In the past, while visiting the First World War battlefields, the author often wondered where the various Victoria Cross actions took place. He resolved to find out. In 1988, in the midst of his army career, research for this book commenced and over the years numerous sources have been consulted.

Victoria Crosses on the Western Front – Somme 1916 is designed for the battlefield visitor as much as the armchair reader. A thorough account of each VC action is set within the wider strategic and tactical context. Detailed sketch maps show the area today, together with the battle-lines and movements of the combatants. It will allow visitors to stand upon the spot, or very close to, where each VC was won. Photographs of the battle sites richly illustrate the accounts. There is also a comprehensive biography for each recipient covering every aspect of their lives ‘warts and all’ – parents and siblings, education, civilian employment, military career, wife and children, death and burial/commemoration. A host of other information, much of it published for the first time, reveals some fascinating characters, with numerous links to many famous people and events.

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Master Maps
• Abbreviations
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Battle of Albert (Master Maps 1 and 2)
  • 124. Maj Stewart Loudoun, 10 Yorkshire, 1 July 1916, Fricourt, France
  • 125. Sgt James Turnbull, 17 Highland Light Infantry, 1 July 1916, Authuille, France
  • 126. Pte William McFadzean, 14 Royal Irish Rifles, 1 July 1916, Thiepval Wood, France
  • 127. Capt Eric Bell, 9 Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers att’d TMB, 1 July 1916, Thiepval, France
  • 128. Lt Geoffrey Cather, 9 Royal Irish Fusiliers, 1 July 1916, Hamel, France
  • 129. Pte Robert Quigg, 12 Royal Irish Rifles, 1 July 1916, Hamel, France
  • 130. Cpl George Sanders, 1/7 West Yorkshire, 1 July 1916, Thiepval, France
  • 131. Dmr Walter Ritchie, 2 Seaforth Highlanders, 1 July 1916, Beaumont Hamel, France
  • 132. Capt John Green, RAMC att’d 1/5 Sherwood Foresters, 1 July 1916, Foncquevillers, France
  • 133. Lt Col Adrian Carton de Wiart, 4 Dragoon Guards att’d 8 Gloucestershire, 2–3 July 1916, La Boisselle, France
  • 134. Pte Thomas Turrall, 10 Worcestershire, 3 July 1916, La Boisselle, France
  • 135. 2Lt Donald Bell, 9 Yorkshire (Green Howards), 5 July 1916, La Boisselle, France
  • 136. Lt Thomas Wilkinson, 7 Loyal North Lancashire, 5 July 1916, La Boisselle, France
• Chapter 2: Bazentin Ridge and Delville Wood (Master Map 3)
  • Battle of Bazentin Ridge
    • 138. Sgt William Boulter, 6 Northamptonshire, 14 July 1916, Trônes Wood, France
  • Attacks on High Wood
    • 140. Pte Theodore Veale, 8 Devonshire, 20 July 1916, High Wood, France
  • Battle of Delville Wood
    • 137. Maj William Congreve, Rifle Brigade att’d HQ 76th Brigade, 6–20 July 1916, Longueval, France
    • 139. Pte William Faulds, 1 South African Infantry, 18 July 1916, Delville Wood, France
    • 141. Cpl Joseph Davies, 10 Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 20 July 1916, Delville Wood, France
    • 142. Pte Albert Hill, 10 Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 20 July 1916, Delville Wood, France
    • 146. Sgt Albert Gill, 1 King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 27 July 1916, Delville Wood, France
