First World War Centenary WW1 Victoria Cross Recipients from Overseas www.1914.org WW1 Victoria Cross Recipients from Overseas - Foreword Foreword The Prime Minister, Rt Hon David Cameron MP The centenary of the First World War will be a truly national moment – a time when we will remember a generation that sacrificed so much for us. Those brave men and boys were not all British. Millions of Australians, Indians, South Africans, Canadians and others joined up and fought with Britain, helping to secure the freedom we enjoy today. It is our duty to remember them all. That is why this programme to honour the overseas winners of the Victoria Cross is so important. Every single name on these plaques represents a story of gallantry, embodying the values of courage, loyalty and compassion that we still hold so dear. By putting these memorials on display in these heroes’ home countries, we are sending out a clear message: that their sacrifice – and their bravery – will never be forgotten. 2 WW1 Victoria Cross Recipients from Overseas - Foreword Foreword FCO Senior Minister of State, Rt Hon Baroness Warsi I am delighted to be leading the commemorations of overseas Victoria Cross recipients from the First World War. It is important to remember this was a truly global war, one which pulled in people from every corner of the earth. Sacrifices were made not only by people in the United Kingdom but by many millions across the world: whether it was the large proportion of Australian men who volunteered to fight in a war far from home, the 1.2 million Indian troops who took part in the war, or the essential support which came from the islands of the West Indies. It is truly inspiring that so many countries came together 100 years ago to uphold our way of life. This was a war which saw extraordinary courage and sacrifice from an entire generation. This year, we are marking our gratitude to 175 men from 11 countries who demonstrated the utmost bravery “in the face of the enemy” during the First World War. These extraordinary men were awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest We intend that these plaques will be displayed in award for valour for their actions during the War. prominent public areas in the VC recipients’ home We shall honour them by engraving their names countries and hope that the VC heroes’ stories on bronze memorial plaques, to be presented will become better known. I am determined that to their home countries, sending out a powerful we ensure that people of all backgrounds, and message that people of all backgrounds and of all generations learn about the courage and faiths can unite in the name of a common cause. heroism of their forefathers a hundred years ago. 3 WW1 Victoria Cross Recipients from Overseas WW1 Overseas VC Awards Belgium Number of Troops 350,00 VCs awarded 1 Canada Denmark 1 Number of Troops 619,000 Number of Troops Neutral VCs awarded 70 VCs awarded 2 India and Pakistan Number of Troops 1.2 million2 VCs awarded 6 India 3 Pakistan Nepal Ukraine Number of Troops 100,00 Number of Troops N/A3 VCs awarded 2 VCs awarded 1 USA Number of Troops 4 million VCs awarded 54 South Africa Australia Number of Troops 229,000 Number of Troops 416,809 VCs awarded 14 VCs awarded 66 New Zealand Number of Troops 100,000 VCs awarded 16 Footnotes: 1. Denmark was neutral during the First World War 3. Ukraine was part of both the Russian and 2. Total troop figure includes India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. the Austro-Hungarian Empires. 4. One USA VC was awarded to the ‘Unknown Soldier’ 4 WW1 Victoria Cross Commemorative Plaques WW1 Overseas VC Commemorative Plaques From the people of the United Kingdom in honour of those men from Australia From the people of the France Turkey T.L. Axford, Le Hamel J.W.A. Jackson, Bois Grenier P.V. Storkey, Hangard Wood A.S. Burton, Lone Pine, Gallipoli R.M. Beatham, Lihons J.C. Jensen, Noreuil E.T. Towner, Mont St Quentin W. Dunstan, Lone Pine, Gallipoli United Kingdom in honour of A.S. Blackburn, Pozières W.D. Joynt, Herleville Wood B.A. Wark, Bellicourt J.P. Hamilton, Lone Pine, Gallipoli , A.C. Borella, Villers-Bretonneux T.J.B. Kenny, Hermies L.C. Weathers, Péronne A. Jacka, Courtney s Post, Gallipoli W.E. Brown, Villers-Bretonneux J. Leak, Pozières J.W. Whittle, Boursies L.M. Keysor, Lone Pine, Gallipoli A.H. Buckley, Péronne A.D. Lowerson, Mont St Quentin J.P Woods, Le Verguier A.J. Shout, Lone Pine, Gallipoli M.V. Buckley, Le Verguier L.D. McCarthy, Vermandovillers W.J. Symons, Lone Pine, Gallipoli Acting Lieutenant Colonel G. Cartwright, Péronne S.R. McDougall, Dernancourt Belgium H.V.H. Throssell, Hill 60, Gallipoli C.C. Castleton, Pozières R. Mactier, Mont St Quentin