2/Lt. Hugh Colvin, V.C., 9th Battalion

On 20th September 1917. "For most conspicuous bravery in attack. When all the officers of his company except himself - and all but one in the leading company - had become casualties and losses very heavy, he assumed command of both companies and led them forward under very heavy machine-gun fire and with great dash and success.  He saw the battalion on his right held up by machine-gun fire and led a platoon to their assistance.   Second Lieut. Colvin then went on with only two men to a dug-out.  Leaving the men on top, he entered it alone and brought up 14 prisoners.

"He then proceeded with his men to another dug-out which had been holding up the attack by rifle and machine-gun fire and bombs.  This he reached, and killing or making prisoners of the crew, captured the machine-gun.  Being then attacked from another dug-out by 15 of the enemy under an officer, one of his men was killed and the other wounded.  Seizing a rifle he shot five of the enemy and, using another as a shield, he forced most of the survivors to surrender.  This officer cleared several other dug-outs alone or with one man, taking about 50 prisoners in all.

"Later he consolidated his position with great skill, and personally wired his front under close-ranged sniping in broad daylight, when all others had failed to do so.

"The complete success of the attack in this part of the line was mainly due to Second Lieut. Colvin's leadership and courage."
 
 

No. 11000 Pte. Thomas Alfred Jones, V.C., D.C.M., 1st Battalion

Pte. Thomas Jones had lost a comrade as a result of sniping and set out to find the German responsible for it.

On 25th September 1916 at Morval, France.  "For conspicuous bravery.. He was with his company consolidating the defences in front of the village of Morval, and, noticing an enemy sniper at 200 yards distance, he went out, and though one bullet went through his helmet and another through his coat, he returned the sniper's fire and killed him.  He then saw two more of the enemy firing at him, although displaying a white flag.  Both of these he also shot.  On reaching the enemy trench he found several occupied dug-outs, and he single-handed disarmed 102 of the enemy, including three or four officers, and marched them back to our lines through a heavy barrage.  He had been warned of the misuse of the white flag by the enemy, but insisted on going out after them."
 

Pte Richard Blackburn, 1st Battalion (Later Sergeant with The Royal Warwickshire Regiment)

On 7th June 1935 during a forest fire at Kasauli, India, a party of troops was threatened by the flames and had to retire.  The officer in charge became separated from the others and was stumbling about in a dazed condition with his clothing alight.  Private Blackburn, who had gone out to look for him, helped him to a place of safety and extinguished his burning clothes with his bare hands.  But for Private Blackburn's courage and coolness the officer would undoubtedly have died.

Pte Blackburn was awarded The Empire Gallantry Medal which was replaced by The George Cross in 1940

This citation was taken from The Register of the George Cross, published in 1985 by This England Books
 
 

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This page was created by Eardley Bryan.   My email address is    ewh.bryan@ukonline.co.uk