WW1 Pic Of the Day (1 Viewer)

[waynepoo]

Victoria Cross laureate of the first A.I.F.
Lt. Alfred Edward Gabey, VC. 28th Battalion. (posthumous)

''For most conspicuous bravery and dash in attack, 8 August 1918 at Villers-Bretonneux.
When on reaching a wire in front of an enemy trench, strong opposition was encountered.
The advance was at once checked the enemy being in force about 40 yards beyond the
wire, and commanding the gap with machine-guns and rifles. Lt. Gabey found another gap
in the wire, and, single handed, approached the strong point while machine-guns and rifles
were still being fired from it. Running along the parapet, still alone, and at point blank range,
he emptied his revolver into the garrison, drove the crews from their guns, and compelled
the surrender of 50 of the enemy with four machine-guns. He then quickly reorganized his
men, and lead them on to his final objective, which he captured and consolidated. Three days
later, during an attack, this officer again led his company with great dash to the objective. The
enemy brought heavy rifle and machine-gun fire to bear upon the line, but in face of this heavy
fire Lt. Gabey walked along his line of posts, encouraging his men to quickly consolidate. While
engaged on this duty he was killed by an enemy sniper.''
Wayne.

 

[Isandlwana]

 

[Rob]

Shell bursting amongst the barbed wire entanglements on the battlefield at Beaumont Hamel, December 1916

© IWM (Q 1688)

 

[valmy33]

Never forget

http://www.ww1westernfront.gov.au/french/villers-bretonneux/amiens-cathedral.php

Faithfully
Valmy

 

[waynepoo]

Victoria Cross laureate of the first A.I.F.
L/Corp. Bernard Sidney Gordon VC,MM. 41st Battalion.

This action occurred on the ''Black Day'' of the German Army, in which the Australian
Corps destroyed their opposition. As a result of this, on 9 August 1918 the Canadian
Corps advance lead to a general retreat by German troops. The Australian
3rd Division continued to advance towards the bend in the River Somme. During this period
the following action, for which L/Corp Gordon was awarded the VC, took place:

''During the operations of the 26/27th August 1918 east of Bray this N.C.O
showed most conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in the face of
the enemy. He lead his section through heavy enemy shelling to the
objective which he consolidated. Then single handed he attacked an
enemy machine-gun which was enfilading the Company on his right,
killing the man on the gun and captured the post which contained one Officer
and ten men. After handing these over at Company Headquarters he returned
alone to the old system of trenches, in which were many machine-guns,
entered a C.T and proceeded to mop it up, returning with 15 prisoners in one
squad and 14 in another, together with two machine-guns. Again he returned
to the system, this time a T.M gun and crew, and proceeded to mop up a further
portion of the trench, bringing in 22 prisoners including one Officer and three
machine-guns. This last capture enabled troops on his left to advance, which
they had not been able to do owing to machine-gun fire from these posts. His
total captures were 2 Officers and 61 other ranks, together with 6
machine-guns, and with the exception of the trench mortar assistance it
was absolutely an individual effort and done entirely on his on initiative.''
Brigadier General J.H.Cannan , OC, 11 Inf. Brigade, A.I.F
Wayne.

 

[waynepoo]

Victoria Cross laureate of the first A.I.F
Cpt. Robert Cuthbert Grieve VC, 37th.Battalion.

Cpt. Grieve was awarded the Victoria Cross in the 37th Battalion's first big action. Firepower, clever
planning, and bold action made the attack a notable success. During the action at Messines, Belgium,
on 7 June 1917, Cpt. Grieve's company suffered heavy casualties and was held up. Despite intense fire
from two machine-guns, Cpt. Grieve made a single-handed attack on both, killing their crews. He then led
his men on to the objective, fighting until he was wounded.

Returning to Australia, he married the army nurse who had cared for him. Grieve later resumed a
business career, but served in the Volunteer Defence Corps during the Second World War.
Wayne.

