The President of the United States
in the name of
The Congress
takes pleasure in presenting the
Medal of Honor
to
LATHAM, JOHN CRIDLAND
Rank and Organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Machine
Gun Company, 107th Infantry, 27th Division. Place and Date: Near Le Catelet,
France, 29 September 1918. Entered .service at: Rutherford, N.J. Born: 3 March
1888, Windemere, England. G. O. No.: 20, W.D., 1919.
Citation:
Becoming separated from their platoon by a smoke barrage, Sgt. Latham, Sgt. Alan L.
Eggers, and Cpl. Thomas E. O'Shea took cover in a shellhole well within the enemy's lines.
Upon hearing a call for help from an American tank which had become disabled 30 yards from
them, the 3 soldiers left their shelter and started toward the tank under heavy fire from
German machineguns and trench mortars. In crossing the fire-swept area, Cpl. O'Shea was
mortally wounded, but his companions, undeterred, proceeded to the tank, rescued a wounded
officer, and assisted 2 wounded soldiers to cover in the sap of a nearby trench. Sgts.
Latham and Eggers then returned to the tank in the face of the violent fire, dismounted a
Hotchkiss gun, and took it back to where the wounded men were keeping off the enemy all
day by effective use of the gun and later bringing it with the wounded men back to our
lines under cover of darkness.
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