Dalziel VC, 4th July 1918 at Hamel Wood

Henry 'Harry' Dalziel VC., was born at a small mining camp near Irvinebank, Far North Queensland on 18th February 1893, the son of James and Eliza Maggie (nee McMillan) Dalziel.

Henry and his brother Victor as young boys are credited with discovering tin samples, which led to the opening of the Boulder Mine near Emuford. This mine one of the largest mines in the area remained in production until the 1960s.

On leaving school ‘Harry’ worked as a fireman with the Queensland Government Railways on the scenic route between Cairns and Atherton where he then lived with his parents.

‘Harry’Dalziel enlisted on 16 January 1915, in July 1915 he was with the reinforcements for the 15th Battalion, and served with this unit on Gallipoli. Following the evacuation the 15th trained in Egypt until 31 May 1916 when the 15th sailed for France as part of the 4th Infantry Brigade of the 4th Division which had been formed in Egypt three months earlier.

The 4th at first were stationed briefly near Armentieres, before it joined with the 1st and 2nd Divisions and moved to the Somme. Seeing action at Bois Grenier, Pozieres and Mouquet farm.

c. 1918. Informal portrait of Private (Pte) Henry (Harry) Dalziel VC, 15th Battalion.

Pte Dalziel was awarded the Victoria Cross for "most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty when in action with a Lewis gun section" on 4 July 1918 at Hamel Wood, France.

Pte Dalziel rushed at an enemy machine gun with his revolver and killed or captured the entire crew and gun, being severely wounded in the hand.

He was ordered back to the regimental aid post for treatment, deciding instead to secure ammunition and man his Lewis gun until he was severely wounded in the head.

He received medical treatment in England for his head injury, returning to Australia in January 1919.

(Donor R. Arman)

In 1917 they fought at Gueudecourt, Lagnicourt, Bullecourt where the Division had 1170 officers and men taken prisoner by the Germans, and in June at Messines before on 16 October 1917 he was wounded, by shrapnel while participating in the Battle of Polygon Wood.

May 1918 saw the five Australian Divisions brought together for the first time as the Australian Corps. At Hamel also for the first time the Australians had with them a number of Americans who were facing their baptism of fire on their countries Independence Day.

Dalziel's actions for which he was later awarded the Empire’s highest bravery award the Victoria Cross occurred on July 4, 1918, this was the 1000th such award made to a Commonwealth serviceman.

The 15th Battalion was given the task of capturing a position known as Pear Trench. Artillery fire had been brought down on Pear Trench, but this proved totally ineffective as it failed to damage the strong wire entanglements that protected the enemy position, neither the trench or its garrison were sufficiently effected to ease their resistance against the Australians.

Three tanks had been allotted to the 15th, but had failed to appear and it became necessary for the Infantry to push on without their support. Some men managed to get through the wire, but the attack virtually came to a halt in the face of heavy enemy fire from Pear Trench.

Each Australian platoon now had two Lewis guns Capt. E. K. Carter, M.C directed his gunners one of whom was Harry Dalziel to fire from the hip over the tall crops, this succeeded in limiting the high number of casualties previously caused by the German machine-gunners.

When Carter’s gunners succeeded in silencing two German machine-guns, his men rushed the enemy trenches only to be held up by another machine-gun on their left.

Dalziel saw this, left his gun in the able hands of one of his team and drawing his revolver he single handedly rushed the German machine-gunners, shooting two and capturing the third.

The Bar at the Atherton Returned Serviceman’s Club has a display of photographs and Medals featuring ‘Harry’ Dalziel VC. and is named Harry Dalziel VC., Memorial Bar. While in a park near the club is a mounted First World War Artillery piece as a memorial to Pte Harry Dalziel VC.

Dalziel who had lost his trigger finger during this action, was ordered to the rear. He made off as if to obey, but later when Pear Trench was finally stormed and taken, Dalziel was discovered in the thick of the fight.

Again he was ordered back to the regimental aid-post, but went instead to retrieve boxes of ammunition, which although parachuted onto open ground were inaccessible due to the enemy’s constant fire. Dalziel ignoring the enemy fire proceeded to bring in this ammunition a case at a time and had loaded his Lewis gun, when he was shot in the head.

The wound smashed his skull exposing his brain, both Australians and Americans who saw Dalziel despaired at this brave man’s obvious death.

