On the 9th of October 1916, the 2nd battalion of the Dublin Fusiliers were not far from Ginchy, they were in a place just east of Trones Wood. The battalion diarist wrote: 

Every place is now very desolate owing to the previous bombardment. The camp is of tents and owing to the recent heavy rains - in a very muddy condition. 

The front line lay less than a mile due east of Le Transloy. It was a misty morning and the attack was delayed in the hope that visibility would improve. At 2:30pm on the 23rd of October, the 'Old Toughs' went over the top in four waves. Their objective was a German machine gun position known as Gun Pits to the east of Lesboeufs. It was a strongly built fortification and was defended with four machine guns. Fifty men of the 2nd Dublins along with the Seaforth Highlanders had tried to take it ten days earlier with a bayonet charge and had failed. On this occasion, however, the whole battalion attacked and little opposition was encountered until the charge was about ten yards from the German lines. It was if the German machine gunners were waiting to get their target in very close range. The leading line of the charge was caught in the machine gun fire. They lay down and managed to crawl into the trenches. Hand to hand fighting followed with all the barbarism associated with such horrific fighting. Gun Pits was taken by the Dublins and in the process three officers and fourteen other ranks were killed. Five officers and 124 other ranks were wounded. Thirty six men were missing. The bulk of the wounded were the result of the hand to hand fighting. In terms of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers action outside the village of Lesboeufs, a little bit of history was made: the regiment won its first Victoria Cross of the Great War. It was awarded to a Glaswegian from Springburn named Sgt. Robert Downie, No 11213. He was member of B Company. The London Gazette of the 25th of November 1916 read: 

For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in attack. When most of the officers had become casualties, this non-commissioned officer, utterly regardless of personal danger, moved about under heavy fire and reorganised the attack, which had been temporarily checked. At the critical moment he rushed forward alone, shouting, 'Come on the Dubs'. This stirring appeal met with immediate response and the line rushed forward at his call. Sergeant Downie accounted for several of the enemy and in addition, captured a machine gun, killing the team. 

By all accounts, it was a bloody encounter, so much so that Sgt. Downie never spoke about the day to anyone again, not even his own family. When he returned to Springburn in Glasgow, he was given a Civic Reception at the Town Hall. In the evening he was given a special reception by the United Irish League and was given a gold watch by his former school and a purse containing treasury notes. He left the army in March 1919 and in addition to the V.C., he also was awarded the Military Medal and the Mons Medal, as well as the Russian Order of St. George. In addition, he was mentioned in despatches twice. He was an extremely modest man, who when asked how he won these medals, would either answer, 'I shot the cook', or, 'It wasn't me, it was my brother.' Bob Downie married Miss Ivy Sparks. They had three children, one of whom died. His father came from Donegal. Bob was a Roman Catholic and was a devout supporter of Glasgow Celtic. After the war, he worked as groundsman at Celtic Park and his picture hung on the wall in the Director's office along side Jock Stein. He died on the 18th of April 1968 at the age of 74.