text: frederick birks frederick birks , vc , mm ( 16 august 1894 – 21 september 1917 ) was a welsh - born australian first world war soldier and recipient of the victoria cross , the highest decoration for gallantry " in the face of the enemy " that can be awarded to members of the british and commonwealth forces . born in buckley , flintshire , birks served in the royal artillery for three years before emigrating to australia in 1913 . after serving as a non - commissioned officer during the landing at gallipoli and the battle of the somme , birks was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 4 may 1917 . on 20 september , while advancing in glencorse wood , ypres , birks , alongside a corporal , forced a garrison to surrender and captured sixteen men in another attack . his actions were later recognised with the victoria cross . the following day , birks was killed by a shell while attempting to save some of his men . early life birks was born in buckley , flintshire , wales , on 16 august 1894 to samuel birks , a groom , and his wife mary , née williams . the family lived at garden cottage , lane end . the youngest of six siblings , birks was five years old when his father died in a coal - mining accident . he attended the local anglican school ( st. matthews ) in buckley and was awarded a medal there for 11 years " without ever being absent or late " . he was known to be adventurous , being active in boxing and association football as well as the local church lads ' brigade . birks left school at fourteen , before entering the workforce as a labourer and steel in nearby shotton . during 1910 , birks is thought to have enlisted in the royal artillery , staying in the service for three years . on 29 august 1913 , birks migrated to australia with two friends emrys edward jones and william gray ( both from buckley ) . they sailed from london on the ss otway disembarking in melbourne . he went on to work in tasmania where he stayed with a herbert jones ( a friend of his brother ) , south australia and victoria as a labourer and later , a waiter . in late march 1914 , at the age of nineteen he started a relationship with sixteen - year - old susan who lived in largs bay . susan kept in contact with birks throughout his service , although she apparently lost contact with him for some time in mid - 1917 . he is known to have lived in norwood , a suburb of adelaide where he lodged with a mrs e. cornelius , and in hobart . first world war birks enlisted into the australian imperial force on 18 august 1914 , a few weeks after the war started . he trained at a camp in , and was assigned to the 2nd field ambulance of the royal australian army medical corps . the 2nd field ambulance boarded the hmat wiltshire in melbourne on 19 october 1914 , and set sail for egypt . after stopping in albany , the unit arrived in egypt on 10 december . gallipoli campaign birks ' unit was incorporated into the mediterranean expeditionary force and was sent into action at the landing at anzac cove , providing medical support for the 2nd infantry brigade . the 2nd brigade were also sent to cape helles , where they assisted in the attack on krithia . during the battle , birks was carrying wounded under heavy shell and rifle fire , in areas where stretchers were unable to reach . his " devotion to duty and good work " earned him his first military medal recommendation . on 26 june 1915 , birks was wounded by shrapnel but returned to service the next day , remaining on gallipoli until 9 september . france birks unit was sent to marseilles , france , as a part of the british expeditionary force . he was promoted to lance corporal on 21 april 1916 , and served as a stretcher bearer during the battle of the somme . on 26 july , birks was engaged in duties at pozières , as the australian and british forces fought for supremacy of the village . throughout the day , birks " continually led his squad of stretcher bearers " through the village and pozières wood to the frontline , all the while being " exposed to heavy shell fire " . commended for his " constant good services " , birks was recommended for the military medal . the announcement of the decoration was promulgated in a supplement to the london gazette on 14 november 1916 , and he was later presented with his military medal by lieutenant general sir william birdwood . birks was promoted as a temporary wagon orderly corporal on 5 august 1916 , and the rank was made substantive five days later . after his unit moved away from the front line , birks had an opportunity to return to buckley . there , he visited his old school and gave them a turkish flag that he has attained while in gallipoli . following his return to france , birks was hospitalised for five days with . he rejoined his unit on 14 february 1917 . commissioning birks took classes at the australian 1st division school in france , and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 6th battalion on 4 may 1917 . he had served with the battalion earlier while a stretcher bearer , and began serving as an infantryman at passchendaele . passchendaele was characterised by the mud of the battlefield , and has been widely used as an example of attrition warfare — both the commonwealth and german forces were suffering heavy casualties . when the fifth army was failing to make any appreciable headway , field marshal sir douglas haig put general herbert plumer in command of the offensive . victoria cross birks ' battalion were ordered to attack and capture the german line parallel to them , and the men moved towards their positions from zillebeke on the night of 18 september , coming under some fire from gas shells . 19 september was incident - free , with the battalion preparing to attack the next day , in what would become known as the battle of menin road . early in the morning of the 20th , a " light drizzle " fell over the battlefield and at 4am the germans sent barrages in front of and behind the battalion 's position . at 5 : 40am , the battalion advanced . the first resistance was met by birks and a corporal , taking two machine - gun positions as another group of officers rushed a strong post . they were attacked with bombs , and the corporal was seriously wounded . birks continued on alone . reaching the rear of the pillbox , he forced the occupants to surrender . birks then led an attack a series of dugouts and pillboxes on the edge of glencorse wood , and fought against machine gun and bombs . he also assisted in the reorganisation and consolidation of australian men who had drifted away from their unit . the next day , 21 september , enemy shelling in response to the movement of allied artillery had buried some men in birks ' platoon . birks attempted to dig out these men , " standing exposed " , but another shell aimed at the c coy post killed birks , and four others , before he could save them . legacy for his actions at ypres , birks was subsequently awarded the victoria cross , the announcement of which was gazetted on 8 november 1917 . his citation read : war office , 8th november , 1917 his majesty the king has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the victoria cross to the undermentioned offices , non - commissioned officers and man : — 2nd lt. frederick birks , late aust . imp . force . for most conspicuous bravery in attack when accompanied by only a corporal , he rushed a strong point which was holding up the advance . the corporal was wounded by a bomb , but 2nd lt. birks went on by himself killed the remainder of the enemy occupying the position , and captured a machine gun . shortly afterwards he organised a small party and attacked another strong point which was occupied by about twenty - five of the enemy , of whom many were killed and an officer and fifteen men captured . during the consolidation this officer did magnificent work in reorganising parties of other units which had been disorganised during the operations . by his wonderful coolness and personal bravery 2nd lt. birks kept his men in splendid spirits throughout . he was killed at his post by a shell whilst endeavouring to extricate some of his men who had been buried by a shell . birks ' grave is in the perth cemetery ( china wall ) near ypres . a memorial was constructed at his old school in wales in 1921 , funded largely by contributions from local people . when the school was demolished the memorial was moved to outside st. matthews church where it stands now . on remembrance sunday the local branch of the british legion continues to place a wreath of poppies on the memorial . a portrait of fred is on display at the australian war memorial in canberra , alongside his victoria cross . he is also remembered in the museum in ypres , belgium ( cloth hall ) . his service during the war earned him the 1914 – 15 star , british war medal and victory medal .