Australian Victoria Cross Recipient

Sergeant John James Dwyer

Unit 4th Machine Gun Company
Born 9 March 1890 at Lovett, Tasmania
Date of action 26 September 1917
Place Zonnebeke, Belgium
Details

Dwyer, in charge of a Vickers machine gun, had gone forward with the first wave of his brigade. When the final objective was reached Dwyer rushed his gun forward to obtain a commanding fire position. While he was advancing he noticed an enemy machine gun causing casualties on the right flank. He rushed forward and fired his Vickers at the enemy, putting the gun out of action and killing the crew. He then seized the gun and established both it and his Vickers on the right flank of the brigade and inflicted further casualties during the subsequent counter-attack. The next day, when the position was heavily shelled, he carefully moved the gun to different positions and when the Vickers was put out of action by shell fire he secured a reserve gun and very quickly had it operational.

Died 17 January 1962 
Buried or Commemorated Allonah Cemetery, Hobart
Current location of the VC Australian War Memorial