed by a representative of the “Rushden Echo,” Pte. Laughton said:

“I got back to the firing line, after having been in hospital, on April 27th or 28th. This was about a week before the battle of Aubers Ridge, and I was feeling quite myself again. On May 9th, about 5 or 6 a.m. or just about daybreak, we got the order to advance. We had to cross two fields of open ground that was swept by a heavy machine gun fire from the Germans, we got there all right and after about half-an-hour in the trenches we received the order to charge and climbed over the parapet, we rushed the German first line of trenches, and captured them at the point of the bayonet. We hung on to the captured trenches for some time, and were just thinking about making another charge with a view of securing their second line, when the Germans commenced a counter attack. Their bombs fell so thickly that we found it impossible to maintain our positions, and consequently we had to abandon the trenches we had taken and fall back to our original line.

“During the retirement three Scotch soldiers, including myself, were surrounded by nine Germans, who shouted ‘hands up,’ but you never saw a British soldier put up his hands. We put up a stiff fight and managed to lay three of the Germans out, but the other six tried their hardest to do us in, but they didn’t succeed as they were firing from the hip, and could not take proper aim. However, the odds were too great against us, and we were obliged to run for our trenches, which we reached in safety.

“After we got back everything was quiet for a bit, but later on we made another charge with the Irish Rifles and again captured one line of the enemy’s trenches. After half-an-hour in possession, however, we were again driven out and back to our original positions, and everything remained quiet after that.

“I was present at the battle of Loos, but didn’t get much excitement as I was in reserve. However, I saw several encounters between German and British aviators, and I saw one of our machines brought down. The airmen were manoeuvring for some time, trying to get above one another, and finally the German succeeded. He then swooped down like a hawk on to the British machine, and must have got home with his machine gun, as down came the British machine. As soon as he saw that his enemy was disabled he turned sharply and made off. Although the British machine was disabled I don’t think the aviator was hurt, as it was probably only some part of the machinery that was damaged. About one-and-a-half hours after the battle we were relieved, and since that time I have done nothing but go in and out of the trenches until I obtained my leave.”

Pte Albert Laughton

Pte. Laughton was recommended for the coveted distinction on July 1st for devotion to duty in keeping up communication with the battalion headquarters during the first day of the Somme offensive. The telephone wires were all broken by the heavy shell fire from the enemy guns, and Pte. Laughton, with two of his comrades, who also received the award, conveyed messages backwards and forwards from the front line to headquarters at considerable risk to their lives, as they were continually under fire from the enemy’s big guns, not to mention rifle and machine gun fire. All three of the men must have borne charmed lives, as none of them were wounded. It was a question of run and take cover the whole of the time. Pte. Laughton and his comrades continued this gallant work for two days and two nights with little more than half-an-hour’s rest between the messages.

As soon as there was a lull in the fighting the second in command of Pte. Laughton’s regiment congratulated the men on their bravery.

In the following October, the battalion were paraded and Pte. Laughton and his two companions were decorated by the Divisional General, who shook each of them by the hand and congratulated them on their devotion to duty.

Pte. Laughton is a native of Rushden and the whole town will be proud of him. He has seen 5½ years’ service with the colours, and proceeded to France in November 1914. He has been once wounded; i.e. at Neuve Chappelle, on March 10th 1915. He has been spending ten days’ leave at home, but preferred not to recount his experiences at the front to a representative of the Rushden Echo.

He has three more brothers in the army, viz., Pte. Walter Laughton (Northants Regt), Pte. Wm Laughton (Beds. Regt), and Pte. Percy Laughton (Northants Regt). All are in France, the latter proceeding thither yesterday week.