 Over a three @-@ day period during the engagement at Messines from 7 – 9 June , Statton was placed in charge of supervising and leading carrying parties to the frontline . Throughout this work , he was subject to heavy German artillery and machine gun fire , and on several occasions the party was decimated by shellfire . Despite this , the parties managed to reach the frontline on every occasion . For his actions throughout this time , Statton was later awarded the Military Medal , the recommendation of which cited his " exceptional fine work and gallant conduct " . The notification of the award was published in a supplement to the London Gazette on 16 August 1917 . 
