(1893–1917) Private, Wilfred Edwards, The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 16th August 1917, Norwich City War Memorial & Gardens, Market Place, Norwich.
▪︎13303 WILFRED EDWARDS VC – (b. 16th February 1893 Norwich, Norfolk. d. 2nd January 1972).
Born on the 16th February 1893 in Norwich, Norfolk, to Charles Edward Fox, tailor and Kate Mary (née Kelter). Educated at Park Lane Council School in Leeds. Married on the 20th February 1915 at Mount St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Richmond Hill, Leeds to Belinda (née Timlin), munitions worker during WWI. Left school at 13 to work at a tailoring firm, in 1914 he was employed at Waterloo Main Colliery in Leeds. On the 4th September 1914 Wilfred enlisted with the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, going to France in August 1915. By October 1915 he was wounded and evacuated to Hoddesdon Military Hospital in Hertfordshire, the following February 1916 he returned to his Battalion. He was wounded again in July 1916 and evacuated to a hospital in Colchester, Essex, returning to his Battalion in January 1917.
On the 16th August 1917, he saw VC Action at Reitres Farm near Langemark, Ypres, Belgium. Soon to return to the United Kingdom, the 28th September 1917 he received a Civic welcome at Victoria Square, Leeds; followed by 10th October 1917, receiving cheque for £200 raised by public subscription, and presented with a silver watch by his old school. On 31st January 1918 commissioned Second Lieutenant 4th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, demobbed in June 1919. Then worked as a miner and for Leeds Gas Department. 2nd January 1941, Regular Army Emergency, commissioned Second Lieutenant for the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, a Captain 24th February 1944, after the war had ended he helped run the Ford factory in Germany. In 1950 Wifred became a Freeman of the City of Leeds. His final rank was Captain, he died on 2nd January 1972, Leeds, Yorkshire. Buried on 7th January 1972, Upper and Lower Wortley Cemetery in Leeds, Sect M, Grave 42 with full military honours. Commemoration headstone; portraits at York Castle Museum and the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Museum in Doncaster.
Wilfred was awarded the 1914-15 Star; British War Medal, 1914-20 Victory Medal, 1914-19 Defence Medal, 1939-45 War Medal, 1939-45 Jubilee Medal, 1935 Coronation Medal, 1937 Coronation Medal, 1953 VC Investiture on 26th September 1917 by King George V, Buckingham Palace. VC location: York Castle Museum.
Book: The Complete History - Volume 2:
The British had achieved less than planned in the initial phase of the ''Third Battle of Ypres''. On 16th August 1917, in order to continue their push east towards Passchendaele, General H Gough ordered a further assault, the ''Battle of Langemark'', along a line running from Langemark in the north, where the French First Army also took part in the action, to the Ypres-Menin road, east of Hooge, in the south. In the north, the British line ran along the Steenbeek. 1st Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers were detailed to push back the Germans from the Steenbeek to the Broembeek at Wijdendrift, north of the Ypres-Staden railway, north-west of Langemark. As elsewhere on the line, the British were confronted by machine-gun fire from a series of enemy pillboxes.
Company Quartermaster Sergeant W. H. Grimbaldeston capured one of these almost single-handedly, while Company Sergeant Major J. K. Skinner captured a further three around Montmirail Farm. Their actions contributed to the Battalion reaching its objective. 20th Division had, meanwhile, to take Langemark itself. The village, which was just south of the Ypres-Staden railway, was in ruins but the position was defended by a series of concrete blockhouses. The British soon found themselves under fire from these strongpoints and taking heavy casualties. The blockhouse at Reitres Farm, west of Langemark and just south of the Ypres-Staden Railway, was taken single-handedly by Private W. Edwards, 7th Battalion The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, and another south-east of the village on the initiative of Sergeant E. Cooper, 12th Battalion The King’s Royal Rifle Corps.
Cooper’s VC Citation may be incorrect in asserting that he fired through the slit of the blockhouse. He later claimed that he had merely shouted the order to surrender from outside. Langemark was captured. To the south, however, the British were less successful. The 16th and 36th Divisions were detailed to advance across the Gheluvelt plateau between St Julien and Frezenberg, north of the Ypres-Roulers railway. Here too they met heavy German machine-gun fire from entrenched positions and were soon driven back by an enemy counter-attack and suffered many casualties.
For most conspicuous bravery when under heavy machine gun and rifle fire from a strong concrete fort. Having lost all his company officers, without hesitation he dashed forward at great personal risk, bombed through the loopholes, surmounted the fort, and waved to his company to advance. By his splendid example he saved a most critical situation at a time when the whole battalion was held up and a leader urgently needed. Three officers and thirty other ranks were taken prisoner by him in the fort. Later, Pte. Edwards did most valuable work as a runner, and he eventually guided most of the battalion out through very difficult ground. Throughout he set a splendid personal example to all, and was utterly regardless of danger.
Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 14th September 1917. 14th September 1917, Numb. 30284, p. 9533.
