BY the end of the First World War, soldiers of the Worcestershire Regiment had been awarded nine Victoria Crosses in circumstances ranging from the mud, blood and gore of The Somme to the heat and flies of the Middle East and, remarkably, the skies above Hertfordshire in south east England.

The VC was introduced by Queen Victoria in 1856 to honour Acts of Valour during the Crimean War and is regarded as the highest military award.

The first of the regiment to be honoured was Second Lieutenant Herbert James who was 26-years-old when he won his VC during the fighting with the Turks at Krithia in Gallipoli in 1915. 

He was involved in action while attached to the Royal Scots as a liaison officer before returning to the 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment.

During fierce fighting with the Turks, Lt James kept the advancing enemy at bay by bombing from each bend of a winding trench. Halfway back, where the trench was blocked by bodies, he found a wounded bomber, Private Parry, and here he piled sandbags on the top of the bodies, forming a barricade.

Luckily, Lt James found a sack of bombs, and, alternately firing from behind the barricade and rising to bomb the Turks behind the bend, he kept the enemy back until help arrived.

Lieutenant Leefe Robinson was awarded his VC in most unusual circumstances for an infantry officer.

21 years old, he was attached to 39 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps when on the night of September 2/3, 1916, flying a BE 2C reconnaissance aircraft on a routine patrol over Cuffley in Hertfordshire, he sighted a German airship, one of 16 which had left bases in Germany on a mass raid over England.

Lt Robinson made an attack at a height of 11,500ft approaching from below and, closing to within 500ft., raked the aircraft (a wooden-framed Schutte Lanz) with gunfire. As he was preparing for another attack, the airship burst into flames and crashed in a field as crowds below cheered. On one of his other missions Lt Robinson was shot down and became a PoW in Germany.

He died on December 31,1918 at Stanmore, Harrow from the effects of the influenza pandemic at that time.

Also 21-years-old was Second Lieutenant Edward Kingham Myles of the 8th Battalion the Welsh Regiment, who was attached to the 9th Battalion the Worcestershire

Regiment and saw service with it at Gallipoli, in Egypt and Mesopotamia in the Tigris Campaign. He fought with the rearguard at the evacuation at Suvla Bay and Helles in 1915-16.

He was awarded his Victoria Cross for his action at Sanna-i-Yat, Mesopotamia, while the 9th Battalion was trying to relieve Kut, under the command of Lieut.-General Sir Stanley Maude, on April 9, 1916.

His citation read: "... for most conspicuous bravery. He went out alone on several occasions in front of our advance trenches, and, under heavy rifle fire and at great personal risk, assisted wounded men lying in the open......"

The oldest member of the Worcestershire Regiment to be awarded the VC was Lieutenant (Acting Captain) John James Crowe, who was 41 when he showed exceptional bravery during the stand against the German onslaught on the Lys Valley in 1918 at Neuve Eglise. At the time he was adjutant with Battalion Headquarters of the 2nd Battalion when it was  holding a position in the Town Hall at Neuve Eglise.

Surrounded by the enemy Lt Crowe decided, with volunteers, to make a sortie and to clear a path for retirement. With a quick rush they occupied a cow shed close by; then, with two men, Lt Crowe crawled round and rushed a machine gun post, capturing both guns. Lt Crowe's party then provided cover allowing retirement of the rest of the men.

For Worcester citizens the best known recipient was 38-years old Private Fred Dancox, a father of five who was born at Claines, worked as a hay baler and was living in 12 Court, Dolday, Worcester, when he won his VC during the Battle of Poelcappelle at Ypres in Belgium in 1917.

 He was with 4th Battalion when during an advance, an enemy block-house opened fire mowing down officers and men and hampering the operations.

Pte Dancox, who had been one of a party of moppers-up, worked his way under heavy shell fire from shell-hole to shell-hole to the rear of a block-house, and, with a bomb in his hand, surprised the German machine gunners inside.

