Henry (Harry) DALZIEL VC

DALZIEL, Henry

Service Number: 1936
Enlisted: 16 January 1915, Cairns, Queensland
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 15th Infantry Battalion
Born: Irvinebank, Queensland, Australia, 18 February 1893
Home Town: Atherton, Tablelands, Queensland
Schooling: Irvinebank, Queensland, Australia
Occupation: Locomotive Fireman
Died: Stroke, Repatriation Hospital, Greenslopes, Queensland, Australia, 24 July 1965, aged 72 years
Cemetery: Mount Thompson Memorial Gardens & Crematorium, Queensland
Columbarium 12 Section 16
Memorials: Corinda Harry Dalziel VC Centre, Corinda Henry (Harry) Dalziel VC Memorial Plaque, Greenslopes Private Hospital Henry Dalziel VC Dialysis Centre, Keith Payne VC Memorial Park, North Bondi War Memorial, Townsville Railway Station Roll of Honour, Winchelsea WWI Memorial
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World War 1 Service

16 Jan 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1936, Cairns, Queensland
16 Apr 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1936, 15th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Kyarra embarkation_ship_number: A55 public_note: ''
25 Jul 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1936, 15th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli
6 Aug 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1936, 15th Infantry Battalion, The August Offensive - Lone Pine, Suvla Bay, Sari Bair, The Nek and Hill 60 - Gallipoli
4 Aug 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1936, 15th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières
10 Aug 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1936, 15th Infantry Battalion, Mouquet Farm
5 Mar 1917: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1936, 15th Infantry Battalion, The Outpost Villages - German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line, Lagnicourt
11 Apr 1917: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1936, 15th Infantry Battalion, Bullecourt (First)
7 Jun 1917: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1936, 15th Infantry Battalion, Battle of Messines
26 Sep 1917: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1936, 15th Infantry Battalion, Polygon Wood, Wounded in Action
4 Jul 1918: Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 1936, 15th Infantry Battalion, Le Hamel - Blueprint for Victory, Gunshot wound to finger, then subsequently a gunshot wound to the head fracturing his skull and exposing his brain.
4 Jul 1918: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1936, 15th Infantry Battalion, Le Hamel - Blueprint for Victory, Awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in the capture of Pear Trench. Subsequently critically wounded.
12 Dec 1918: Honoured Victoria Cross, Le Hamel - Blueprint for Victory, Gazetted December 1918

Help us honour Henry Dalziel's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Faithe Jones

Dalziel, Henry (Harry) (1893–1965)
by Helen Mays

Henry Dalziel, soldier, locomotive fireman and farmer, was born on 18 February 1893 at Irvinebank, Queensland, son of James Dalziel, miner, and his wife Eliza Maggie, née McMillan, both of whom were native-born. He was educated at Irvinebank and became a fireman on the Cairns-Atherton railway.

Dalziel enlisted as a private in the Australian Imperial Force on 16 January 1915 and embarked with reinforcements for the 15th Battalion. Joining his unit at Gallipoli in July, he served in the battle of Sari Bair in August and was eventually evacuated with his battalion to Egypt. On 31 May 1916 he sailed for France, going into the line at Bois Grenier and from July serving on the Somme, at Pozières and Mouquet Farm. In 1917 Dalziel saw action at Gueudecourt, Lagnicourt, Bullecourt and Messines before being wounded by shrapnel at Polygon Wood on 16 October. He resumed duty on 7 June 1918, first as a driver and then as a gunner.

For valour during the battle of Hamel on 4 July Dalziel won the thousandth Victoria Cross awarded. When his battalion's advance met with strong resistance from a heavily armed enemy garrison at Pear Trench, Dalziel as second member of a Lewis-gun team helped his partner to silence machine-gun fire. When fire opened up from another post he dashed forward and, with his revolver, killed or captured the crew and gun, thus allowing the advance to proceed. During this action the tip of his trigger-finger was shot away; he was ordered to the rear, but instead continued to serve his gun in the final storming of Pear Trench. Although again ordered back to the aid-post he began taking ammunition up to the front line, continuing to do so until he was shot in the head.

Read more - https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dalziel-henry-harry-5876 (adb.anu.edu.au)

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Biography contributed by Evan Evans

From Reba Rolfe 
 
When Harry Dalziel VC returned by train to far north Queensland from World War One, he was cheered by crowds at every station in every regional town between Mackay and his final stop, Atherton.

His exploits and resilience on the battlefield before finally succumbing to a serious head injury earned him the Victoria Cross and a place in far north Queensland's history.

Victoria Cross citation

'For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty when in action with a Lewis gun section. His company met with determined resistance from a strong point which was strongly garrisoned, manned by numerous machine guns, and undamaged by our artillery fire, was also protected by strong wire entanglements. A heavy concentration of machine gun fire caused many casualties, and held up our advance. His Lewis gun having come into action and silenced enemy guns in one direction, an enemy gun fire opened from another direction. Private Dalziel dashed at it, and with his revolver killed and captured the entire crew and gun, and allowed our advance to continue. He was severely wounded in the hand, but carried on and took part in the capture of the final objective. He twice went over open ground under heavy enemy artillery and machine gun fire to secure ammunition, though sufferring from considerable loss of blood. He filled magazines and served his gun until severely wounded through the head. His magnificent bravery and devotion to duty was an inspiring example to all his comrades, and his dash and unselfish courage at a most critical time undoubtedly saved many lives, and turned what could have been a severe check into a splendid success.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 191
Date: 12 December 1918

"His story's amazing," Mr Rick Meehan says.

"In the four years he fought in the Great War he was wounded 44 times and then when he got shot by a sniper... he was laying with 344 dead soldiers and the pall bearers were about to put him under the ground when they heard him moan."

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