 

[waynepoo]

Victoria Cross laureate of the first A.I.F.
Pte. Patrick Joseph Bugden, VC. 31st. Battalion. (posthumous)

Twenty-year-old Pte. Pat Bugden, a hotelkeeper from the north coast of New South Wales before
enlistment in the 31st Battalion, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his outstanding
bravery over three days during one of the Australians' successful step-by-step advances over 26-28
September 1917. On two occasions, when held up by intense machine-gun fire, he led small parties
to silence the enemy posts. Five times he rescued wounded men trapped by intense shelling
and machine-gun fire. Once, seeing that an Australian corporal had been taken prisoner, he single-
handedly rushed to his comrade's aid, shooting and bayoneting the enemy. He kept fighting until he
was killed.
Wayne.

 

[waynepoo]

Victoria Cross laureate of the first A.I.F
L/Corp. Alexander Stewart Burton, VC. 7th Battalion. (posthumous)

''On 9 August 1915 at Lone Pine, Gallipoli, the Turk made a determined
counter-attack on the centre of the newly captured trench held by Lt.Tubb,
Corporals Burton and Dunstan and a few men. The enemy advanced up
a sap and blew in a sandbag barricade, leaving only one foot of it standing,
but Lt.Tubb with the two corporals repulsed the enemy and rebuilt the barricade.
Supported by strong bombing parties the enemy twice again succeeded in blowing
the barricade, but on each occasion they were repulsed and the barricade
rebuilt, although Lt.Tubb was wounded in the head and arm, Corp. Burton
was killed by a bomb while most gallantly building up the parapet under a hail
of bombs.''
Wayne.

 

[waynepoo]

Victoria Cross laureate of the first A.I.F.
Pte. John Carroll. VC, 33rd Battalion.

On 7-12 June 1917 at St Yves, Belgium, during the battle f Messines, Pte. Carroll
rushed the enemy's trench and bayoneted four of the occupants. He then noticed a
comrade in difficulty and went to his assistance, killing another of the enemy. Next, he
single-handedly attacked a machine-gun team, killing three of them and capturing the
gun. Later, two of his comrades were buried by a shell, in spite of heavy shelling and
machine-gun fire, he managed to rescue them.

It has been claimed that Pte. Carroll failed on three occasions to appear at Buckingham
Palace for his Victoria Cross award ceremony and when he did turn up on the fourth
occasion he took advantage of the entitlement of VC recipients to call out
the Palace Guard. Pte. Carroll was severely wounded at Passchendaele in October
1917. His rehabilitation was successful but after briefly returning to his unit, the Australian
Prime Minister Billy Hughes, then in England, arranged for furlough to Australia for
Victoria Cross recipients to help recruiting in Australia.
Wayne.

 

[waynepoo]

Come on guys this is a great thread lets see some more pics, how about some U.K Victoria Cross laureates, didn't any Yanks win the Medal of Honour?
Wayne.

 

[Rob]

Come on guys this is a great thread lets see some more pics, how about some U.K Victoria Cross laureates, didn't any Yanks win the Medal of Honour?
Wayne.

Sorry Wayne, been away from home for a few days but back now.

Battle of Flers-Courcelette. Reinforcements moving up towards Martinpuich, which was captured by the 15th Division, 15th September 1916.

© IWM (Q 187)

 

[waynepoo]

Victoria Cross laureate of the first A.I.F.
Pte. George Cartwright, VC. 33rd Battalion.

On 9 December 1915-his 21st birthday- George Cartwright enlisted in the A.I.F for
service during the Great War. Allotted to the newly raised 33rd Battalion as
a private, he embarked aboard H.M.A.T Marathon at Sydney on 4 May 1916.
Disembarking at Devonport, England, two months later, the members of the 33rd
Battalion spent the following four months training at Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain.

He was 23 years old, when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the
Victoria Cross. On 31 August 1918 at Road Wood, south-west of Bouchavesnes, near
Peronne, France, when two companies were held up by machine-gun fire, Pte. Cartwright
attacked the gun alone under intense fire. He shot three of the crew, and, having bombed
the post, captured the gun and nine of the enemy.

On 30 September 1918 he was wounded and evacuated to England. Having received his
V.C from King George V, he returned to Australia and was discharged from the A.I.F on
16 May 1919.
Wayne.

