Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Handwritten note B.103, 'Buried in vicinity of Fleurbaix'.

Statement, Red Cross File No 2950807, 4610 Corporal A. VERNON, 57th Bn (patient, 1st Northern General Hospital, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England), 6 November 1916: 'Informant states that on July, 19, at Fleurbaix, there were many left out wounded after the attack. Williams worked for over 60 hours gtting in as many as he could. Informant says that if any man over deserved the V.C. he did. He had not a thought for himself as long as there was anything he could do for anyone else. His friends tried to persuade him to take some rest, but there still two men whom he was anxious to bring in, and he refused to stop till he had got them. As he was carrying one of them he was hit in the head. He could be seen from our trenches and was still able to walk, but was apparently blinded. He was seen to drop his helmet, and he watched for about 10 minutes before he fund it and put it on. Many attempts were made to get him in, but he had been close to the German lines when he was hit, and thought anyone who came near him must be an enemy, and was to be avoided if possible. Some Germans came out unarmed to try and get him, as well as our own men & informant says that he feels sure that if only they could have got to him he would have been well treated, as they were evidently anxious to take him unhurt. He succeeded however in eluding everyone.Informant did his best to get him in, or near him as he knew he would recognise his voice. But he never succeeded in getting within speaking distance. Finally he got into a shell hole and was hit there by a bomb. As far as Informant knows his body was never recovered, but everyone was convinced that he was killed. The ground on which he fell has never been taken and still remains between the two hostile lines of trenches.'