Sgt Harold John Colley V.C. M.M.

Birth: May. 26, 1894
Death: Aug. 25, 1918

WWI recipient of the Victoria Cross, the United Kingdom’s highest award for valor. Sergeant, 10th Bttn., Lancashire Fusiliers. Native of Smethwick, near Birmingham. Colley was awarded his V.C. for action at Martinpuich, France, between Albert and Bapaume, August 25, 1918. From his citation: "For most conspicuous bravery and initiative when in command of a platoon in support of forward platoons which had been ordered to hold on at all costs. When the enemy counter-attacked in force, he rushed forward on his own initiative to help the forward line, rallying and controlling the men holding it. The enemy by this time were advancing quickly, and had already obtained a footing in the trench. Serjt. Colley then formed a defensive flank and held it. Out of the two platoons only three men remained unwounded, and he himself was dangerously wounded. It was entirely due to Serjt. Colley's action that the enemy were prevented from breaking through, and were eventually driven off. His courage and tenacity saved a very critical situation." Colley died of his wounds later the same day. His V.C. medal is on display at the Lancashire Fusiliers Museum, Wellington Barracks, Bury, Lancashire. (bio by: Paul F. Wilson)
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Burial:
Mailly Wood (CWGC) Cemetery
Mailly-Maillet
Somme, France
Plot: II.Q.4.

Documents From Zimbabwe

40684 Private (acting Sergeant) Harold John Colley V.C., M.M., M.I.D.

10th Battalion XXth The Lancashire Fusilier

My brother spent most of his life after the Second World War in Africa. His in-laws
lived in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; Doctor Norman King and his wife Helen. They were born around the turn of the century Norman in Manchester and Helen in Newbury. Norman qualified as a doctor at St Barts, London and went on to do his housemanship at Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham where he met young Helen Hayward a Ward Sister and they married. Some years later they moved to South Africa and seizing on the chance of a locum position in Rhodesia they moved there and put down their roots. About twenty years ago Norman died. Helen followed several years later.
When their affairs were being sorted a batch of papers were found all relating to the deeds of a brave young Lancashire Fusilier, Harold John Colley who went on to win the highest of all decorations during the Great World War. Extensive enquiries have been made throughout the family but no answer can be found as to why or how details of this soldiers gallant deeds turned up in Africa?

Harold John Colley was born in Birmingham on 26 May 1894 the son of John a Pattern Maker and Arma his wife. He lived at 64 Winston Street West Birmingham with three older sisters. When the Great War started Harold answered the call to arms and joined the newly formed Army Cyclist Corps. The cyclists were attached to various regiments as high speed "cavalry" to sweep the roads ahead of foot soldiers on the move. They usually operated in small groups and were armed with Lewis guns. This role did not last and the Cyclists soon became trench bound amoungst the wire and machine guns in the morass of Flanders. It was not long before Private Colley displayed his bravery and was mentioned in Dispatches as the first of the documents signed by another brave, distinquished man Winston S. Churchill which was recovered from Zimbabwe shows;

Shortly after this Private Colley must have transfered to the Lancashire Fusiliers and the documents start to show a change of regimental number from 5615 to 40684. A commendation from the G.O.C. 17th Division in the second document clearly shows he was now in the Lancashire Fusiliers

Note; The abbreviation T.M. means the dreaded trench mortar.

The third and fourth documents deals with actions that took place when the Germans attacked in the North and on the Aisne

At 2.30 am on 4th June 1918, the Germans opened a furious bombardment with guns and trench mortars against the front of the 52nd Infantry Brigade south of Baumont Hamel. The Brunt was borne by the 10th Battalion XXth The Lancashire Fusiliers (Lt Col R.E. Cotton) and 7th Yorkshire Regiment. At 2.40am the barrage lifted to the support lines and, closely following it, parties of Germans who had used old trenches crossing No Man's Land broke into the Battalion's trenches on a frontage of several hundred yards, overcoming the garrison on the left. On the right they were met with vigorous Lewis gun fire; and Lance Corporal H.J. Colley with two men bombed along the trench and succeeded in ejecting the intruders at 2.50am. A good many casualties were inflicted on the enemy but the Battalion lost an officer and 12 men killed,21 men wounded and 2 officers and 13 other ranks missing. For this action Lance Corporal H.J. Colley was awarded the Military Medal.

