Australian Victoria Cross Recipient
Corporal Phillip Davey
Unit
10th Battalion
Born
10 October 1896 at Goodwood, South Australia
Date of action
28 June 1918
Place
Merris, France
Details
During an attack Davey’s platoon came under heavy fire and the commander was killed. Survivors were forced to shelter in a ditch under almost point-blank fire from a German machine gun. Davey then single-handedly attacked the enemy gun with grenades, putting half the crew out of action. Running out of grenades, he returned to his own position for more. In his next attack he killed the remainder of the crew, which had been reinforced and numbered eight, and captured the gun. He then mounted the captured gun in a new position and, until he was wounded, efficiently used it to repel a determined counter-attack.
Died
21 December 1953
Buried or Commemorated
AIF Cemetery, West Terrace, Adelaide
Current location of the VC
Australian War Memorial