Garth Neville Walford

Garth Neville Walford VC (27 May, 1882-26 April 1915) 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.

He was 32 years old, and a captain in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 26 April 1915 after a landing had been made at the V Beach, Cape Helles on the Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, during which the brigadier general and the brigade major had been killed, Captain Walford and another officer (Charles Hotham Montagu Doughty-Wylie) organised and made an attack through and on both sides of the village of Sedd-el-Bahr on the Old Fort at the top of the hill. The enemy's position was very strongly entrenched and defended, but mainly due to the initiative, skill and great gallantry of the two officers the attack was a complete success. Both were killed in the moment of victory.

Walford is buried in V Beach Cemetery.

References

*Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
*The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
*VCs of the First World War - Gallipoli (Stephen Snelling, 1995)