The 13th March saw him carrying several wounded Bedfords back to the dressing stations through a horrendous barrage and sustained machine gun fire. On arrival at the station each time he did not hesitate to turn around and return to the battlefield in search of more wounded men.

 

On the 14th, his company were in the rear but the stretcher bearers were called on for assistance. Having advanced straight through the barrage across open ground to the line of shell holes the advance had dug in around, he set about moving blatantly from hole to hole dressing all the wounds he could find. After he had covered all he could find he started carrying the most badly hurt men back on his back as there were no stretchers available. The first 200 yards were covered under intensive, aimed machine gun fire but he dashed across the open, completely ignoring the fire as he went. Onlookers were amazed to see him return unhurt some time later, when he went back with a second man. This continued all day and into the night.

 

From his actions on the 15th Second Lieutenant Chapman is quoted as saying 'I saw him wandering about in front of hill 130 in the front wave attending to the wounded. He showed absolutely contempt of the volume of machine gun fire and heavy bombardment, although M.G. opened on single targets. I previously saw him carry back a man on his back on three different occasions, and on withdrawing my Company I found he had similarly treated six others, two of whom were wounded a second time while he was carrying them.' 

 

He also ferried machine gun supplies to where they were needed the most when he returned to the battlefield having dropped a wounded man off. Whilst carrying one man on his back, the wounded man was hit again but Christopher carried on despite knowing he was being targeted by the efficient German gunners. At one point in the day Second Lieutenant Dealler saw him moving through a hail of machine gun fire being aimed at him, completely ignoring it as he did so. He arrived back with the Officer and, having listed what work he had been busy doing, asked for any direction as to the next location of any wounded men. With no immediate reply being forthcoming, Christopher advanced back into the fire on his own initiative and disappeared over the brow of a hill, completely disregarding the attention of the German gunners who had so few targets to fire at. Once he had found all the wounded Bedfords he could, Christopher turned his attention to the Middlesex men who were next to them in the advance. Second Lieutenant Dealler added “He did not rejoin the Company till about 12 hours after and although a very powerful man, whom I have never seen tired before, he was thoroughly exhausted.”

 

The 16th saw him ferrying the wounded back from the most advanced point through a hail of machine gun and artillery fire, transferring ammunition across the battlefield and marking out gaps in the enemy wire with tape in full view of the enemy gunners. When the advance was finished and the battalion was hurriedly digging in beneath an intense barrage, Christopher was one of the few men who could be seen above ground where he was busily carrying on moving the wounded back to the aid stations to the rear.

 

The 17th saw him advance to help the company in front of his own as all their stretched bearers had fallen. On passing through the gaps in the enemy wire whilst looking for wounded men he paused to mark the passages that allowed following waves to move quickly through them later on.

 

All told Private Cox must have moved around 20 men from where the fell wounded back to the dressing stations despite intense fire and barrages. With so little movement taking place above ground he was constantly a target for any German observer with a gun yet ignored the obvious danger and repeated the action time and time again. In addition, the number of men he must have dressed as they lay wounded in shell holes is another matter entirely and must surely measure somewhere between 40 and 60.

 

As the recommendations were moved back through the chain of command Christopher went about his daily business of being in the battalion. Six weeks later the 18th Division assaulted German positions around Cherisy during the Battle of Arras and the battalion were attacking south of the village. They advanced on the heels of the British bombardment only to find the wire uncut, after which the front waves had no option but to dig in and shelter from the crossfire and artillery barrage that rained down on them that day. It was during the advance that Private Cox was wounded twice in the foot and was helped off the battlefield by one of his mates. After an operation to remove the bullets he was invalided back to Blighty, to the Queen Mary Military Hospital in Blackburn.

 

Christopher Cox was presented with the VC by the King on 21st July 1917 at Buckingham Palace. His was one of 32 VCs presented that day. The photograph below shows him with Maud on returning to Kings Langley after the presentation ceremony.

Private Cox was unable to return to the front again after receiving his third wound as he did not regain full fitness afterwards. Instead he helped to train the new recruits rather than being idle and of no use to his country and comrades.

 

Christopher Cox was a very unassuming man who did not appreciate the fuss that surrounded his award. In an interview after it was presented he simply said “I was only doing what any British soldier would have done”. On his return to Kings Langley, Christopher gave a speech at his local hall but remarked that he would rather be in the trenches than give a speech to a group of people. Private Cox was offered a Commission as well as a house but refused both, saying he would not accept a penny for his fallen comrades. After the war he returned to live in Kings Langley and loved to spend time in his garden. He worked for a few years for a builder, then worked for another 32 years as a Maintenance Labourer at the Ovaltine Factory.

 

During the Second World War he served in the Home Guard and again showed his courage by entering the bombed-out Griffin Pub to search for the publican in the ruins. Unfortunately Ted Carter was already dead, the only civilian killed in Kings Langley during the war.

 

After the war he was back at work in the factory when, in 1954 aged 64, he fell off the factory roof. This unavoidable fall put him in hospital on and off for the rest of his life.

 

Christopher Cox, V.C. died 28th April 1959 aged 69, the father of eight children.

 

In 2006 Mr Philippe Drouin of the Somme Rembrance Association started to organise a plaque that was to be laid at a remembrance ceremony to mark Christopher's V.C. as well as to honour those who fell whilst liberating his home village of Achiet le Grand. On the 17th March 2007 the unveiling of a plaque of remembrance to Christopher's V.C. and those who fell at Achiet le Grand was witnessed and saw a well attended ceremony. The photo's below are a few from the event, showing (from left to right) the reading of the names of those who fell, laying of the wreaths, the plaque itself and a lovely representation of the Old Guard standing next to the New Guard. Later this year another ceremony is planned in Christopher's home town of King's Langley.

 

 

Christopher’s grandson, Steve Cox, has a website which also includes transcripts of the original recommendations from several Officers and NCO’s who were witness to his bravery. See here.

 

Mary Hallett has also written a biography on Christopher Cox, V.C. called 'Without Hesitation' that can be purchased from her website here.