Remembrance Events Bravest of the Brave
Bravest of the Brave Exhibition
The Semaphore & Port Adelaide RSL Sub-Branch together with History SA and Veteran SA are Proud to Present the “Bravest of the Brave” Exhibition on display at the Semaphore & Port Adelaide Sub-Branch from 8th November through to the 14th January
The “Bravest of the Brave” tells the moving stories of the eight South Australians who were awarded the Victoria Cross in the First World War. The eight men selected were either born or educated in South Australia; some enlisted here, while others lived here either before or after the war. The “Bravest of the Brave” are: Arthur Blackburn, Phillip Davey, Roy Inwood, Jørgen Jensen, John Leak, Arthur Sullivan, Lawrence Weathers and James Park Woods.
As well as the moving stories of the “Bravest of the Brave”, on display will be the framed citations and replica sets of medals, including the VCs belonging to the 8 men.
Bravest of the Brave exhibition was designed by Adelaide-based Arketype and is the first of many projects that are being prepared worldwide to commemorate the centenary of the First World War in 2014.
The exhibition was First launched at Torrens Parade Ground on Friday 20 April 2012 by the Hon Jack Snelling MP, State Government Treasurer and Minister for Veterans' Affairs.
Arthur Blackburn
"matters looked anything but cheerful ... but [he] lost neither his heart nor his head"
Lieutenant Arthur Seaforth Blackburn VC
Date of birth: 25 November 1892
Place of birth: Woodville, SA
Date of death: 24 November 1960
Place of death: Crafers, SA
Rank: Lieutenant
Unit:
Service: Army
Conflict: First World War 1914-1918, Second World War, 1942-1945
Award: Victoria Cross,service medals for the First World War, service medals for the Second World War, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal, King George V Silver Jubilee Medal, Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)
Arthur Blackburn, a lawyer, became the first South Australian to receive the Victoria Cross. At the 1915 landing on Gallipoli, it is believed that he and another man penetrated further inland than anyone else.
At Pozières, France, Blackburn led an attack that captured nearly 400 metres of trench. His commanding officer said that "matters looked anything but cheerful ... but [he] lost neither his heart nor his head". He was invalided to Australia the following year.
During the Second World War Blackburn led the 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion in Syria. In 1942 the battalion was rushed to Java, where Blackburn was promoted to command "Black Force". Forced to surrender, he was held as a prisoner of war until 1945. Active in military, legal, and community affairs, he was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1946, and Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1955.
Blackburn was awarded the Victoria Cross, service medals for the two world wars, the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal, and long service and coronation medals for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. His honours include the CBE and CMG.
Phillip Davey
Date of birth: 10 October 1896
Place of birth: Unley, Adelaide, SA
Date of death: 21 December 1953
Place of death: Repatriation General Hospital, Springbank, SA
Rank:
Unit: 10th Battalion
Service: Army
Conflict: First World War 1914-1918
Award: Victoria Cross, Military Medal, service medals for the First World War, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Phillip Davey was born at Unley, Adelaide, and was a horse driver before enlisting in the 10th Battalion in December 1914. He was invalided home from Gallipoli, but returned to his unit in France in 1916. He was accidentally wounded in March 1917 and gassed in October. In January 1918 he won the Military Medal. Remarkably, his two brothers received the same award.
At Merris, on 28 June 1918, Davey's platoon came under heavy fire and the commander was killed. Survivors sheltered in a ditch under almost point-blank fire from a German machine-gun. Davey launched a solo attack on the enemy until forced to return for more grenades. Attacking again, he killed the crew and captured the gun, then used it to mount a successful counter-attack until he was wounded.
Davey's wounds were severe and he was sent to Britain. After the war he worked in the signals and telegraph branch of the South Australian Railways. He suffered for years with bronchitis and emphysema before his death in 1953.
Davey was awarded the Victoria Cross, the Military Medal, service medals for the First World War, and coronation medals for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.
Roy Inwood
Private Reginald Roy Inwood VC
Date of birth: 14 July 1890
Place of birth: Adelaide, SA
Date of death: 23 October 1971
Place of death: Adelaide, SA
Rank: Private
Unit: 10th Battalion
Service: Army
Conflict: First World War 1914-1918
Award: Victoria Cross, Military Medal, service medals for the First World War, service medals for the Second World War, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Roy Inwood, like many other fellow miners from Broken Hill, in far western New South Wales, enlisted in South Australia in the 10th Battalion. He served on Gallipoli before being sent to France, where his brother serving in the same battalion was killed at Pozières.
During the battle of Menin Road, near Polygon Wood, on 19-22 September 1917, Inwood attacked enemy strongpoints, capturing machine-guns and prisoners. Already a skilful scout, during the night he also went out with a patrol and gathered useful information.
In 1918 Inwood returned to Australia to help with recruiting. He served again in the Second World War.
Jørgen Jensen
Private Joergen Christian Jensen VC
Date of birth: 15 January 1891
Place of birth: Loegstoer, Denmark
Date of death: 31 May 1922
Place of death: Adelaide Hospital, SA
Rank: Private
Unit: 10th / 50th Battalion
Service: Army
Conflict: First World War 1914-1918
Award: Victoria Cross,service medals for the First World War
Joergen (Jorgan) Jensen was born in Denmark. He came to Australia as a young man and was naturalised in 1914. He enlisted in the 10th Battalion and was sent to Gallipoli in September 1915. Following the evacuation he transferred to the 50th Battalion.
