Australian Victoria Cross Recipient

Corporal Phillip Davey

Unit 10th Battalion
Born 10 October 1896 at Goodwood, South Australia
Date of action 28 June 1918
Place Merris, France
Details

During an attack Davey’s platoon came under heavy fire and the commander was killed. Survivors were forced to shelter in a ditch under almost point-blank fire from a German machine gun. Davey then single-handedly attacked the enemy gun with grenades, putting half the crew out of action. Running out of grenades, he returned to his own position for more. In his next attack he killed the remainder of the crew, which had been reinforced and numbered eight, and captured the gun. He then mounted the captured gun in a new position and, until he was wounded, efficiently used it to repel a determined counter-attack.

Died 21 December 1953
Buried or Commemorated AIF Cemetery, West Terrace, Adelaide
Current location of the VC Australian War Memorial