F. Birks, Glencorse Wood F.H. Tubb, Lone Pine, Gallipoli P.H. Cherry, Lagnicourt J. Maxwell, Estrées P.J. Bugden, Polygon Wood Adrian Carton de Wiart T. Cooke, Pozières R.V. Moon, Bullecourt J. Carroll, St Yves North Russia W.M. Currey, Péronne H.W. Murray, Gueudecourt J.J. Dwyer, Zonnebeke S.G. Pearse, Emtsa H. Dalziel, Le Hamel J.E. Newland, Boursies & Lagnicourt R.C. Grieve, Messines A.P. Sullivan, Sheika River P. Davey, Merris M. O'Meara, Pozières R.R. Inwood, Polygon Wood A.E. Gaby, Villers-Bretonneux C. Pope, Louverval C.S. Jeffries, Passchendaele East Africa B.S. Gordon, Bray W. Ruthven, Ville-sur-Ancre L. McGee, Zonnebeke W.T. Dartnell, Maktau who was awarded the Victoria Cross, A.C. Hall, Péronne E.J.F. Ryan, Bellicourt W. Peeler, Broodseinde , G.J. Howell, Bullecourt C.W.K. Sadlier, Villers-Bretonneux Palestine G.M. Ingram, Montbrehain P.C. Statton, Proyart F.H. McNamara, Tel el Hesi Britain s highest award for gallantry, who were awarded the Victoria Cross, during the First World War , Britain s highest award for gallantry, during the First World War Belgium Australia Belgium From the people of the United Kingdom in honour of Private Thomas Dinesen Captain Percy Howard Hansen who were awarded the Victoria Cross, , Britain s highest award for gallantry, during the First World War Denmark Canada Denmark 5 WW1 Victoria Cross Commemorative Plaques From the people of the United Kingdom From the people of the in honour of those men from India United Kingdom in honour of Risaldar Badlu Singh Sepoy Chatta Singh Rifleman Karanbahadur Rana Naik Darwan Singh Negi Lance Naik Kulbir Thapa Rifleman Gabar Singh Negi Lance-Daffadar Gobind Singh who were awarded the Victoria Cross, Lance-Naik Lala , Britain s highest award for gallantry, who were awarded the Victoria Cross, during the First World War , Britain s highest award for gallantry, during the First World War Nepal India Nepal From the people of the United Kingdom From the people of the in honour of those men from New Zealand United Kingdom in honour of Cpl Leslie Andrew Sgt Reginald Judson Cpl Cyril Bassett Sgt Henry Laurent Sepoy Khudadad Khan Sgt Donald Brown Pte Henry Nicholas Pte Thomas Cooke Lt William Sanders Jemadar Mir Dast Pte James Crichton Capt Alfred Shout Naik Shahamad Khan Sgt Samuel Forsyth Lt Percy Storkey LCpl Samuel Frickleton Sgt Richard Travis who were awarded the Victoria Cross, Sgt John Grant Cpl Lawrence Weathers , Britain s highest award for gallantry, who were awarded the Victoria Cross, , Britain s highest award for gallantry, during the First World War during the First World War Pakistan New Zealand Pakistan 6 WW1 Victoria Cross Commemorative Plaques From the people of the United Kingdom in honour of those men from South Africa From the people of the Capt William Bloomfield A/Capt Reginald Hayward United Kingdom in honour of Capt Andrew Beauchamp Proctor L/Cpl William Hewitt Sgt Frederick Booth A/Capt Arthur Lascelles Pte William Faulds Capt Oswald Reid Corporal Filip Konowal T/Lt Robert Gorle A/Capt Clement Robertson A/Lt Col Henry Greenwood A/Lt Col John Sherwood-Kelly who was awarded the Victoria Cross, , Capt Percy Hansen A/Lt Col Richard West Britain s highest award for gallantry, who were awarded the Victoria Cross, , during the First World War Britain s highest award for gallantry, during the First World War Ukraine South Africa Ukraine From the people of the United Kingdom in honour of those men from the United States of America The Unknown Soldier Captain Bellenden Hutcheson Sergeant George Mullin Sergeant Raphael Zengel Lance Corporal William Metcalf who were awarded the Victoria Cross, , Britain s highest award for gallantry, during the First World War USA United States of America 7 WW1 Victoria Cross Award Profiles 8 WW1 Victoria Cross Award Profiles Shahamad Khan Lala The Tigris Front, Mesopotamia Hanna, Mesopotamia (now Iraq) (now Iraq) Shahamad Khan was a Punjabi Muslim who Lala was born in 1876 in Himachal Pradesh, was born in 1879 in Rawalpindi (now part of India, and served as a lance-naik (lance Pakistan). He served as a naik (the equivalent corporal) in the 41st Dogras, Indian Army, to a corporal) in the 89th Punjabis of the British during World War One. He was awarded the Indian Army during the First World War. Victoria Cross for most conspicuous bravery Khan was awarded the Victoria Cross for most on 21 January 1916 during the First Battle of conspicuous bravery in Mesopotamia (now present-day Hanna in Mesopotamia. Iraq) on 12-13 April 1916. He was in charge of a machine His citation reads: “Finding a British officer of another gun covering a gap in the line very close to the enemy’s regiment lying close to the enemy, he dragged him into trench.