Nelson Victor Carter

Nelson Victor Carter VC (6 April 1887 – 30 June 1916) 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.

Carter was born on 6 April 1887 to Richard Carter, of Hailsham; husband of Kathleen Carter, of 33 Greys Road, Old Town, Eastbourne. His date of birth is often stated as the ninth, but his birth certificate states the sixth.^[1]

He was 29 years old, and a

For most conspicuous bravery. During an attack he was in command of the fourth wave of the assault. Under intense shell and machine gun fire he penetrated, with a few men, into the enemy's second line and inflicted heavy casualties with bombs. When forced to retire to the enemy's first line, he captured a machine gun and shot the gunner with his revolver. Finally, after carrying several wounded men into safety, he was himself mortally wounded and died in a few minutes. His conduct throughout the day was magnificent.[2]

He was buried in the Royal Irish Rifles Churchyard, Laventie, France in Plot VI. Row C. Grave 17. His Victoria Cross is at the Eastbourne Redoubt Museum, Royal Parade, Eastbourne, East Sussex. A blue plaque can be seen on the wall of his home at 33 Greys Road in Eastbourne.^[3]

References

Bibliography

• ISBN 978-0-330-49133-4
  .
• Monuments to Courage
  (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• Burial location of Nelson Carter
• News Item "Nelson Carter's Victoria Cross donated to the Royal Sussex Regiment Museum"

External links

• Redoubt Fortress Museum Archived 18 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
• Eastbourne Redoubt
• The Royal Sussex Living History Group Website - Source of much information on The Royal Sussex Regiment including The Battle of the Boar's Head