While leading his platoon in an assault on an enemy support trench, he noticed a machine gun firing through the Australian barrage and ran out ahead of his men into the barrage, shot the gunners with his revolver and captured the gun. He then led a small party against the strongly held Jaffa trench, 200 metres beyond his actual objective. A sharp fight ensued and the surprised defenders were showered with bombs and Lewis gun fire with the result that thirty Germans emerged from two dug-outs and were taken prisoner. He was the oldest member of the first AIF to be decorated with a VC.