Albert Mountain
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Albert Mountain (VC, Croix de Guerre and Medaille Militaire (France)) (19 April 1895 - 7 January 1967) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
He was 22 years old, and a sergeant in the 15/17th Battalion, The West Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Own), British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 26 March 1918 at Hamelincourt, France, when the situation was critical, Sergeant Mountain with a party of 10 men attacked an advance enemy patrol of about 200 strong with a Lewis gun, killing half of them. The sergeant then rallied his men in the face of overwhelming numbers of the main body of the enemy, to cover the retirement of the rest of the company - this party of one NCO and four men held at bay 600 of the enemy for half an hour. Sergeant Mountain later took command of the flank post of the battalion, holding on for 27 hours until finally surrounded.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Prince of Wales Own Regiment of Yorkshire Museum (York, East Yorkshire, England).
[edit] References
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
- VCs of the First World War - Spring Offensive 1918 (Gerald Gliddon, 1997)
[edit] External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (West Yorkshire)
