Heroism Gallery

Corporate J. L. Dawson VC

Corporal James Lennox Dawson VC of the Royal Engineers (1891-1967) pictured performing the action for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross in October 1915. His citation reads: On 13 October 1915 at Hohenzollern Redoubt, France, during a gas attack, when the trenches were full of men, Corporal Dawson exposed himself fearlessly to the enemy's fire in order to give directions to his sappers and to clear the infantry out of sections of the trench which were full of gas. Finding three leaking cylinders, he rolled them well away from the trench, again under heavy fire, and then fired rifle bullets into them to let the gas escape. His gallantry undoubtedly saved many men from being gassed. Date: 1915

© Mary Evans Picture Library

Wedding of Captain La Touche Congreve V.C

Marriage of Captain (later Major) William La Touche Congreve to Miss Pamela Maude, the daughter of actor Cyril Maude. Major Congreve was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at at Longueval, France, between 6 and 20 July 1916 (shortly after his wedding). He constantly inspired those round him by numerous acts of gallantry. As Brigade Major he not only conducted battalions up to their positions but when the Brigade headquarters was heavily shelled he went out with the medical officer to remove the wounded to places of safety, although he himself was suffering from gas and other shell effects. He went out again on a subsequent occasion tending the wounded under heavy shell fire. Finally, on returning to the front line to ascertain the position after an unsuccessful attack, he was shot and died instantly. A baby daughter, Mary Gloria Congreve, who was a god-daughter of Queen Mary, was born posthumously. It is notable that his father, General Sir Walter Norris Congreve, was also awarded the V.C. (during the Second Boer War) and they are one of only three father and son pairs to have achieved this. Wedding group picture shows, back row, left to right, Mr Cyril Maude, Mrs Congreve, the Bishop of London (Arthur Winnington-Ingram, attached as chaplain to the Rifle Brigade during the war), Mrs Cyril Maude and Lieut. General Congreve. In front, the bride and bridegroom. Date: 1916

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

Gallipoli - bringing in horses by Matania, WW1

Telegraph work in Gallipoli - an unrecorded incident of individual bravery. Two men of the 1st Royal Munster Fusiliers bringing two uninjured horses back to British lines during a severe Turkish bombardment. According to an eye-witness account by an officer, This incident deserves to be recorded. We were in trenches just on this side of the foreground; a four-horsed wagon containing poles for telegraphic purposes was coming over the hill, and just as it got to the crest a shell dropped near the waggon, badly damaging it and killing two of the horses. There were, however, still two horses left, and as the shaft pole was now sticking up at an angle the Turks evidently took it to be a gun and began dropping shells at a rate of four a minute. The horses seemed to possess a charmed life. Shell after shell dropped. It seemed impossible that they could live. Then through my glasses I could see two men trying to cut the animals loose. When they heard a shell coming I saw one man take cover behind a tree, and the other get behind the wagon. A few minutes later they galloped the horses bareback past our trenches amid cheers from their friends. They were two men of the 1st Royal Munster Fusiliers. They both received their promotion that evening. Date: 1916

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans