Victoria Crosses of the King's Liverpool Regiment

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	The King's Liverpool Regiment
	The Great War Victoria Crosses



	Battalion	Date/ Location	Name	Citation

1	12^th	3rd September 1916 Guillemont, France	David Jones	14951 Serjeant David Jones, Liverpool Regiment. For most conspicuous bravery, devotion to duty, and ability displayed in the handling of his platoon. The platoon to which he belonged was ordered to a forward position, and during the advance came under heavy machine gun fire, the officer being killed and the platoon suffering heavy losses. Serjeant Jones led forward the remainder, occupied the position, and held it for two days and two nights without food or water, until relieved. On the second day he drove back three counter-attacks, inflicting heavy losses. His coolness was most praiseworthy. It was due entirely to his resource and example that his men retained confidence and held their post. (LG 26^th Oct 1916) Jones was Killed in Action, Bancourt, Somme, France, on 7 October 1916

2	1/5^th	4th June 1916 near Ficheux, France	Arthur Herbert Procter	No. 3156 Pte. Arthur Herbert Procter, L'pool R., T.F. For most conspicuous bravery. Private Procter, noticing some movement on the part of two wounded men who were lying in the open in full view of the enemy at about 75 yards in front of our trenches, went out, on his own initiative, and, though heavily fired at, ran and crawled to the two men, got them under cover of a small bank, dressed their wounds, and after cheering them with the promise of rescue after dark, and leaving with them some of his clothing for warmth, regained our trenches, again being heavily fired at. At dusk both men were brought in alive. (LG 5^th Aug 1916)

3	1st	16th June 1915 near Rue du Bois, France	Joseph Harcourt Tombs	No. 10073 Lance-Corporal Joseph Tombs, 1st Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment). For most conspicuous gallantry near Rue du Bois, on 16th June, 1915. On his own initiative he crawled out repeatedly under a very heavy shell and machine gun fire, to bring in wounded men who were lying about 100 yards in front of our trenches. He rescued four men, one of whom he dragged back by means of a rifle sling placed round his own neck and the man's body. This man was so severely wounded that unless he had been immediately attended to he must nave died. (LG 25^th July 1915)

4	1/8th	17th-18th April 1916, Ransart, near Blairville, France.	Edward Felix Baxter	(posthumous) 2nd Lt. Edward Felix Baxter, late L'pool R. For most conspicuous bravery. Prior to a raid on the hostile line he was engaged during two nights in cutting wire close to the enemy's trenches. The enemy could be heard on the other side of the parapet. Second Lieutenant Baxter, while assisting in the wire cutting, held a bomb in his hand with the pin withdrawn ready to throw. On one occasion the bomb slipped and fell to the ground, but he instantly picked it up, unscrewed the base plug, and took out the detonator, which he smothered in the ground, thereby preventing the alarm being given, and undoubtedly saving many casualties. Later, he led the left storming party with the greatest gallantry, and was the first man into the trench, shooting the sentry with his revolver. He then assisted to bomb dugouts, and finally climbed out of the trench and assisted the last man over the parapet. After this he was not seen again, though search parties went out at once to look for him. There seems no doubt that he lost his life in his great devotion to duty. (LG 26^th Sept 1916)

5	1st	16th April 1918 near Boisieux St. Marc, France	Jack Thomas Counter	No. 94081 Pte. Jack Thomas Counter, King's L'pool R. (Blandford, Dorset). For most conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. It was necessary for information to be obtained from the front line, in which the enemy had effected a lodgement. The only way was from the support line along a sunken road, and thence down a forward slope for about 250 yards with no cover, in full view of the enemy, and swept by their machine-gun and rifle fire. After a small party had tried unsuccessfully (the leader having been killed and another wounded before leaving the sunken road) it was thought that a single man had more chance of getting through. This was attempted five times, but on each occasion the runner was killed in full view of the position from which he had started. Private Counter, who was near his officer at the time, and had seen the five runners killed one after the other, then volunteered to carry the message. He went out under terrific fire and succeeded in getting through. He then returned, carrying with him the vital information with regard to the estimated number of enemy in our line, the exact position of our flank, and the remaining strength of our troops. This information enabled his commanding officer to organise and launch the final counter-attack, which succeeded in regaining the whole of our position. Subsequently this man carried back five messages across the open under a heavy artillery barrage to company headquarters. Private Counter's extraordinary courage in facing almost certain death because he knew that it was vital that the message should be carried produced a most excellent impression on his young and untried companions. (LG 22^nd May 1916)

6	n/a Attached to the 6th Loyal North Lancashire	8th-10th March 1917 Dialah River, Mesopotamia	Oswald Austin Reid	Capt. Oswald Austin Reid, L'pool R., attd. L.N. Lan. R. For most conspicuous bravery in the face of desperate circumstances. By his dauntless courage and gallant leadership he was able to consolidate a small post with the advanced troops, on the opposite side of a river to the main body, after his line of communications had been cut by the sinking of the pontoons. He maintained this position for thirty hours against constant attacks by bombs, machine gun and shell tire, with the full knowledge that repeated attempts at relief had failed, and that his ammunition was all but exhausted. It was greatly due to his tenacity that the passage of the river was effected on the following night. During the operations he was wounded. (LG 8th June 1917)