|
Australian
Victoria Cross Recipient
 |
Lance Corporal Thomas Leslie Axford |
| Unit |
16th Battalion |
| Born |
18 June 1894 at Carrieton, South
Australia |
| Date of action |
4 July 1918 |
| Place |
Vaire and Hamel Woods, France |
| Details |
Axford’s battalion was in the centre of
the 4th Brigade’s assault and its task was to clear Vaire
and Hamel Woods. As the Australians advanced up a slope they
encountered heavy fire from the German front line. The
adjoining platoon to Axford’s was delayed by the uncut wire,
suffering many casualties. Axford rushed in from the flank to
assist. He jumped into the enemy trench and bombed and bayoneted the
machine-gun crews, killing ten enemy and taking six prisoners.
He threw the machine guns over the parapet and called the delayed
platoon forward before he returned to his own platoon with which he
fought for the remainder of the operation. He had previously helped
lay out the assault line tapes which were within 10 metres of
the enemy. |
| Died |
11 October 1983, Perth |
| Buried or Commemorated |
Karrakatta Crematorium, Perth, Western
Australia |
| Current location of the
VC |
Australian War Memorial |
|
