The Victoria Cross
During the First World War 66 men were awarded the V.C. for actions specifically within the Ypres Salient. There are 39 V.C. holders buried or commemorated in 23 Cemeteries and Memorials across the Ypres Salient. The Victoria Cross (VC) is Britain’s highest award for gallantry, since 1940, it has shared this distinction with the George Cross (GC), It is awarded for valour 'in the presence of the enemy' to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously awarded to service personnel in the broader British Empire, later Commonwealth of Nations, but most successor independent nations have since established their own honours systems and no longer recommend British honours. This is a list of the memorials and cemeteries in the Ypres Salient where you will find a Victoria Cross holder(s) buried or commemorated. Simply click on the Cemetery link to find out more about each man and how he won his V.C.
Second Lieutenant R. P. Hallowes V.C., M.C.
4th Battalion Middlesex (The Duke of Cambridge’s Own)
Captain Harold Ackroyd, V.C., M.C.,
Royal Army Medical Corps, attached to the 6th Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales’s), 53rd Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division
Captain Noel Chavasse M.C. D.S.O. V.C and Bar
Royal Army Medical Corps, attached 1/10th (Liverpool Scottish) King’s (Liverpool Regiment), 166th Brigade, 55th (West Lancashire) Division
Corporal James Llewellyn Davies V.C.
‘C’ Company, 13th Battalion (1st North Wales Pals) Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 113th Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division.
Private Thomas Barrett V.C.
7th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
Private John ‘Jack’ Lynn, V.C., D.C.M., Cross of the Order of St George, 4th Class (Russia), 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, 12th Infantry Brigade, 4th Division.
Private Patrick J Bugden V.C. 31st Battalion, (Queensland and Victoria),
8th Australian Brigade, 5th Australian Division
Corporal Alfred George Drake, 8th Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own), 41st Infantry Brigade, 14th (Light) Division.
Major Frederick Harold Tubb V.C. 7th Battalion, Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
Captain (temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) Bertram Best-Dunkley
Commanding Officer, 2/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, 164th Brigade, 55th (West Lancashire) Division
There are seven men who won the V.C. in World War I in the Ypres Salient and one other from the Boer War commemorated here.
Lance- Corporal Frederick Fisher, 13th Battalion, Quebec Regiment (Royal Highlanders of Canada), 3rd Canadian Brigade, 1st Canadian Division.
Company Sergeant-Major Frederick William Hall, 8th Battalion, Manitoba Regiment, 2nd Canadian Brigade, 1st Canadian Division.
2nd Lieutenant Dennis George Wyldbore Hewitt, 2nd Hampshire Regiment attached 14th (1st Portsmouth Pals) Hampshire Regiment, 116th Brigade, 39th Division.
Lieutenant Hugh McKenzie, D.C.M. V.C., 7th Company, Canadian Machine Gun Corps, 7th Canadian Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division.
Captain John Franks Vallentin, 1st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, 22nd Brigade, 7th Division.
7602 Private Edward Warner, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, 15th Brigade, 5th Division.
2nd Lieutenant Sidney Clayton Woodroffe, 8th Battalion, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own), attached 2nd Rifle Brigade, 41st Brigade, 14th (Light) Division.
Captain (later Brigadier-General) Charles Fitzclarence, Staff (Late of the Royal Fusiliers and Irish Guards), Commanding 1st Brigade, 1st Division.
2nd Lieutenant (acting Captain) Thomas Riversdale Colyer-Fergusson, 2nd Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, 24th Brigade, 8th Division.
Captain Clement Robertson, 3rd Battalion, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), attached ‘A’ Battalion, Tank Corps.
Second Lieutenant Frederick Birks M.M. 6th battalion (Victoria) Australian Imperial Force, 2nd Australian Brigade, 1st Australian Division.
Major William Henry Johnston, Brigade Major, 15th Infantry Brigade, Royal Engineers.
There are three men who are commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial who were awarded the Victoria Cross.
Sapper William Hackett, 254th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers.
Private James Mackenzie, 2nd Scots Guards, 20th Brigade, 7th Division.
Acting Captain Thomas Tannatt Pryce V.C., M.C. & Bar, 4th Grenadier Guards, Special Reserve, 4th (Guards) Brigade, 31st Division.
Second Lieutenant Frederick Youens V.C. 13th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, 68th Brigade, 23rd Division.
There are seven men commemorated or curried here who won the V.C.
Captain, later Lieutenant-Colonel Martin-Leake, RAMC, V.C. and Bar was with 5 Field Ambulance
Corporal W. Clamp, 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own)
Lieutenant Colonel Philip Eric Bent, D.S.O., V.C., 9th Leicestershire Regiment, 110th Brigade, 21st Division.
Captain Clarence Smith Jeffries, V.C., 34th Battalion (New South Wales), 9th Australian Brigade, 3rd Australian Division
Sergeant Lewis McGee, V.C., 40th Battalion (Tasmania),10th Australian Brigade, 3rd Australian Division
Private James Peter Robertson, V.C., 27th Battalion (Winnipeg), 6th Canadian Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division
Lance-Corporal Ernest Seaman, M.M., V.C., 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 109th Brigade, 36th (Ulster) Division.
Captain Francis Octavius Grenfell V.C., 9th (Queen’s Royal) Lancers, 2nd Cavalry Brigade, Cavalry Division.
Company Sergeant-Major John Skinner, D.C.M., V.C., 1st Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers, 87th Brigade, 29th Division.
Major Eric Stuart Dougall M.C., V.C. ‘A’ Battery, 88th Royal Field Artillery, 19th (Western) Division.
Private Robert Morrow, V.C., 1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria’s), 10th Brigade, 4th Division.
Brigadier-General Francis Aylmer Maxwell V.C., C.S.I., D.S.O., and Bar. Three times mentioned in Dispatches. Commanding 27th Infantry Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division.
Captain James Anson Otho Brooke V.C., Mentioned in Despatches. 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders, 20th Brigade, 7th Division.
Sergeant Louis McGuffie, V.C. 1/5th Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers, 103rd Brigade, 34th Division.
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