The AIF Project

'Work near Hervilly on 15 September 1918.'
Recommendation date: 19 September 1918

'At about 5.30 p.m. on the afternoon of the 15th September the enemy opened up a heavy bombardment with 5.9" instantaneous shells upon the Southern corner of HERVILLY. When the bombardment opened a man of the 103rd How. Battery was standing at the point of shelling. One of the first shells burst very close to him and he fell, apparently wounded. Seeing him fall, Gunner MUNYARD, without giving a thought to personal danger rushed straight into the midst of the shelling to assist the man. When he arrived there he found that this man was dead and that his head had been blown off, so he immediately extracted the paybook from the pocket of the dead man and placed the body in a slight depression in the ground to prevent further mutilation. He then ran back, reported to Lieutenant Dovey that the man was dead and handed him the paybook. The whole time Gunner MUNYARD was over there intense fire was maintained on this spot and did not slacken till half an hour later. Gunner MUNYARD's courageous act was witnessed by many, and he set a fine example of courage to his Unit.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 115
Date: 10 October 1919