KRRC Victoria Cross Recipients

During the First World War, seven members of the KRRC received the Victoria Cross. We honor these men below.

John Dimmer

Service: 1902 - 1918

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Unit: 2nd Battalion, KRRC

Killed in Action at Marteville France, 1918

(age 34)

Citation
This Officer served his machine gun during the attack on the 12 November at Klein Zillebeke until he had been shot five times – three times by shrapnel and twice by bullets, and continued at his post until his gun was destroyed

- The London Gazette, 19 November 1914

After recovering from his wounds, Dimmer continued to serve in combat in the British Army. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in January 1918 and was killed in action in Marteville, France on 21 March 1918. He was commanding the 2nd & 4th Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment. His body remained missing until 1920, when he was buried at Vadencourt British Cemetery in Maissemy.

Edward Cooper

Service: 1914 - 1919

Rank: Major

Unit: 12th Battalion, KRRC

Passed away in 1985 (Age 89)

Citation
For most conspicuous bravery and initiative in attack. Enemy machine guns from a concrete blockhouse, 250 yards away, were holding up the advance of the battalion on his left, and were also causing heavy casualties to his own battalion. Sgt. Cooper, with four men, immediately rushed towards the blockhouse, though heavily fired on. About 100 yards distant he ordered his men to lie down and fire at the blockhouse. Finding this did not silence the machine guns, he immediately rushed forward straight at them and fired his revolver into an opening in the blockhouse. The machine guns ceased firing and the garrison surrendered. Seven machine guns and forty-five prisoners were captured in this blockhouse.

- The London Gazette, 14 September 1917

John Butler

Service: 1907 - 1916

Rank: Captain

Unit: Pioneer Company, KRRC

Killed in Action at Motomba, 1916 (Age 27)

Citation

For most conspicuous bravery in the Cameroons, West Africa. On 17th November, 1914, with a party of 13 men, he went into the thick bush and at once attacked the enemy, in strength about 100, including several Europeans, defeated them, and captured their machine gun and many loads of ammunition. On 27th December, 1914, when on patrol duty, with a few men, he swam the Ekam River, which was held by the enemy, alone and in the face of a brisk fire, completed his reconnaissance on the further bank, and returned in safety. Two of his men were wounded while he was actually in the water

- The London Gazette, 23 August 1915

In September 1916, Captain Butler was sent forward with his Company to recon enemy positions. The enemy heavily engaged the Pioneer Company from high ground. Captain Butler moved forward with an escort to check on his men in the observation post. However, an enemy machine gunner engaged his group and mortally wounded Captain Butler.

Albert Gill

Service: 1902 - 1918

Rank: Sergeant

Unit: 1st Battalion, KRRC

Killed in Action at the Somme, 1916 (Age 36)

Citation
On 27 July 1916 at Battle of Delville Wood on the Somme, France, the enemy made a very strong counterattack on the right flank of the battalion and rushed the bombing post after killing all the company bombers. Sergeant Gill rallied the remnants of his platoon, none of whom were skilled bombers, and reorganised his defences. Soon afterwards the enemy nearly surrounded his men and started sniping at about 20 yards range. Although it was almost certain death, Sergeant Gill stood boldly up in order to direct the fire of his men. He was killed almost at once, but his gallant action held up the enemy advance.

Albert Shepard

Service: 1915 - 1919

Rank: Corporal

Unit: 12th Battalion, KRRC

Passed away in 1966 (Age 69)

Citation

For most conspicuous bravery as Company Runner. At Villers Plouich, France on 20 November 1917. When his company was held up by a machine gun at point blank range he volunteered to rush the gun, and, though ordered not to, rushed forward and threw a Mills bomb, killing two gunners and capturing the gun. The company, on continuing its advance, came under heavy enfilade machine gun fire.

When the last officer and the last non-commissioned officer had become casualties, he took command of the company, ordered the men to lie down, and himself went back some seventy yards under severe fire to obtain the help of a tank.

He then returned to his company, and finally led them to their last objective. He showed throughout conspicuous determination and resource.

William Mariner

Service: 1907 - 1916

Rank: Rifleman

Unit: 2nd Battalion, KRRC

Killed in Action near Loos France, 1916 (Age 34)

Citation

During a violent thunderstorm on the night of 22nd May, 1915, he left his trench near Cambrin, and crept out through the German wire entanglements till he reached the emplacement of a German machine gun which had been damaging our parapets and hindering our working parties.

After climbing on the top of the German parapet he threw a bomb in under the roof of the gun emplacement and- heard some groaning and the enemy running away. After about a quarter of an hour he heard some of them coming back again, and climbed up on the other side of the emplacement and threw another bomb among them left-handed. He then lay still while the Germans opened a heavy fire on the wire entanglement behind him, and it was only after about an hour that he was able to crawl back to his own trench.

Before starting out he had requested a sergeant to open fire on the enemy's trenches as soon as he had thrown his bombs. Rifleman Mariner was out alone for one and a half hours carrying out this gallant work.

- The London Gazette, 23 August 1915

William Mariner was killed on the evening of 30 June 1916 or the early morning of 1 July 1916 during a large scale raid in the Railway Triangle, south of Loos. This raid was a diversionary attack on the eve of the Somme offensive. His death was witnessed by Giles E. M. Eyre and others who wrote "that Mariner seemed to lose control during a heavy bombardment, ran down an enemy trench and was last seen bayoneting a German as a shell exploded on him, blowing him to pieces."

George Peachment

Service: 1915

Rank: Rifleman

Unit: 2nd Battalion, KRRC

Killed in Action near Hulluch France, 1915 (Age 18)

Youngest Soldier to receive the Victoria Cross in the Army During WWI

Citation

For the most conspicuous bravery near Hulluch on 25th Sept., 1915. During very heavy fighting, when our front line was compelled to retire in order to re-organise, Pte. Peachment, seeing his Company Commander, Captain Dubs, lying wounded, crawled to assist him. The enemy's fire was intense, but, though there was a shell hole quite close, in which a few men had taken cover, Pte. Peachment never thought of saving himself. He knelt in the open by his Officer and tried to help him, but while doing this he was first wounded by a bomb and a minute later mortally wounded by a rifle bullet. He was one of the youngest men in his battalion and gave this splendid example of courage and self-sacrifice.