Alfred Edward Gaby

Three days separated Alfred Edward Gaby's greatest act of courage from his death. On 8 August 1918, the young Australian officer charged an enemy strongpoint almost alone, captured four machine guns and forced 50 German soldiers to surrender. On 11 August, still leading his men under fire, he was killed by a sniper. Lieutenant Alfred Edward Gaby VC had lived only 26 years, but his actions during the Battle of Amiens secured his place among Australia's most remarkable Victoria Cross recipients of the First World War.

Alfred Edward Gaby was born on 25 January 1892 at Springfield near Ringarooma, Tasmania. Raised in a family with a strong military tradition, he attended Jetsonville and Scottsdale state schools and worked on the family farm before moving to Western Australia, where he became a farm labourer. Before the First World War he served for three years with the 12th Infantry Regiment militia. His path into the Australian Imperial Force was not straightforward. Gaby was rejected twice because of an inguinal hernia, underwent corrective surgery, and was finally accepted for service on 6 January 1916. He sailed for overseas service that year and joined the 28th Australian Infantry Battalion in France in August.

His previous militia experience quickly became apparent. Gaby rose from private to sergeant and was selected for officer training. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1917 and promoted to lieutenant in September of that year. He served through the brutal fighting of the Third Battle of Ypres, including Polygon Wood and Passchendaele. In October 1917 he was badly affected by gas and evacuated to England for treatment, but by April 1918 he had recovered sufficiently to return to France and rejoin the 28th Battalion.

His defining moment came on 8 August 1918, the opening day of the Battle of Amiens. East of Villers-Bretonneux, Gaby's company encountered intact barbed wire covered by German machine guns and rifles. The advance was stopped. Rather than remain pinned down, Gaby found another gap and went forward alone toward the enemy strongpoint. Under continuing fire, he reached the position, ran along the parapet at point-blank range and used his revolver against the defenders. His attack drove the machine-gun crews from their weapons and forced 50 enemy soldiers to surrender with four machine guns. Gaby then reorganised his men, resumed the advance and led them onto their final objective, which they captured and consolidated.

It was an action of extraordinary aggression and leadership, and the official Victoria Cross citation recorded it in unmistakable terms. Published in the Supplement to The London Gazette on 30 October 1918, page 12802, the citation opened by praising Gaby's "most conspicuous bravery and dash in attack." It described how he approached the strongpoint single-handed while it was still firing, cleared its defenders, secured the prisoners and machine guns, then reorganised his company and carried the attack forward. The citation did not end with Amiens. It also recorded what happened three days later.

On 11 August 1918, during another attack near Lihons and Framerville, Gaby again led his company forward. Heavy rifle and machine-gun fire struck the Australian line as the newly won ground was being consolidated. Instead of remaining under cover, Gaby walked openly along his line of posts, encouraging his soldiers and directing them to strengthen their positions. While doing so, he was shot and killed by an enemy sniper. That final act of leadership formed part of his official Victoria Cross citation itself, making his award a record not only of the charge that won the position on 8 August, but also of the courage he displayed until the final moments of his life.

Gaby's Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously. The Australian War Memorial records his final rank as Lieutenant, service number 4053, of the 28th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, and confirms that his VC was awarded for his action at Villers-Bretonneux on 8 August 1918. His Victoria Cross was later presented to his father, Alfred Gaby Senior, and today the medal is held by the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery together with his First World War service medals.

Lieutenant Alfred Edward Gaby VC was buried at Heath Cemetery, Harbonnières, France. His name appears on the Australian War Memorial's Roll of Honour, where he is remembered among the Australians who never returned from the First World War. His story remains compelling because his Victoria Cross was not earned by a single moment in isolation. The official citation records a pattern of leadership under direct enemy fire, first in the attack that broke a German strongpoint and then, only three days later, in the exposed line of posts where he continued encouraging his men until he was killed.

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