This wasn’t to be, long and skilful treatment in England saw Harry fit enough to leave England for Australia, where he was discharged in Brisbane in July 1919.

Unable to return to his old job with the railways, he went back to Atherton and worked a small farm "Carmelbank". In 1921 he married a Brisbane nurse Hilda Maud Ramsay. During the depression years Dalziel was forced to travel as far south as Sydney seeking employment. He and his brother (ex No 58085 Pte Victor Dalziel who had enlisted in Cairns in June 1918 and served with the 9th Battalion,) were gold mining in Bathurst, New South Wales when the serious illness of Hilda forced Harry’s return to Queensland.

In 1933 Dalziel joined the Citizen Military Forces 9th/15th Battalion as a Sergeant, he was the first VC to be a member of the Guard of Honour at the opening of the Queensland Parliament as a member of the King's Colour escort.

On Anzac Day 1938 he took part in the Anzac Day march through the streets of Sydney.

Harry became renowned about that time as a song-writer. Three of the songs he had copyrighted in conjunction with Muriel King were ‘Boys of the New Brigade Swing Along’, ‘Oh! Girlie just be careful of the Royal Marines' and "Don’t forget we have a Navee". He also tried his hand at drawing, pottery and poetry, which included ‘Only a Golden Memory’.

Like many that were awarded the Victoria Cross while serving in the First World War ‘Harry’ again served in the Second World War. Albeit in a limited capacity, his duties consisted of speaking during recruiting drives and comforts fund appeals, he also visited many training camps advising and talking to the troops.

In 1956, he sailed on the SS Orcades along with other Australian VC’s who were part of the 301 Victoria Cross recipients from across the Commonwealth who attended the Victoria Cross Centenary Celebrations in London.

He visited Hamel, on 4 July 1956 and placed a wreath on the Cenotaph, but was unable to identify the spot where he won his decoration thirty eight years earlier in the now lush agricultural area. He was living in Oxley, Queensland. When he died on the 24th July 1965 aged 72 years. He was cremated at the Mt Thompson crematorium , Brisbane. A memorial plaque can be found on Wall 12. Section 16. No 106, at the Crematorium.

His Medals are The Victoria Cross, 1914/15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal, War Medal 1939/45, Australian Service Medal, King George V1 Coronation Medal, Queen Elizabeth 11 Coronation Medal.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

My thanks to Mr Tony Derksen, Director of the Loudoun House Museum, Irvinebank. Queensland. For his assistance in researching this story.

2004 UPDATE

DALZIEL VC. # 1936 Private Henry

15th Infantry Battalion.

4^th Infantry Brigade. 4^th Division. AIF

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 opened fire from another direction. Private Dalziel dashed at it and with his revolver, killed or 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, and though suffering 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 critical time undoubtedly saved many lives and turned what would have been a serious check into a splendid success.

(London Gazette: 17th August 1918.)

Henry Dalziel was born at Ragged Camp, a small mining camp, near Irvinebank in North Queensland on 18 February 1893. He was a son of James Dalziel and his wife Eliza Mary (Maggie) Dalziel. Mary was the daughter of a Ravenshoe settler John M^c Millan and his wife Mary Ann (Secington).

Henry and his brother Victor as a young boys were credited with discovering the tin samples which led to the opening of the Boulder Mine near Emuford. This mine became one of the largest mines in the area and remained in production until the 1960s. Henry completed his education when the family moved to Atherton, before gaining an apprenticeship as a fireman with the Queensland Government Railways, working on the scenic route between Milla Milla and Malanda. As a teenager Henry, a talented athlete and horseman, won the North Queensland High Jump Championship.

Henry was twenty one years and 11 months of age when he enlisted in the AIF at Cairns on 16 January 1915. He was 5 foot 7 inches tall [168cm] and weighted 9 stone 10lb [62kg]. With a medium complexion, blue eyes and black curly hair, his religious denomination was Church of England. Found fit for service by Dr Philip S Clarke, Henry was taken into the army 22 January. He embarked from Brisbane 16 April 1915 onboard the 6,953-ton London registered steamer Kyarra. Kyarra had been requisitioned by the Commonwealth Government for the purpose of transporting the AIF overseas. As A55. His Majesties Australian Transport. Kyarra, was manned by an Australian crew and took the 5^th reinforcements for the 15^th Battalion to Egypt.

