France 1918: Hindenburg Line

Montbrehain, Calvaire Cemetery

Captured the lot – the last VC in WWI

Throughout 5 October the Germans fought hard for Montbrehain. Typical of the action was the advance of Captain George Pollington’s company of the 24th Battalion. They were held up in front of the village by a German strong point and had to seek shelter from the heavy machine-gun fire. Everyone who showed himself was picked off. Company Sergeant Major George Cumming, who had been with the battalion since 1915, died trying to lead a charge. Then Sergeant David Witherden, another 1915 man, dashed forward with his Lewis machine gun to within metres of the enemy and opened up. This brave action was followed up by Pollington himself on one flank and a young, recently commissioned officer, Lieutenant George Ingram. This rush captured forty Germans and six machine guns. However, intense fire from other positions on the village brought Pollington’s men to ground once again behind a sheltering bank.

A trench beside a road at Montbrehain containing the bodies of German machine gunners, France, October 1918. [AWM E03834]

Captain George Hubert Wilkins, Australian Official Photographer, (right) with Staff Sergeant Joyce (left), record the advance of Australian troops, France, October 1918. [AWM E03915]

At this point Pollington was badly wounded. The fire seemed to be coming from a house 250 metres away. The Australians hailed down a passing British tank by waving helmets in the air on top of their rifles and, as the tank passed, Ingram shouted, ‘Follow me’, and ran off behind the lumbering machine. The tank circled a big quarry lined by many Germans and Ingram jumped into it and shot several of them. More than 60 Germans from one dugout now surrendered along with 40 machine guns. But Ingram was not finished. He dashed on into the village and headed for a house from which a machine gun was firing. They found Ingram there holding up 30 Germans in a cellar having shot the machine gunner who had been firing from the cellar’s ventilator. More of the enemy were now observed bolting from a window so Ingram burst into the back of the house rushed the cellar stairs and ‘captured the lot’. As his company had lost many of their leaders in the attack Ingram now made strenuous efforts, under heavy fire, to reorganise the men and establish posts in the village. For his outstanding leadership and bravery at Montbrehain George Ingram gained the Victoria Cross, the last Australian to receive this prestigious award in World War I.

Lieutenant George Morby Ingram who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Montbrehain, France, October 1918. [AWM J03066]

Montbrehain after its capture by Australian troops, France, October 1918. [AWM E03775]