Edward Dwyer

The Young Soldier Who Defied a Storm of Grenades at Hill 60

At nineteen years old, Edward Dwyer climbed onto the parapet of a trench while German grenades exploded around him at close range. He was fully exposed, outnumbered and under intense fire, yet he refused to retreat. Instead, he began throwing grenades back at the attackers until they were driven from the position. Earlier that same day, he had already left the protection of his trench under heavy shellfire to reach and bandage wounded comrades. These acts at Hill 60 earned Edward Dwyer the Victoria Cross and secured his place among the most courageous British soldiers of the First World War.

Edward Dwyer was born in Fulham, London, on 25 November 1895. He joined the British Army at only sixteen and served with the 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. When the First World War began, Dwyer went to France with his battalion and took part in the Retreat from Mons during the opening months of the conflict. His early service on the Western Front later qualified him for the 1914 Star and its clasp, together with the British War Medal and Victory Medal. His surviving medal record is preserved in The National Archives.

The action that defined Edward Dwyer’s military career took place at Hill 60 near Ypres on 20 April 1915. The position was of major tactical importance and was subjected to repeated German bombardments and infantry attacks. The 1st East Surreys had taken over the hill while the enemy attempted to recapture it with shellfire and assaults supported by grenade throwers. Dwyer’s trench came under a particularly determined attack at close range. Rather than remain under cover, he climbed onto the parapet and exposed himself to what his official citation described as a hail of bombs. From that vulnerable position, he used his own hand grenades so effectively that the attackers were dispersed.

His Victoria Cross citation also recognized a separate act of courage earlier that day. While the battlefield was still under heavy shellfire, Dwyer left his trench to reach wounded soldiers and provide emergency aid. The official citation praised his “most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty,” recording both his defence of the trench and his willingness to risk his life for injured comrades. The award was published in the London Gazette on 21 May 1915, and Dwyer later received the Victoria Cross from King George V at Buckingham Palace.

Dwyer’s gallantry also received international recognition. On 25 August 1915, the London Gazette announced that Russia had awarded him the Cross of the Order of Saint George, 3rd Class. The official notice listed “10523 Private Edward Dwyer, V.C., 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment” beneath the heading for that class of the Russian decoration. Unlike the Victoria Cross, the Gazette notice did not publish a separate narrative citation for the Russian award, but it confirmed both the decoration and its correct grade.

After the Hill 60 action, Dwyer was promoted to Lance Corporal and eventually rose to Corporal. Despite his fame as a Victoria Cross recipient, he returned to active service. His complete honours reflected both individual gallantry and sustained participation in the First World War. They comprised the Victoria Cross, the 1914 Star with the clasp for service between 5 August and 22 November 1914, the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the Russian Cross of the Order of Saint George, 3rd Class. The campaign medals carried no personal gallantry citations because they recognized qualifying wartime service rather than a single act of bravery.

Edward Dwyer’s story ended during the Battle of the Somme. On 3 September 1916, he was killed in action while serving with the 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment at Guillemont. He was only twenty years old. He was buried at Flatiron Copse Cemetery near Mametz, where his grave records both his British and Russian gallantry awards. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission identifies him as Corporal Edward Dwyer, service number 10523, and preserves the words chosen for his headstone: “We know that he abideth in us.”

Corporal Edward Dwyer VC did not become a hero because he was fearless. He became a hero because, under shellfire and surrounded by exploding grenades, he placed the survival of his comrades and the defence of his position above his own safety. His courage at Hill 60 lasted only a matter of minutes, but its meaning has endured for more than a century.