Arthur Poulter

What drives a man to run back into relentless enemy fire, not once but again and again, knowing each journey could be his last? For Private Arthur Poulter, courage was measured not by survival, but by every life he saved.

Private Arthur Poulter VC (16 December 1893 to 29 August 1956) was an English soldier of the 1/4th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment whose extraordinary bravery during the First World War earned him the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Born at East Witton in North Yorkshire, Poulter worked as a labourer before joining the British Army during the First World War. He was serving on the Western Front in France when he performed the remarkable actions that secured his place among Britain's greatest war heroes.

On 10 April 1918, during the fierce fighting at Erquinghem-Lys, France, Private Poulter was serving as a stretcher bearer when his battalion came under devastating artillery and machine gun fire. Despite the constant danger, he repeatedly crossed open ground to carry wounded soldiers to safety. After an order to withdraw had been given, he voluntarily returned into the battlefield to rescue another wounded man who had been left behind. Throughout the action he dressed the wounds of more than forty casualties under fire before being seriously wounded himself while attempting yet another rescue. His courage, endurance and complete disregard for his own safety inspired everyone around him.

For these actions, Arthur Poulter was awarded the Victoria Cross, with the award announced in the London Gazette on 28 June 1918. He later received the decoration from King George V at Buckingham Palace, joining the select company of Britain's highest decorated soldiers.

Following the war, Poulter returned to civilian life but remained closely connected with the Victoria Cross community. His distinguished service was further recognised with the King George VI Coronation Medal in 1937 and the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal in 1953, honours awarded to selected holders of the Victoria Cross and other distinguished individuals who attended the national Coronation celebrations.

Arthur Poulter died on 29 August 1956, aged 62. His Victoria Cross remains a lasting symbol of selfless courage and devotion to duty. His actions at Erquinghem-Lys continue to be remembered as one of the finest examples of battlefield heroism, where a single soldier repeatedly chose the safety of others over his own life.