Henry joined the 15^th Bn at Quinn’s Post on Gallipoli 13 July 1915 as a Lance Corporal. During the August offensive the 4^th Infantry Brigade led by General John Monash attacked and captured Hill 971 and in doing so suffered a great number of casualties. The Turks, after taking on reinforcements, counter attacked and drove the Australians from their hard won position. ‘A’ Company of the 15^th then supported the 14^th Battalion in their unsuccessful attack on Hill 60. Henry Dalziel was transferred from the peninsular on 28 August to a hospital ship suffering from rheumatism. Taken to Malta he was admitted to the 40^th Field ambulance station. The next day he was placed onboard the “Devenha” for a voyage to England where he was admitted to the 3^rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth on the 15 September.

Upon release from hospital Henry was assigned to the 4^th Training Battalion at Codford where for a period he worked as a butcher and on several occasions he found himself in a spot of bother with military discipline. When bored with the monotony of training Henry would go AWOL. Nobody knows how many times he did this however he was apprehended and charged on numerous occasions, once just 35 minutes after departing the camp.

He proceeded to France 14 August 1916 and rejoined the 15^th Battalion in the field on 4 September. The 15^th had just emerged from 10 days of heavy fighting at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm where the 4^th Division had suffered 4,600 casualties. On 9 September Henry was appointed driver before his battalion entered the fighting at Flers and then Gueudecourt. Here they fought throughout the winter in deep mud hindered by the cold and rain. Henry welcomed the respite from the bitter fighting as the Germans began to withdraw from their position on 17 March. He was sent to a Farrier School on I April and returned to his unit during the battle at Bullecourt, where the 4^th Division had 1170 officers and men taken prisoner by the Germans.

With the 4^th Div, Henry was at Messines Ridge at 3.10^am on 7 June when General Herbert Plumer exploded 19 of the 21 underground mines that had been positioned in tunnels dug under no-man’s land to beneath the enemy trenches. The explosion of the 600 ton of explosives, which was reportedly heard in Dublin, killed 10,000 German troops. The Australian 3^rd Division’s Infantry which attacked from the right of the British line were joined by the 4th Division and a New Zealand Division soon after. Messines Ridge fell to the ANZAC troops just 93 minutes after General Plumer detonated his mines.

The battle of Passchendaele began on 31 July and the heavy rain turned the battle field into a quagmire. Henry was wounded in the arm by shrapnel 3 October and admitted to 11^th General Hospital at Dannes-Camiers. Doctors feared that Henry could lose the use of his arm if they attempted to remove the shrapnel so he was invalided to England 29 October where Doctors did all they could to prevent an infection and heal the wound but did not attempt to remove the shrapnel.

Upon release from the hospital he was assigned to the overseas training brigade at Longbridge, Deverill where he remained until he returned to France 29 May 1918 rejoining the 15^th Battalion in the field on the 7 June. Now with the doubling of the number of Lewis guns available for each Division Henry Dalziel was allocated one of his platoons Lewis Guns. Although the Lewis Gun was only a fifth of the weight of the conventional Machine Gun, it was accurate to 600 yards [540m] using a Bi-Pod, it was air-cooled and used standard .303 ammunition. It’s circular magazine held 47 cartridges and could be fired at the rate of between 500 and 600 rpm. An added advantage was that it only required a crew of two.

On 4 July the 7.500 men of the 4^th Div were joined by a number of Americans anxious to observe and learn from the Australians. These men faced their baptism of fire on their country’s Independence Day as the Battle of Hamel commenced at 3.10^am. Although not a large battle, this attack saw the introduction of a battle plan designed by the Australian Lieutenant General John Monash. The 15th Bn were given the task of capturing a position known as Pear Trench. The allied artillery that had been brought down on Pear Trench proved totally ineffective, failing to damage either the strong wire entanglements, the trench, or the garrison enough to reduce the enemy’s resistance.

Three British tanks had been allotted to the 15^thBn however they proved unreliable and it became necessary for the Infantry to push on without their support. Some men managed to get through the wire before the attack virtually came to a halt in the face of heavy enemy fire from Pear Trench.