They surrendered, and Dancox, carrying the gun, which he fired throughout the day, marched his prisoners back. A few weeks later crowds gathered at Shrub Hill railway station in Worcester to welcome their hero home, but he didn’t get off the train. Then news came that shortly after his heroics Pte Dancox had been killed in action, near Masnieres in  France on November 30, 1917.

Another Worcestershire Regiment private to be awarded the VC was Thomas George Turrall, who was 30-years-old when he won his while serving with the 10th Battalion

at the storming of La Boisselle in France. During this night attack the battalion suffered heavy losses and all the senior officers were killed or wounded.

A small party led by Lt Jennings, pushed forward through the village, bombing, taking prisoners and picking up stragglers. Pte Turrall, one of the battalion bombers, joined the party just as a hidden machine gun opened fire. Fortunately he flung himself flat, escaping injury. All the rest of the party were killed, except Lt Jennings, whose leg was shattered.

Turrall dragged him to a shell hole, bandaging his leg with one of his puttees. At night he managed to make his way back to the trenches, carrying the wounded officer.

Sadly Jennings died within two hours, but not before giving an account of Turrall’s bravery.

The highest ranked member of the regiment to be awarded the VC was Colonel George William St George Grogan. During the Battle of the Aisne in 1918, the Germans made a surprise attack on a sector held by young drafts and broke through.

Col. Grogan was commanding a mixed force from the 23rd Infantry Brigade of about eight hundred men of various regiments. As the enemy continued their pressure on the British, Col Grogan rode along the front of the line, cheering on his troops.

"You can stop them if you want to," he cried; "the Boches are no bloody good." Shells, bombs and bullets were all round him; his horse was killed under him, but he found another mount and continued to inspire his men. Col Grogan's Victoria Cross was the reward for inspired leadership under which tired, hungry and disheartened men became heroes.

The casualty rate among officers at the Front in the First World War was well illustrated by the case of Frank Crowther Roberts, whose actual rank was captain, but he was also a temporary major and an acting lieutenant colonel with the 1st Battalion of the regiment in March, 1918 on The Somme.

The battalion was spread out along the River Somme in a series of posts; all four Companies were in the line, with practically no reserve.

That night, while inspecting his posts, Col Roberts found the Germans had crossed the river and captured the village of Pargny. He decided on an instant counter attack.

Two flanking parties of ten men each worked along the outskirts of the village, while Col Robert led the rest up the main street with bayonets fixed. They were soon observed, so they charged at full tilt up the street, firing, stabbing and cheering as the enemy poured out of the houses.

There was a fierce fight at the church yard, but the rest of the Germans either surrendered or retreated to the bridge.

Lieutenant Eugene Bennett was 24-years-old when he won his VC during the Battle of The Transloy Ridges on The Somme. During the attack he led 'C' Company of the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment. Heavy shelling and machine gun fire caused Lt Bennett to fall wounded in a sunken trench.

He saw 'D' Company in trouble with their commanding officer and NCO killed and despite his wound the young officer cut steps in the side of the trench with a spade and scrambled out.

Rushing to the front of the battalion, spade in hand, he waved them on. For his bravery and fine leadership, which resulted in saving the battalion and capturing the enemy line, Lt Bennett received the highest award.

He was later promoted to captain.

Finally, Worcester born George Harry Wyatt was serving in the Coldstream Guards when he was awarded the VC for two acts of conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty early in the war.

On the night of  August 24/25, 1914, at Landrecies in France, men from Wyatt’s battalion were fiercely engaged with the enemy close to some farm buildings when the Germans set fire to straw stacks in the farmyard, thus lighting up the entire British position.

Lance corporal Wyatt  twice ran out under very heavy fire to extinguish the burning straw, making it possible to hold the position. Later, at Villa Cotteret, he continued firing after being wounded in the head even though he could no longer see owing to the blood pouring down his face.

Wyatt’s wound was bound and the medical officer told him to go to the rear, but he returned at once to the firing line and continued to fight.

Wyatt had been in the Barnsey Police Force, Yorkshire before the war and returned to it after demob in 1919. He died near Doncaster in 1964 at the age of 77.