Australian Victoria Cross Recipient
Lance Corporal Thomas Leslie Axford
Unit
16th Battalion
Born
18 June 1894 at Carrieton, South Australia
Date of action
4 July 1918
Place
Vaire and Hamel Woods, France
Details
Axford’s battalion was in the centre of the 4th Brigade’s assault and its task was to clear Vaire and Hamel Woods. As the Australians advanced up a slope they encountered heavy fire from the German front line. The adjoining platoon to Axford’s was delayed by the uncut wire, suffering many casualties. Axford rushed in from the flank to assist. He jumped into the enemy trench and bombed and bayoneted the machine-gun crews, killing ten enemy and taking six prisoners. He threw the machine guns over the parapet and called the delayed platoon forward before he returned to his own platoon with which he fought for the remainder of the operation. He had previously helped lay out the assault line tapes which were within 10 metres of the enemy.
Died
11 October 1983, Perth
Buried or Commemorated
Karrakatta Crematorium, Perth, Western Australia
Current location of the VC
Australian War Memorial