Capt. Ernest Kenneth Carter, M.C directed his Lewis gunners to fire from the hip over the tall crops. This tactic brought the fire from the opposing German machine-gunners to a halt. The 15^th then rushed the enemy trenches only to be held up by another machine-gun on their left. Seeing this, Henry left his gun in the hands of his mate and armed only with two revolvers single handedly rushed the German machine-gun, killing two of its crew and captured the rest. During this daring feat he received a serious wound to his hand and was ordered to the rear. Making off as if to obey, he instead joined in the final charge that captured the enemy position. Henry was once again ordered back to the regimental aid-post but went instead to retrieve boxes of ammunition that had been parachuted into open ground. Twice Henry ventured out to retrieve boxes of ammunition considered to be inaccessible due to the enemy’s constant machine gun fire, before he returned to his Lewis Gun. It was while reloading his gun he received a gunshot wound to the head.

The bullets smashed his skull exposing his brain, causing both the Australian’s and the American’s who went to his aid to despair at this brave man’s apparent death. Henry was taken to the 4^th Australian Field Ambulance where it was decided to send him to the 12^th General Hospital at Rouen, France. The American Forces were now in control of this Hospital, which had been in the hands of the British since September 1914. Four days later as Henry fought for his life, Lt-Col Terrence Patrick Mc Sharry Commanding Officer of the 15^th Battalion supported by Brig-Gen Charles Henry Brand Commander of the 4^th Division recommended him for a Victoria Cross. Henry Daziel’s Victoria Cross was the 1,000^th Victoria Cross awarded.

After life saving treatment in France, Henry was taken to England 19 September on the Hospital Ship Panama and was admitted the next day to the 4^th London General Hospital, Denmark Hill, London which catered for both military and civilian patients. Two months later he was transferred to the 3^rd Scottish General Hospital, Stobhill Glasgow for psychiatric assessment. On 13 December 1918 Private Henry Dalziel was taken to Buckingham Palace where King George V invested him with his Victoria Cross. Discharged from hospital 5 January 1919 he embarked for Australia onboard “Kanowna” and arriving in Melbourne 7 March he was admitted to the 1^st Military Hospital. Henry Dalziel’s World War One army service came to an end when he was discharged classified medically unfit in Brisbane 16 June 1919.

On 17 May 1920 Henry was appointed to a temporary position in the Australian Air Corps in Melbourne but twenty nine days later he was discharged. Unable to return to his old job with the railway, Henry returned to Atherton and worked a small soldier’s settlement block he called “Zenith”. On 8 August 1920 he married twenty nine year old Brisbane nurse Ida Maude Ramsay, a daughter of Richard John Ramsay and his wife Rhoda (White).

In 1927 while living in Sydney, Henry with 10 of the 14 VC winners who resided in New South Wales attended a reception held at Government House, Sydney where His Royal Highness, the Duke of York (the future King George V1) received them. He was recorded as saying “He had never seen so many V.Cs. together”.

On 11 November 1929 Henry attended a informal Armistice day luncheon at Government House, Sydney when all fourteen NSW VCs lunched with the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Dudley de Chair and his wife. The Governor, an ex Navy man, requested no uniforms, badges or speeches preferring to join the men for after dinner cigars and coffee on the lawns of Government House..

During the depression years Henry, like thousands of others, was forced to travel seeking employment. He and his brother (ex # 58085 Pte Victor Dalziel) were trying their luck mining for gold in Bathurst, New South Wales when Henry came to the aid of fellow ex-serviceman John Clasby. Clasby a member of the Paddington-Woollahra Sub-Branch of the RSL had won pre selection to represent the United Australia Party (Later the Liberal Party) in the seat of East Sydney in the December 1931 Federal Elections. Clasby’s political opponent was challenging his credentials as an ex-serviceman. With Henry’s support Clasby won the seat but unfortunately died before he could be sworn in.

The serious illness of Ida then forced Henry’s immediate return to Queensland.

In 1933 Henry now separated from Ida moved to Brisbane and joined the Citizen Military Forces, serving as a Sergeant in the 9/15^th Bn. With them he attended the opening of the Queensland Parliament as a member of the King's Colour escort, being the first VC to do so.

Henry was a regular participant at the Brisbane ANZAC Day marches while living with Mr Napier at 37 Railway Terrace, Milton, Brisbane. On 22 January 1935, he wrote to the officer in charge of Base records seeking a detailed account of his service. He stated that he was thinking of writing a book on his experience of the war and all its glories. On 15 December Henry married Elsie Kanowski.

