Alfred Maurice Toye

Rallied Seventy Men and Fought Through an Enemy Encirclement

Alfred Maurice Toye earned the Victoria Cross with the 2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, during the German Spring Offensive of 1918. Born at Aldershot on 15 April 1897, he attended the Garrison School and became a King's Scout before joining the Royal Engineers' Boys Battalion as a bugler in 1912. Commissioned into the Middlesex Regiment during the First World War, he won the Military Cross at the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917.

By March 1918, Toye was an acting captain. As German forces drove towards the Somme crossings, he repeatedly restored threatened positions near Eterpigny. He fought out of encirclement, rallied withdrawing soldiers and led counter-attacks. Twice wounded within ten days, he remained on duty throughout the retreat.

Official Victoria Cross citation, London Gazette, 8 May 1918:

“For most conspicuous bravery and fine leadership displayed in extremely critical circumstances.

When the enemy captured the trench at a bridge-head, he three times re-established the post, which was eventually recaptured by fresh enemy attacks.

After ascertaining that his three other posts were cut off, he fought his way through the enemy with one officer and six men of his company.

Finding 70 men of the battalion on his left retiring, he collected them, counter-attacked, and took up a line which he maintained until reinforcements arrived. Without this action, the defence of the bridge must have been turned.

In two subsequent operations, when in command of a composite company, he covered the retirement of his battalion with skill and courage.

Later, with a party of battalion headquarters, he pressed through the enemy in the village, firing at them in the streets, thus covering the left flank of the battalion retirement. Finally, on a still later occasion, when in command of a mixed force of the brigade, he re-established, after hard fighting, a line that had been abandoned before his arrival. He was twice wounded within ten days, but remained at duty. His valour and skilful leading throughout this prolonged period of intense operations was most conspicuous.”

King George V presented Toye with the Victoria Cross at Aldershot on 8 June 1918. His subsequent service included North Russia, the Army of the Rhine and military instruction in Egypt. During the Second World War he commanded the War Office's chemical warfare schools and later served with the 6th Airborne Division and Middle East headquarters.

Toye retired as a brigadier and settled in Tiverton, Devon. He died there on 6 September 1955 and was buried in Tiverton Cemetery. His Victoria Cross group is held by the National Army Museum.