Australian Victoria Cross Recipient
Private John (Patrick) Hamilton
Unit
3rd Battalion
Born
24 January 1896 at Orange, New South Wales
Date of action
9 August 1915
Place
Lone Pine trenches, Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey
Details
The Turks had launched a violent general attack extending along much of the front. The northern part of the assault was directed at the junction of the 3rd and 4th Battalions. At Sasse’s Sap the enemy forced the Australians back but were ousted by a counter-attack. Later the enemy forced the barricade and streamed up the sap towards the 3rd Battalion headquarters. The adjutant of the 3rd Battalion instructed several men to get out on the parapet and attack the Turks in the trench and those coming across open ground. Hamilton, under the cover of a few sandbags, lay out in the open shouting to those in the trenches where best to land their bombs while he kept up constant sniping fire against the Turkish bomb throwers. His example had much to do with the enemy being driven off during this attack.
Died
27 February 1961
Buried or Commemorated
Woronora Cemetery, Sydney
Current location of the VC
Australian War Memorial