smith october october australian recipient victoria_cross highest decoration gallantry face enemy awarded members british commonwealth armed forces posthumously decorated victoria_cross following actions world war led parties men attack capture machine guns prisoners killed machine gun fire born suburb newcastle new south wales employed surveyor mining company father served general manager following completion school joining militia battalion commissioned second lieutenant outbreak war tasked instruction volunteers newly raised transferring embarked battalion service western wounded promoted captain killed fourteen days short birthday early life born newcastle suburb new south wales october child manager wife barbara née steel attended moving newcastle collegiate high schools mining surveyor state northern father general manager noted cricketer keen took particular interest breeding july joined 14th infantry regiment private compulsory training scheme promoted sergeant year later world war following outbreak world war commissioned second lieutenant august time charge survey department home defence duties instruction volunteers newly raised newcastle liverpool camps promoted lieutenant july transferred february substantive rank second lieutenant placed command 34th battalion battalion embarked sydney united_kingdom aboard arriving late june battalion spent months training england time promoted lieutenant late november shipped france service western initially posted sector belgium battalion participate major battle june took british dominion operations switched sector belgium engagement received bullet wound thigh leading reconnaissance patrol evacuated london promoted captain june rejoining battalion september company commander victoria_cross october member 9th brigade attack belgium subject days heavy rain battlefield transformed marsh attack commence commanded company attack halted entrance railway cutting direction tapes leading starting position destroyed mud avoid battalion company commanders captain pushed far cemetery find tapes marking battalions starting line attack formed line attack designated time british opened artillery barrage german positions australian forces entered man land attack heavy machine gun fire assaulted troops directions ground avoid sinking mud resistance encountered strong point east centre highest ridge position consisted supported metres trench occupied approximately thirty men machine guns fire machine guns forced men 34th battalion seek cover exposed crest threatened halt entire advance realising force suffering heavy casualties quickly organised bombing party fourteen men set accompanying year old scottish born worked father according popular legend bruce promised look boss son remained attack working position party attacked rear capturing machine guns thirty prisoners reviving advance led company forward heavy artillery machine gun fire reach objective despite heavy losses left holes allied line decided stage advance ahead parties 34th headed south eastern edge ridge outskirts immediately came heavy fire close railway embankment time major senior brigade officer advance party fell dead leaving assume control gathering party men set machine gun position open ground party attacked position west machine gun firing north realising attack imminent machine gunner switched mortally wounding stomach sending rest party ground fire eased remaining members group worked position rushed seized machine guns conjunction thirty prisoners second objective partially captured remnants battered artillery machine gun fire forced relinquish position retreat lines remained ridge dead wounded later counted known grave legacy actions battle awarded posthumous victoria_cross published london gazette december citation read 18th december majesty king pleased approve award victoria_cross officers officers man late australian conspicuous bravery attack company held enemy machine gun fire concrete organising party rushed capturing machine guns thirty prisoners led company forward extremely heavy enemy artillery barrage machine gun fire objective later organised successful attack machine gun capturing machine guns thirty prisoners officer killed attack entirely bravery initiative centre attack held lengthy period example inspiring influence severely affected unknown fate son body set belgium attempt discover son lost grave returned australia disappointed learn january body battlefield grave september buried body identified set captain australian initials found ground sheet body wrapped years later returned belgium time pay respects son debt gratitude late lieutenant sergeant assisted killed july employed bruce eldest sons mining following campaign citizens smith memorial park established bequeathed son medals newcastle currently display commemorated photographic portraits memorial carved chair presented uncle aunt opened governor new south wales sir honour school pupils decorated victoria_cross world war pair commemorated smith memorial wall located grounds newcastle unveiled official ceremony april named honour
Clarence Jeffries