 

[Rob]

Gordon Campbell ,Royal Navy

Born on 6 July 1886, he was educated at Dulwich College, which he attended between 1898 and 1900. He then joined the Royal Navy. In 1917, by the age of 31, he had reached the rank of Commander during First World War when the act for which he was awarded the VC took place. On 17 February 1917 in the north Atlantic, Commander Campbell, commanding HMS Farnborough (Q.5) (one of the "mystery" Q ships) sighted a torpedo track. He altered course and allowed the torpedo to hit Q.5 aft by the engine-room bulkhead. The 'Panic party' got away convincingly, followed by the U-boat. When the submarine had fully surfaced and was within 100 yards of Q.5—badly damaged and now lying very low in the water—the commander gave the order to fire. Almost all of the 45 shells fired hit the U-boat which sank. Q.5 was taken in tow just in time and was safely beached. On 22 March 1916, another U-boat, SM U-68 was sunk by Farnborough.

(Work of Author;Royal Navy official photographer)

 

[Rob]

Major William Thomas Forshaw VC (1890 – 1943) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. In civilian life Forshaw was a teacher at The Manchester Grammar School.

Forshaw was born 20 April 1890 in Barrow-in-Furness. When he was 25 years old, and a lieutenant in the 1/9th Battalion, The Manchester Regiment during the First World War, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions between 7 and 9 August 1915 in Gallipoli, Turkey. The London Gazette of 9 September 1915 reported "when holding the north-west corner of "The Vineyard" against heavy attacks by the Turks, Lieutenant Forshaw not only directed his men but personally threw bombs continuously for over 40 hours. When his detachment was relieved, he volunteered to continue directing the defence. Later, when the Turks captured a portion of the trench, he shot three of them and recaptured it. It was due to his fine example and magnificent courage that this very important position was held."

He later achieved the rank of major. He died on 26 May 1943 and was buried at Touchen End, Berkshire in an unmarked grave. For many years the grave was unmarked but a new stone was erected in 1994 though not on exact site.

His Victoria Cross and other campaign medals are displayed at the Museum of the Manchester Regiment, Ashton-under-Lyne, England] in the "Forshaw Room".

 

[Rob]

Indian cavalry of the 20th Deccan Horse in the Carnoy Valley shortly before their unsuccessful attack at High Wood during the Somme offensive, 14 July 1916.

© IWM (Q 823)

 

[Jack]

Amiens Gun, Australian War Memorial on a visit to Canberra last month.

 

[waynepoo]

Victoria Cross laureate of the first A.I.F.
Sgt. Claud Charles Castleton.VC, 5th Machine-gun Company, 5th Inf. Brigade. (posthumous)

Claud Castleton was born in Kirkey, Lowestoft. Educated at a council school,
he won a scholarship to the Grammer school. In 1912 he set off on a long adventure,
stopping first at Melbourne. He worked in various parts of Australia before heading
to New Guinea, intending to earn funds for a journey to England via New Zealand,
India and Africa. Matters changed with the outbreak of the Great War, he joined the
Australian force formed in New Guinea for the defence of the area in the face of German
warship activities. In March 1915 he returned to Sydney and enlisted in the A.I.F.
he subsequently served at Gallipoli, where he earned a promotion. He was 23 years old,
and a Sergeant in the 5th Machine-gun company, 5th Brigade, 2nd Division when the
following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

On the night of 28/29 July 1916 near Pozieres, France, during a night
attack the infantry was temporarily driven back by intense machine-gun
fire from enemy trenches. Many wounded were left in 'No Man's Land' lying
in shell holes. Sergeant Castleton went out twice in the face of this intense fire,
and each time brought in a wounded man on his back. He went out a third time
and was bringing in another man when he was himself hit in the back and
killed instantly.
Wayne.

 

[Martin Tabony]

You never know!!

 

[Rob]

Battle of Albert. 13th Royal Fusiliers resting after the attack on La Boisselle, 7th July 1916. Near Albert on the Albert-Bapaume Road.

© IWM (Q 797)

 

[lancer]

Battle of Albert. 13th Royal Fusiliers resting after the attack on La Boisselle, 7th July 1916. Near Albert on the Albert-Bapaume Road.

© IWM (Q 797)

Great photo. Obviously some superb souvenir hunters. So good, in fact, that they managed to get all sorts of German helmets, hats, bayonets, and one Frenchman! Just a great shot.^&cool -- Al