THE VICTORIA CROSS AWARDED TO SERGEANT ALBERT GILL, 1ST BN, KING'S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS HAS BEEN SOLD AT AUCTION BY DIX, NOONAN, WEBB.
29 March 2000

The Victoria Cross and campaign medals awarded to Sergeant Albert Gill were sold at auction on 29 March 2000 by the auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb for a hammer price of £60,000. The VC group was purchased on behalf of the Michael Ashcroft Trust, the holding institution for Lord Ashcroft's VC Collection.


( select to enlarge )		 Medal entitlement of Sergeant Albert Gill,
1st Bn, King's Royal Rifle Corps

  • Victoria Cross
  • 1914-15 Star
  • British War Medal ( 1914-20 )
  • Victory Medal ( 1914-19 )

By 25th July 1916 the British had abandoned their series of attacks to capture High Wood which they were not to achieve until mid September. However, the next day brought them the prize of the capture of Pozieres village which the Germans had been loathe to let go. On the 28th the British were to finally capture the village of Longueval and the adjacent Delville Wood. This was not achieved without heavy fighting and the winning of another posthumous award of the Victoria Cross this time to Sergeant Albert Gill.

[ London Gazette, 26 October 1916 ], Delville Wood, France, 27 July 1916, Sergeant Albert Gill, 1st Bn, King's Royal Rifle Corps.

For most conspicuous bravery ( Delville Wood, France ).

The enemy made a very strong counter-attack on the right flank of the battalion, and rushed the bombing post after killing all the company bombers. Serjeant Gill at once rallied the remnants of his platoon, none of whom were skilled bombers, and reorganised his defences, a most difficult and dangerous task, the trench being very shallow and much damaged.

Soon afterwards the enemy nearly surrounded his men by creeping up through the thick undergrowth, and commenced sniping at about twenty yards range. Although it was almost certain death, Serjeant Gill stood boldly up in order to direct the fire of his men. He was killed almost at once, but not before he had shown his men where the enemy were, and thus enabled them to hold up their advance.

By his supreme devotion to duty and self-sacrifice he saved a very dangerous situation.

The widow of Albert Gill was presented with his Victoria Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace on the 29th November 1916.

Albert Gill is buried in the Delville Wood Cemetery, Albert, France.

Acquisitions

Go to VC UK flag Home Page

Iain Stewart, 29 March 2000