In Noreuil, France, when an Australian advance was checked by a manned enemy barricade, Jensen threw in a bomb and rushed the post. He then threatened the occupants with two more bombs, having extracted the pin of one of them with his teeth, and forced their surrender. A prisoner was sent to a neighbouring enemy party to demand their surrender, but they were fired on by the Australians. Jensen stood up, ignoring the danger, and waved his helmet until the firing ceased. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his efforts, 2 April 1917.
On 5 May 1918, while on patrol near Villers-Bretonneux, Jensen was severely wounded and was eventually invalided to Australia. Still troubled by war injuries, he died in Adelaide in 1922.
John Leak
Private John Leak VC
Date of birth: Probably in 1892
Place of birth: Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Date of death: Redwood Park, SA
Place of death: 20 October 1972
Rank: Private
Unit: 9th Battalion
Service: Army
Conflict: First World War, 1914-1918
Award: Victoria Cross
English-born John Leak came to Australia as a boy and in January 1915 enlisted in the 9th Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF. He served on Gallipoli and next year accompanied his unit to France, in time to be thrown into the bloody fighting at Pozières. In a battle notorious for its scale and intensity, Leak's solo attack with bombs and bayonet on a German post stood out. In a further action on 21 August he was wounded.
Few came out of Pozières without physical or mental scars and this brave soldier was no exception, yet he served on only to be severely gassed in March 1918. After a few jobs, Leak became a garage proprietor in Western Australia, before retiring to South Australia, where he died.
Arthur Sullivan
"a splendid example of heroism, as all ranks were on the point of exhaustion and the enemy less than 100 yards distant"
Corporal Arthur Percy Sullivan VC
Date of birth: 27 November 1896
Place of birth: Prospect, Adelaide, SA
Date of death: Birdcage Walk near Wellington Barracks, London, England
Place of death: 9 April 1937
Rank: Corporal
Unit:
Service: Army
Conflict: First World War, 1914-1918
Award: Victoria Cross, service medals for the First World War, King George VI Coronation Medal
Arthur Sullivan, born at Prospect, Adelaide, was a bank officer when he enlisted in April 1918. Too late for active service in France, and determined to see action, he volunteered for the British North Russia Relief Force.
On 10 August 1919, in action against the Bolsheviks, Sullivan's unit was cut off. While fighting their way out, an officer and three men fell into a deep swamp. Without hesitation and under heavy fire, Sullivan jumped in and rescued all four. His citation described the action as "a splendid example of heroism, as all ranks were on the point of exhaustion and the enemy less than 100 yards distant".
Known as "the shy VC", Sullivan died in 1937 as a result of a fall he sustained in London while a member of the Australian contingent attending the coronation of King George VI. A plaque has been placed on the railing at Wellington Barracks, near the site of his fatal accident.
Sullivan received the Victoria Cross, service medals for the First World War and the King George VI Coronation Medal.
Carthage Weathers
Corporal Lawrence Carthage Weathers VC
Date of birth: 14 May 1890
Place of birth: Te Kopuru, near Dargaville, New Zealand
Date of death: 29 September, 1918
Place of death: Louverval, France
Rank: Corporal
Unit: 43rd Battalion, AIF
Service: Army
Conflict: First World War, 1914-1918
Award: Victoria Cross
Lawrence Weathers was born in New Zealand and came to Australia as a boy. He joined the 43rd Battalion, AIF, in 1916 and was wounded in his first major action in June the following year. In May 1918 he was badly gassed.
The act for which Weathers received the Victoria Cross took place the day after the capture of Mont St Quentin, 2 September 1918, while his battalion was clearing enemy positions north of Péronne. He showed extraordinary valour and, with his comrades, captured 180 prisoners and three machine-guns. He was mortally wounded in action four weeks later.
James Park Woods
"displayed a splendid example of valour, determination and initiative"
Private James Park Woods VC
Date of birth: 4 January 1886
Place of birth: Two Wells, SA
Date of death: 18 January 1963
Place of death: Hollywood Repatriation Hospital, Nedlands, Perth, WA
Rank: Private
Unit:
Service: Army
Conflict: First World War, 1914-1918
Award: Victoria Cross,service medals for the First World War, King George VI Coronation Medal
Jimmy Woods was born in South Australia and raised by a stepsister after his parents' death. He tried to enlist in the AIF but was rejected as too short. Eventually accepted in Western Australia in September 1916, he reached France a year later.
Woods displayed great bravery in one of his battalion's last actions of the war on 18 September 1918 near Le Verguier. With a small patrol he captured a German post, then defended it against several counter-attacks by jumping onto the parapet and throwing bombs handed to him by his companions. He "displayed a splendid example of valour, determination and initiative".
Returning to Australia, Woods took up a small vineyard and orchard in the west. Plagued by ill health from his war service, he died in 1963. His eldest son, Pilot Officer Gordon Woods, was killed in flight training with the RAAF in 1943 and is commemorated on the Memorial's Roll of Honour.
Woods received the Victoria Cross, service medals for the First World War and coronation medals for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.
Bravest of the Brave Exhibition Hours