Henry travelled to Sydney in April 1938 to march with a group of Boer War and World War 1 Victoria Cross recipients who had assembled from all over Australia for the ANZAC Day March.

A prolific writer of songs and poetry, Henry also exhibited his paintings and pottery at the Brisbane Show. Many of his songs were copyrighted and published. His favourite ‘A Song of the Tableland’, where he described the area where he grew up, was released in both the UK and USA.

Like many that had been awarded the Victoria Cross during the First World War Henry, a War Pensioner, volunteered for service in the Second World War. Aged 47 years and 4 months he was taken into the army 14 June 1940 with the 11^th Training Battalion. Made Sergeant, he assisted in training new recruits and spoke at recruiting drives and comforts fund appeals. Henry was stationed at Goondiwindi when he became a father for the first time in 1942 when his wife Elsie gave birth to a son, David.

Henry injured his left leg in January 1943 and was admitted to hospital for treatment. In December he was offered a commission but chose instead to apply for a discharge on Christmas Eve 1943 wishing to be with Elsie while she awaited the birth of their second child. A daughter Ann was born in Toowoomba in 1944.

On 13 April 1946 while living at Ardoyne Road Oxley, Henry reported that he had lost his discharge papers from the Second AIF and requested a duplicate. Later in the year his youngest son Frank was born. In 1952 he was saddened by the death of his 86 year old mother.

In 1956, Henry sailed to London on SS Arcadia with 34 other Australian VC’s. They disembarked 19 June 1956 at Tilbury Docks to attend the Victoria Cross Centenary Celebrations in London. Before he returned home Henry re-visited Hamel and placed a wreath on the Cenotaph on 4 July, 38 years to the day from when he had won his Victoria Cross there. He found it impossible to identify the exact site of the battle in an area that was now a lush agricultural area.

Back in Brisbane in September Henry a member of the Sherwood Sub-Branch of the RSL officially opened the YMCA Camp Warrawee at Joyner on the North Pine River.

Henry and his family were still living at Oxley when he suffered a stroke. He was taken to Greenslopes Repatriation Hospital, Brisbane where he died on the 24^th July 1965 aged 72 years. Three days later he was given full military honours at his funeral which was conducted by the Dean of Brisbane (Dean Baddeley). Following the service at St Johns Cathedral, Brisbane the funeral procession, led by military motor cyclists and accompanied by a detachment of officers and men, passed the Shrine of Remembrance and the Brisbane Town Hall where the flags flew at half mast before proceeding to Mt Thompson crematorium. A firing party and bugler then participated in the service. A memorial plaque can be found on Wall 12. Section 16. No 106. at the Mt Thompson crematorium

In March 1967 the Australian Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Harold Holt announced that all living ANZACs would receive the Australian ANZAC Medallion and a lapel badge. The Medallion which was cast in bronze and depicted Simpson and his donkey carrying a wounded soldier was to be issued to the nearest living family member of a deceased ANZACs. Elsie Dalziel was issued with Henry’s Medalion.

The Officers club at the Enoggera (Brisbane) Army Barracks is named “The Henry Dalziel VC Club”. The army barracks at Enoggera and Singleton (New South Wales) both have roads named after Henry, as does the Brisbane suburb of Nundah.

On the Atherton Tablelands, the Atherton R S L Club has a display of photographs of Henry and duplicates of his medals in the ‘The Harry Dalziel VC., Memorial Bar’. This bar was opened by Keith Payne VC. In a nearby park a mounted First World War Artillery piece stands as a Memorial to Pte Henry Dalziel VC.

His medals, which are greatly sought by American collectors due to his VC being awarded for his actions on their Independence Day, are in the family’s bank vault. They are the Victoria Cross., 1914/15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal, Australian War Medal 1939/45, Australian Service Medal, King George V1 Coronation Medal, Queen Elizabeth 11 Coronation Medal.

On 28 August 2003 The Hon Danna Vale, MP, Australian Minister for Veteran Affairs opened the Henry Dalziel VC Dialysis Centre in Greenslopes Private Hospital, Brisbane.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

My thanks to Ann Salisbury, (Henry’s daughter) Lisa M^c Mahon, (Henry’s Grandaughter) and Mr Tony Derksen, the Director of the Loudoun House Museum, Irvinebank for their assistance while researching and writing this story.

harrywilley@hunterlink.net.au

P.O. Box 551

SCONE 2337