Alec George Horwood

Drew enemy fire to expose bunkers before leading an assault.

Alec George Horwood was born on 6 January 1914 in South Deptford, London. He joined the 6th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey), at Bermondsey on 3 April 1939 and was mobilised when the Second World War began.

Captured during the fighting associated with Dunkirk in 1940, Horwood escaped from German custody via Antwerp. His escape earned the Distinguished Conduct Medal. He received a commission on 28 December 1940, married Madeline Dove in 1941 and had a daughter, Catherine, in 1943.

As a lieutenant attached to the 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, he fought at Kyauchaw in Burma. Between 18 and 20 January 1944, he directed mortar fire from exposed observation posts and deliberately drew Japanese fire to identify defensive positions. He then volunteered to lead an attack and was mortally wounded at the enemy wire. His actions earned a posthumous Victoria Cross.

Official Victoria Cross citation, The London Gazette, 30 March 1944:

"At Kyauchaw on 18th January, 1944, Lieutenant Horwood accompanied the forward company of the Northamptonshire Regiment into action against a Japanese defended locality with his forward mortar observation post. Throughout that day he lay in an exposed position, which had been completely bared of cover by concentrated air bombing, and effectively shot his own mortars and those of a half troop of another unit while the company was manoeuvring to locate the exact position of the enemy bunkers and machine gun nests. During the whole of this time Lieutenant Horwood was under intense sniper, machine-gun and mortar fire, and at night he came back with most valuable information about the enemy.

On 19th January he moved forward with another company and established an observation post on a precipitous ridge. From here, while under continual fire from the enemy, he directed accurate mortar fire in support of two attacks which were put in during the day. He also carried out a personal reconnaissance along and about the bare ridge, deliberately drawing the enemy fire so that the fresh company which he had led to the position and which was to carry out an attack might see the enemy positions.

Lieutenant Horwood remained on the ridge during the night 19th-20th January and on the morning of 20th January shot the mortars again to support a fresh attack by another company put in from the rear of the enemy. He was convinced that the enemy would crack and volunteered to lead the attack planned for that afternoon. He led this attack with such calm, resolute bravery, that the enemy were reached and while standing up in the wire, directing and leading the men with complete disregard to the enemy fire which was then at point blank range, he was mortally wounded.

By his fine example of leadership on the 18th, 19th and 20th January when continually under fire, by his personal example to others of reconnoitring, guiding and bringing up ammunition in addition to his duties at the mortar observation post, all of which were carried out under great physical difficulties and in exposed positions, this officer set the highest example of bravery and devotion to duty to which all ranks responded magnificently. The cool calculated actions of this officer, coupled with his magnificent bearing and bravery which culminated in his death on the enemy wire, very largely contributed to the ultimate success of the operation which resulted in the capture of the position on the 24th January."

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records Horwood's death as 21 January 1944, aged 30. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Face 4 of the Rangoon Memorial in Myanmar. His widow received his Victoria Cross from King George VI on 4 December 1944.