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| (Photo Credit: Veterans Affairs; Crown Copyright) |
At dawn on May 4, the enemy launched an attack on the two forward companies of the SDG Highlanders, occupying the village of Riarchum. The Canadians had taken up carefully prepared defensive positions with interlocking lines of fire and, as a result, could bring down a storm of fire from artillery, mortars and machine-guns on the attackers.
Private Chesley Roy Mathews was a section commander in Number 7 Platoon, 'A' Company at this time. His section first noticed the advance of the enemy, covered by an intense artillery fire, at about 0500 hours. Thirty enemy soldiers, led by an officer, tried to storm the section position in the first house of the village by charging across a small field. Private Mathews quickly organized his defence and the enemy were halted by Bren gun and small arms fire. They were then compelled to withdraw, leaving a number of dead and wounded behind.
A few minutes later, Private Mathews noticed a Germany officer leading six or seven men up a deep ditch on the section's left flank. This ditch could not be effectively covered form the section's position. Private Mathews left his covered position, and dashed down a hedgerow and across a wide road. He came under heavy fire from his right, but pressed forward and leaped into the ditch up which the enemy were advancing. He then worked his way up this ditch, still under fire, until he was in a position to engage the enemy with his Sten gun.
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| ("Natonal Archives of Canada, PA-192262)
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For his initiative and aggressive action, Private Chesley Roy Mathews was awarded the Military Medal.
On May 4, a message was sent out from 3rd Division Headquarters ordering all offensive action to cease immediately. A cease fire would begin at 0800 hours on May 5. Consequently, Private Chesley was likely the last Canadian soldiers to receive a gallantry decoration in the Second World War.