Australian Victoria Cross Recipient
Private Arthur Stanley Gurney
Unit
2/48th Battalion
Born
15 December 1908 at Day Dawn, Western Australia
Date of action
22 July 1942
Place
Tel el Eisa, Egypt
Details
During an attack Gurney’s company was held up by machine-gun fire from posts 100 metres in front, and all the officers were killed or wounded. Gurney, without hesitation, charged the nearest machine-gun post, bayoneted three men and silenced the post. He continued on to the second post, bayoneted two men and sent a third out as prisoner. Stick grenades were thrown at him and he was knocked to the ground, but he got up and charged the third post. Gurney disappeared from view and later his body was found in an enemy post.
Died
22 July 1942
Buried or Commemorated
El Alamein War Cemetery, Egypt
Current location of the VC
Australian War Memorial