Samuel Harvey

Samuel Harvey VC (17 September 1881-22 September 1960) 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.

Details

He was 34 years old, and a private in the 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 29 September 1915 in the "Big Willie" Trench near the Hohenzollern Redoubt, France, during a heavy bombing attack, more bombs were urgently required and private Harvey volunteered to fetch them. The communication trench was blocked with wounded and reinforcements and he went backwards and forwards across open ground under intense fire and succeeded in bringing up 30 boxes before he was wounded in the head. It was largely owing to his cool bravery in supplying the bombs that the enemy was eventually driven back.

Harvey was also awarded the French Legion of Honour (5th Class) and the Cross of St. George (Russia).

References

* [http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/bbharvey.htm Profile]
*Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
*The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
*VCs of the First World War - The Western Front 1915 (Peter F. Batchelor & Christopher Matson, 1999)

External links

* [http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/suffolk.htm Location of grave and VC medal] "(Suffolk)"