Arnold Loosemore
Arnold Loosemore | |
---|---|
The Duke of Wellington's Regiment | |
Battles/wars | World War I |
Awards | Victoria Cross Distinguished Conduct Medal |
Arnold Loosemore VC DCM (7 June 1896 – 10 April 1924) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Details
One of seven sons of a Sheffield gardener, Arnold Loosemore enlisted in the Army on 2 January 1915 aged 18 years and 7 months. Posted to the
Victoria Cross
On 11 August 1917 south of
Distinguished Conduct Medal
On 19 June 1918 at Zillebeke, Belgium when out with a fighting patrol he displayed conspicuous gallantry and powers of leadership when his officer was wounded and the platoon scattered by hostile bombs. He rallied the men and brought them back in order with all the wounded to friendly lines. On a subsequent occasion he handled his platoon with great skill and a complete disregard of his own danger under heavy machine gun fire. It was owing to his determination and powers of leadership that the platoon eventually captured the enemy post which they were attacking.[2]
Later life
In August 1917 he was promoted to corporal by his commanding officer for gallantry in the field and in May 1918 was promoted to the rank of sergeant. On 13 October 1918 he was badly wounded by machine gun fire near Villiers-en-Cauchies in France and eventually had his left leg amputated above the knee. His health undermined by war wounds and unable to work, he died on 10 April 1924 from tuberculosis leaving a wife and small son. His wife Amy was refused a War Widows pension from the Government because he died after the war and she knew he was ill when she married him. Almost destitute; his wife had to have him buried in an existing grave with three others in order to save money.
Legacy
His Victoria Cross and Distinguished Conduct Medals were sold in 1969 to an Australian collector. In July 2023 the medals were sold again for £220,000.[3] In the early 1980s a street in the S12 area of Sheffield was named Loosemore Drive by the Lord Mayor. Soon afterwards a memorial plaque to mark this event was removed due to repeated vandalism. This missing plaque was replaced in December 2014 by a new bronze plaque.
That Arnold Loosemore's widow was refused a War Widows pension by the Government was highlighted in November 2014 by Channel 4 TV in a programme called 'WW1's Forgotten Heroes'.
References
- ^ "No. 30284". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 September 1917. p. 9533.
- ^ "No. 30932". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 October 1918. p. 11674.
- ^ "Sheffield soldier's WWI medals including Victoria Cross sell for £220k". BBC News. 26 July 2023.
Sources
- Snelling, Stephen (2012) [1998]. Passchendaele 1917. ISBN 978-0752476667.
External links
- The Chris Hobbs Site
- "Arnold Loosemore". Find a Grave. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
- Arnold Loosemore: Victoria Cross Hero Archived 22 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine