Medal entitlement of Corporal Samuel Meekosha - 6th Bn, West Yorkshire Regiment

• Victoria Cross
• 1914 - 15 Star
• British War Medal ( 1914-20 )
• Victory Medal ( 1914-19 )
• Defence Medal ( 1939-45 )
• War Medal ( 1939-45 )
• King George VI Coronation Medal ( 1937 )

Samuel Meekosha was born in Yorkshire on 16 September 1893 to a Russian father, Alexander Meekosha and English mother, Mary Cunningham. He joined the West Yorkshire Regiment ( Territorial Force ), and it was whilst serving with the 1/6th Battalion that he won his Victoria Cross.

[ London Gazette, 22 January 1916 ]. Near the Yser Canal, France, 19 November 1915, Corporal Samuel Meekosha, 6th Bn, West Yorkshire Regiment.

For most conspicuous bravery near Yser, Corporal Samuel Meekosha was with a platoon of about twenty non-commissioned officers and men, who were holding an isolated trench.

During a very heavy bombardment by the enemy, six of the platoon were killed and seven wounded, while all the remainder were buried. When the senior non-commissioned officers had been either killed or wounded, Corporal Meekosha at once took command, sent a runner for assistance, and in spite of no less than ten more big shells falling within twenty yards of him, continued to dig out the wounded and buried men in full view of the enemy and at close range from the German trenches.

By his promptness and magnificant courage and determination he saved at least four lives.

Samuel Meekosha was invested with his Victoria Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 4th March 1916.

( Privates Johnson, Sayers and Willkinson, of the same battalion, received the DCM for assisting him ).

Meekosha, a very private and modest man, found himself instantly recognised when he joined the Royal Ordnance Corps upon the outbreak of World War II. The fact that Britain was again at war with Germany led to a huge resurgence in praise from strangers. Determined to avoid the limelight, he changed his name by deed pole to Ingham, taken from his mother's previous name Cunningham.

He died on 8 Deember 1950, aged 57, at his home in Oakdale, Monmouthshire ( now Gwent ) and was cremated at the Glyntaff Crematorium, Pontypridd, where his ashes were removed by his family. There is no memorial.