Harold Ernest Hemstock

Killed in action near Carroceto, Italy.

From February 5 to February 7 both sides employed heavy artillery concentrations
and bombers to disrupt the other side and at 21:00 on February 7 the Germans renewed their attack. Once more the fighting was fierce and they managed to infiltrate between the 5th Battalion, Grenadier Guards (24th Guards Brigade) and the 2nd Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment (2nd Brigade) and nearly surrounded them and it was during this period that Major William Sidney, a company commander in the 5th Grenadier Guards, was awarded the Victoria Cross and drove the Germans out of a nearby gully. Slowly the Allies were forced to give ground and by February 10 they had been pushed out of the salient. Lucas ordered attacks on February 11 to regain the lost ground but the Germans, forewarned by a radio intercept, repelled the Allies' poorly coordinated attack.