Australian Victoria Cross Recipient
Lieutenant Alfred Edward Gaby
Unit
28th Battalion
Born
25 January 1892 at Springfield, Tasmania
Date of action
8 August 1918
Place
Near Villers-Bretonneux, France
Details
Gaby, in command of a company, moved with his unit to the east of Villers-Bretonneux towards Card Copse, where unbroken wire entanglements were encountered. Heavy fire from Germans covering a gap in the wire pinned down the Australians. Gaby found a gap in the wire and, single-handedly, approached an enemy strong point while machine gun and rifle fire poured from it. He ran along the parapet, emptied his revolver into the garrison, drove the crews from their machine guns and forced fifty of the enemy to surrender. This resulted in the capture of four machine guns. He then reorganised his company and consolidated the objective. Three days later he was killed instantly by sniper fire.
Died
11 (?) August 1918
Buried or Commemorated
Heath Cemetery, Harbonnieres, France
Current location of the VC
Tasmanian Museum, Hobart