Information sourced from – vcgca.org/our-people/profile/575/Wilfrid--EDWARDS
(1893–1917) Private, Wilfred Edwards, The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 16th August 1917, Norwich City War Memorial & Gardens, Market Place, Norwich.
▪︎13303 WILFRED EDWARDS VC – (b. 16th February 1893 Norwich, Norfolk. d. 2nd January 1972).
Born on the 16th February 1893 in Norwich, Norfolk, to Charles Edward Fox, tailor and Kate Mary (née Kelter). Educated at Park Lane Council School in Leeds. Married on the 20th February 1915 at Mount St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Richmond Hill, Leeds to Belinda (née Timlin), munitions worker during WWI. Left school at 13 to work at a tailoring firm, in 1914 he was employed at Waterloo Main Colliery in Leeds. On the 4th September 1914 Wilfred enlisted with the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, going to France in August 1915. By October 1915 he was wounded and evacuated to Hoddesdon Military Hospital in Hertfordshire, the following February 1916 he returned to his Battalion. He was wounded again in July 1916 and evacuated to a hospital in Colchester, Essex, returning to his Battalion in January 1917.
On the 16th August 1917, he saw VC Action at Reitres Farm near Langemark, Ypres, Belgium. Soon to return to the United Kingdom, the 28th September 1917 he received a Civic welcome at Victoria Square, Leeds; followed by 10th October 1917, receiving cheque for £200 raised by public subscription, and presented with a silver watch by his old school. On 31st January 1918 commissioned Second Lieutenant 4th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, demobbed in June 1919. Then worked as a miner and for Leeds Gas Department. 2nd January 1941, Regular Army Emergency, commissioned Second Lieutenant for the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, a Captain 24th February 1944, after the war had ended he helped run the Ford factory in Germany. In 1950 Wifred became a Freeman of the City of Leeds. His final rank was Captain, he died on 2nd January 1972, Leeds, Yorkshire. Buried on 7th January 1972, Upper and Lower Wortley Cemetery in Leeds, Sect M, Grave 42 with full military honours. Commemoration headstone; portraits at York Castle Museum and the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Museum in Doncaster.
Wilfred was awarded the 1914-15 Star; British War Medal, 1914-20 Victory Medal, 1914-19 Defence Medal, 1939-45 War Medal, 1939-45 Jubilee Medal, 1935 Coronation Medal, 1937 Coronation Medal, 1953 VC Investiture on 26th September 1917 by King George V, Buckingham Palace. VC location: York Castle Museum.
Book: The Complete History - Volume 2:
The British had achieved less than planned in the initial phase of the ''Third Battle of Ypres''. On 16th August 1917, in order to continue their push east towards Passchendaele, General H Gough ordered a further assault, the ''Battle of Langemark'', along a line running from Langemark in the north, where the French First Army also took part in the action, to the Ypres-Menin road, east of Hooge, in the south. In the north, the British line ran along the Steenbeek. 1st Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers were detailed to push back the Germans from the Steenbeek to the Broembeek at Wijdendrift, north of the Ypres-Staden railway, north-west of Langemark. As elsewhere on the line, the British were confronted by machine-gun fire from a series of enemy pillboxes.
Company Quartermaster Sergeant W. H. Grimbaldeston capured one of these almost single-handedly, while Company Sergeant Major J. K. Skinner captured a further three around Montmirail Farm. Their actions contributed to the Battalion reaching its objective. 20th Division had, meanwhile, to take Langemark itself. The village, which was just south of the Ypres-Staden railway, was in ruins but the position was defended by a series of concrete blockhouses. The British soon found themselves under fire from these strongpoints and taking heavy casualties. The blockhouse at Reitres Farm, west of Langemark and just south of the Ypres-Staden Railway, was taken single-handedly by Private W. Edwards, 7th Battalion The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, and another south-east of the village on the initiative of Sergeant E. Cooper, 12th Battalion The King’s Royal Rifle Corps.
Cooper’s VC Citation may be incorrect in asserting that he fired through the slit of the blockhouse. He later claimed that he had merely shouted the order to surrender from outside. Langemark was captured. To the south, however, the British were less successful. The 16th and 36th Divisions were detailed to advance across the Gheluvelt plateau between St Julien and Frezenberg, north of the Ypres-Roulers railway. Here too they met heavy German machine-gun fire from entrenched positions and were soon driven back by an enemy counter-attack and suffered many casualties.
For most conspicuous bravery when under heavy machine gun and rifle fire from a strong concrete fort. Having lost all his company officers, without hesitation he dashed forward at great personal risk, bombed through the loopholes, surmounted the fort, and waved to his company to advance. By his splendid example he saved a most critical situation at a time when the whole battalion was held up and a leader urgently needed. Three officers and thirty other ranks were taken prisoner by him in the fort. Later, Pte. Edwards did most valuable work as a runner, and he eventually guided most of the battalion out through very difficult ground. Throughout he set a splendid personal example to all, and was utterly regardless of danger.
Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 14th September 1917. 14th September 1917, Numb. 30284, p. 9533.
Information sourced from – vcgca.org/our-people/profile/575/Wilfrid--EDWARDS