    • 148. CSM George Evans, 18 Manchester, 30 July 1916, Guillemont, France
    • 151. 2Lt Gabriel Coury, 1/4 South Lancashire, 8 August 1916, near Arrow Head Copse, Guillemont, France
    • 152. Capt Noel Chavasse, RAMC att’d 1/10 King’s (Liverpool), 9 August 1916, Guillemont, France
• Chapter 3: Battle of Pozières Ridge (Master Maps 2 and 3)
  • 143. 2Lt Arthur Blackburn, 10 Battalion, AIF, 23 July 1916, Pozières, France
  • 144. Pte John Leak, 9 Battalion, AIF, 23 July 1916, Pozières, France
  • 145. Pte Thomas Cooke, 8 Battalion, AIF, 24–25 July 1916, Pozières, France
  • 147. Sgt Claude Castleton, 5 Machine Gun Company AIF, 28–29 July 1916, Pozières, France
  • 149. Pte James Miller, 7 King’s Own (Royal Lancaster), 30–31 July 1916, Bazentin-le-Petit, France
  • 150. Pte William Short, 8 Green Howards, 6 August 1916, Munster Alley, France
  • 153. Pte Martin O’Meara, 16 Battalion, AIF, 9–12 August 1916, Pozières, France
  • 154. Capt William Allen, 1/3 Field Ambulance, RAMC att’d 246, 3 September 1916, near Mesnil, France
  • 158. Cpl Leo Clarke, 2 Battalion, CEF, 9 September 1916, Pozières, France
• Chapter 4: Guillemont and Flers-Courcelette (Master Maps 2 and 3)
  • Battle of Guillemont
    • 155. Lt John Holland, 7 Leinster, 3 September 1916, Guillemont, France
    • 156. Pte Thomas Hughes, 6 Connaught Rangers, 3 September 1916, Guillemont, France
    • 157. Sgt David Jones, 12 King’s (Liverpool), 3 September 1916, Guillemont, France
  • Battle of Flers-Courcelette
    • 159. Lt Col John Campbell, 3 Coldstream Guards, 15 September 1916, Ginchy, France
    • 160. LSgt Frederick McNess, 1 Scots Guards, 15 September 1916, Ginchy, France
    • 161. Sgt Donald Brown, 2 Otago, NZEF, 15 September 1916, High Wood, France
    • 162. Pte John Kerr, 49 Battalion (Edmonton), CEF, 16 September 1916, Courcelette, France
• Chapter 5: Morval and Thiepval Ridge (Master Maps 2 and 3)
  • Battle of Morval
    • 163. Pte Thomas Jones, 1 Cheshire, 25 September 1916, Morval, France
  • Battle of Thiepval Ridge
    • 164. Pte Frederick Edwards, 12 Middlesex, 26 September 1916, Thiepval, France
    • 165. Pte Robert Ryder, 12 Middlesex, 26 September 1916, Thiepval, France
    • 166. Capt Archie White, 6 Green Howards, 27 September & 1 October 1916 Stuff Redoubt, near Thiepval, France
    • 167. 2Lt Tom Adlam, 7 Bedfordshire, 27–28 September 1916, Thiepval, France
• Chapter 6: Transloy Ridges and the Ancre (Master Maps 1 and 3)
  • Battle of the Transloy Ridges and Subsequent Operations
    • 168. Lt Col Roland Bradford, 9 Durham Light Infantry, 1 October 1916, Eaucourt l’Abbaye, France
    • 169. 2Lt Henry Kelly, 10 Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding), 4 October 1916, Le Sars, France
    • 171. Sgt Robert Downie, 2 Royal Dublin Fusiliers, 23 October 1916, east of Les Boeufs, France
  • Battle of the Ancre Heights
    • 170. Ppr James Richardson, 16 Battalion (Canadian Scottish), CEF, 8 October 1916, Regina Trench, Courcelette, France
  • Capture of Dewdrop & Boritska Trenches
    • 172. Lt Eugene Bennett, 2 Worcestershire, 5 November 1916, near Le Transloy, France
  • Battle of the Ancre 1916
    • 173. Lt Col Bernard Freyberg, West Surrey att’d Hood Battalion, RND, 13 November 1916, Beaucourt sur Ancre, France
    • 174. Pte John Cunningham, 12 East Yorkshire, 13 November 1916, opposite Hébuterne Sector, France
• Biographies