Sergeant Albert Lowerson VC VC in the finest action of the war: Albert David Lowerson was born in Myrtleford in 1896. He had been dredging for gold before enlisting in the 5th Reinforcements of the 21st Battalion on 16 July 1915. Lowerson joined his unit on 7 January 1916 and accompanied it to France in March. After a period in the quiet Armentières sector, he entered the battle of the Somme, seeing heavy fighting for the Pozières heights from 25 July to 7 August. Two weeks later, he was back in the front lines near Mouquet Farm where he was wounded on 26 August. He rejoined the battalion a month later and was promoted to Corporal on 1 November. Promoted to temporary Sergeant on 11 April 1917, he was again wounded during the second battle of Bullecourt on 3 May. Lowerson won the Victoria Cross on 1 September 1918 during the capture of Mont Saint-Quentin, led by General (later Sir) John Monash and regarded as the First AIF’s finest military action of the war,. The citation reads: Regardless of heavy enemy machine-gun fire, Sergeant Lowerson moved about fearlessly directing his men, encouraging them to still greater effort, and finally led them on to the objective. On reaching the objective he saw that the left attacking party was held up by an enemy strong post that was heavily manned with 12 machine-guns. Under the heaviest sniping and machine-gun fire, Sergeant Lowerson rallied seven men as a storming party, and directing them to attack the flanks of the post, rushed the strong point, and, by effective bombing, captured it, together with 12 machine-guns and 30 prisoners. Though severely wounded in the right thigh, he refused to leave the front line until the prisoners had been disposed of, and the organisation and consolidation of the post had been thoroughly completed. He then refused to leave the battalion for two days until evacuated because of his wound. He resumed duty on 17 September, in time to participate in the last Australian infantry action of the war, at Montbrehain on 5 October, where he was wounded for the fourth time. He received the Victoria Cross from George V at Buckingham Palace on 1 March 1919; a month later, he embarked for Australia and was discharged on 8 July.
Sergeant Albert Lowerson VC VC in the finest action of the war: Albert David Lowerson was born in Myrtleford in 1896. He had been dredging for gold before enlisting in the 5th Reinforcements of the 21st Battalion on 16 July 1915. Lowerson joined his unit on 7 January 1916 and accompanied it to France in March. After a period in the quiet Armentières sector, he entered the battle of the Somme, seeing heavy fighting for the Pozières heights from 25 July to 7 August. Two weeks later, he was back in the front lines near Mouquet Farm where he was wounded on 26 August. He rejoined the battalion a month later and was promoted to Corporal on 1 November. Promoted to temporary Sergeant on 11 April 1917, he was again wounded during the second battle of Bullecourt on 3 May. Lowerson won the Victoria Cross on 1 September 1918 during the capture of Mont Saint-Quentin, led by General (later Sir) John Monash and regarded as the First AIF’s finest military action of the war,. The citation reads: Regardless of heavy enemy machine-gun fire, Sergeant Lowerson moved about fearlessly directing his men, encouraging them to still greater effort, and finally led them on to the objective. On reaching the objective he saw that the left attacking party was held up by an enemy strong post that was heavily manned with 12 machine-guns. Under the heaviest sniping and machine-gun fire, Sergeant Lowerson rallied seven men as a storming party, and directing them to attack the flanks of the post, rushed the strong point, and, by effective bombing, captured it, together with 12 machine-guns and 30 prisoners. Though severely wounded in the right thigh, he refused to leave the front line until the prisoners had been disposed of, and the organisation and consolidation of the post had been thoroughly completed. He then refused to leave the battalion for two days until evacuated because of his wound. He resumed duty on 17 September, in time to participate in the last Australian infantry action of the war, at Montbrehain on 5 October, where he was wounded for the fourth time. He received the Victoria Cross from George V at Buckingham Palace on 1 March 1919; a month later, he embarked for Australia and was discharged on 8 July.
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