Captain William Barnsley Allen VC DSO MC & Bar, R.A.M.C.

William Barnsley Allen was born in Sheffield on 8th June 1892, and was the only son of Percy Edwin Allen and Edith Allen (nee Barnsley). He was educated at Worksop College and Sheffield University. He gained the Gold Medal for Pathology in 1913 and has also won three bronze medals; M.B., Ch.B, Kaye Scholarship and Second Class Honours.

He joined the Army on 8th August 1914 being gazetted Lieutenant on that date and was promoted Captain on 1st April 1915 (T.F.). In May 1916 at Gainsborough he married Mary Young (“Mollie”), younger daughter of W. Y. Mercer, Esq., of Gainsborough.

In August of that year he gained the Military Cross. Near Mesnil, Somme, France, on 3rd September, 1916, his splendid behaviour under fire in the circumstances mentioned below gained him the Victoria Cross (London Gazette, 26th October, 1916):

“For conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty.

When gun detachments were unloading high explosive ammunition from wagons which had just come up, the enemy suddenly began to shell the battery position. The first shell fell on one of the limbers, exploded the ammunition and caused several casualties.

Captain Allen saw the occurrence and at once, with utter disregard of danger, ran across the open, under heavy shell fire, commenced dressing the wounded and undoubtedly by his promptness saved many of them from bleeding to death.
He himself was hit four times during the first hour by pieces of shell, one of which fractured two of his ribs, but he never even mentioned this at the time, and coolly went on with his work until the last man was dressed and safely removed.

He then went over to another battery and tended a wounded officer. It was only when this was done that he returned to his dug-out and reported his own injury.”

In July, 1917, he was awarded the Bar to the Military Cross and was invalided to England on 22nd July. On 4th January 1918, he was made acting Major. On 17th October 1918, he was wounded for the third time and invalided for the second time to England, and awarded the D.S.O. on this date. He served in France three years and two months; was transferred to Regular R.A.M.C., and dated back to Captain on 8th February, 1918, which rank he held to the conclusion of the war.

He died on 27th October 1933 at Bracklesham, Near Chichester, Sussex and is buried at Earnley Parish Church, Sussex.

His last resting place in the shadow of Earnley Parish Church.

Earnley Parish Church with Captain Allen's grave in the foreground.

For more info : Earnley Parish Church at Looking at Sussex Churches

& William Barnsley Allen.

Lieutenant Leonard George Prentice Errey, DSO,MC, 8th Battalion, AIF.

Leonard George Prentice Errey, enlisted on 16th August 1914, as a private aged 22. In civilian life he had been a carpenter living in Campertown, Victoria. He is listed as being a member of the Campertown Rifle Club.

He received the Military Cross in April 1917, the citation reads:

“During the operations in front of Queant and Phonville, 19th April 1917, 2nd Lieut ERREY’S work was of an extremely courageous and useful nature. His duties included patrolling no man’s land in front of his Company sector. In this he showed great courage and initiative. He went through the enemy’s wire and gained valuable information at great personal risk. On the night of 10th April 1917 he encountered an enemy patrol of 56 strong. His party was only 8 strong and the enemy endeavoured to surround him. Not withstanding this he gave them fight and succeeded in driving them off with bombs and rifle fire. He handled his men with great skill and got back without a casualty, the enemy leaving 4 dead on the field. Lieut. ERREY is a young officer who has been with the Battalion since shortly after its inception and is a splendid leader and absolutely fearless.”

Ron Austin in ‘Cobbers in Khaki’ writes about the incident:

“On the night of 19th April 1917 a patrol led by 2nd Lt George Errey came upon a German patrol of about 30 men. The 2 patrols engaged each other with rifle fire and within a few minutes the Germans withdrew from the encounter leaving behind 4 dead comrades."

Later that year in September, He was recommended for the Victoria Cross, although it was turned down, he received the Distinguished Service Order in its place for his audacious work: The citation for the Victoria Cross reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry during the attack on Polygon Wood on the 20th September 1917, after the third objective had been gained, the consolidation was greatly interfered with by heavy Machine Gun fire from an enemy strong point which caused many casualties and was beginning to disorganise our line. Lieut. ERREY with four men, in the face of very heavy Machine Gun fire rushed through our own barrage and attacked and captured the strong point together with 5 officers, 60 other ranks and 2 Machine Guns. This officer’s most conspicuous bravery, determination and prompt action undoubtedly saved many lives and altered the situation at a critical moment enabling the line to be firmly established.”

But on the 3rd Oct, the eve of the attack, Lieutenant Errey who was now the Battalion intelligence officer and his men laid out the white marker tape on the ground. At 5.30 the enemy shelled the rear trenches, the shelling took its toll with 3 officers being killed, Captains Rudolph Kirsch, and John Davidson and Lieutenant Errey.

He died of wounds received, aged 25 and is buried Menin Road South Military Cemetery, Belgium.