10th Battalion XXth The Lancashire Fusiliers on the march 21st December 1917

The fifth document relates to Sergeant H.J.Colley's courage and tenacity which saved a very critical situation and won for him a posthumous Victoria Cross

Together with the Citation was photograph showing this brave young man with his medal which he obviously never saw and a note from the King expressing his regret at being unable to present it

The last Zimbawe document is an extract from an article in the Birmingham Gazette relating to a visit by the Prince of Wales to Smethwick in June 1925. Perhaps here in lies the clue as to how the papers finished up in Africa? Doctor King and Sister Helen were probably much involved in treating disabled war veterans and possible Harold's parents found a little consolation for their loss by voluntary work in the Dudly Road hospital.....we will never know?

Maurice Taylor
29th March 2006

Pvt Frank Lester V.C.

Birth: Feb. 18, 1896
Death: Oct. 12, 1918

WWI recipient of the Victoria Cross, the United Kingdom’s highest award for valor. Private, 10th Bttn., Lancashire Fusiliers. Born in the Huyton area of Liverpool, he grew up in Hoylake where he was a member of the Hoylake Boys Brigade and also played the organ for the local congregation at the Methodist “Tin Chapel.” When he finished school, he trained as a joiner until his family moved to Millers Hay in Irby, North East Lincolnshire. There he worked in the family market garden business. Lester was awarded his V.C. for action at Neuvilly, France, October 12, 1918. From his citation: "For most conspicuous bravery and self-sacrifice during the clearing of the village of Neuvilly, on 12th October, 1918, when, with a party of about seven men under an officer, he was the first to enter a house from the back door, and shot 2 Germans as they attempted to get out by the front door. A minute later a fall of masonry blocked the door by which the party had entered. The only exit into the street was under fire at point-blank range. The street was also swept by fire of machine guns at close range. Observing that an enemy sniper was causing heavy casualties to a party in a house across the street, Pte. Lester exclaimed, “I'll settle him,” and, dashing out into the street, shot the sniper at close quarters, falling mortally wounded at the same instant. This gallant man well knew it was certain death to go into the street, and the party opposite was faced with the alternative of crossing the fire-swept street or staying where it was and being shot one by one. To save their lives he sacrificed his own." (bio by: Paul F. Wilson)
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Burial:
Neuvilly Communal Cemetery Extension
Neuvilly
Nord, France
Plot: B.15.

"Presented by Lawrence Brown. This Officers Note book contains details of the actual attack on the village of Neuvilly the day Frank Lester won his VC. there."

From the Liverpool Daily Post
A CROSS which marked the grave of a war hero who died in the Great War has been returned to Merseyside.

Wirral Council bought the wooden memorial to Frank Lester who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross after he was killed in action in France.

It will go on display in Wirral Museum alongside a photograph of his mother with the medal she received from King George V in her dead son's place.

Frank was awarded the VC after sacrificing his life for his comrades in a French village a month before the Armistice was signed in November, 1918.

His mother was photographed at her Irby home after returning from Buckingham Palace.

Local historian Denis Rose donated the photograph to the borough after Wirral Council purchased the original wooden cross placed on Frank's grave in Neuvilly, Le Cateau, where he fell.

The council did not have enough money to buy the VC which was auctioned for £78,000 at the same sale. Mr Rose, 77, who handed over the picture to Mayor Patricia Williams, said: " People don't realise that the VC is the highest honour that a country can bestow.

"King George said it all in his letter to the Lesters when he described it as the 'greatest of all rewards fo r valour and devotion to duty'."

Corporal Frank Lester was born in Huyton and his family moved to Hoylake, Wirral, when he was a baby in the late 1890s.

He enlisted in the Army and was drafted to France in December, 1917, as a member of the 10th Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers.

On October 12, 1918, he was part of a team clearing the village of Neuvilly after the Allies finally overhauled the Hindenburg Line.

Frank entered a house and shot two German soldiers, but falling masonry blocked the group's exit. The only way out was being peppered by an enemy sniper.

Dashing out into the street, Frank, 22, shot the sniper but was killed by return fire.

His citation for the VC said: "To save their lives, he sacrificed his own."

The remaining members of the Lester family decided to put the medal and cross up for sale in April.

Frank Lester's nephew Frank Wilson, 68, said: "The family were all very proud of him but it had got to the stage where the medal had become a liability.

"When you talk of the value involved, we couldn't afford to insure it and if you put it in a bank vault you don't see it so what's the point in keeping it.

"Reluctantly, we decided to sell it."

Wirral Council bought the cross for £1,000 at London auction house Morton and Eden.

Both the picture and cross will go on display in the heroes' gallery of the museum in Birkenhead Town Hall this autumn.

Acting principal museums officer Colin Simpson said: "The museum has only been open a year and is now increasingly the focus of our local history collections.

"The cross is sort of a personal contact with Frank Lester himself.

"We are aware of the interest in a variety of service people like Frank Lester.

"I think collections like this are and should be part of the local community because we reflect the history of the society we live in."