Garth Walford

Led scattered troops forward through heavy machine gun fire.

Garth Walford was born at Frimley, Surrey, on 27 May 1882. He entered the Royal Field Artillery in December 1902 and became a lieutenant in December 1905. By the outbreak of the First World War he had developed both regimental and staff experience, including study at the Staff College.

He went to France in August 1914 with the 27th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. His early campaign included the retreat from Mons and the fighting on the Aisne. Illness or wounds interrupted his service in September, but after promotion to captain in October he returned to the fighting around Ypres. In January 1915 he became brigade major of the 29th Division's 86th Brigade, an appointment that took him from the Western Front to the expedition against the Dardanelles.

The brigade landed at Cape Helles on 25 April 1915. Heavy casualties and the loss of officers left surviving troops around V Beach without effective direction. On the following day Walford and Lieutenant Colonel Charles Doughty-Wylie helped reorganize the men and led an advance through Sedd el Bahr towards the old castle and the dominating ground beyond it. The attack faced entrenched riflemen and machine guns. Both officers continued to direct and encourage the mixed body of troops despite the danger.

The assault gained its objective, but Walford and Doughty-Wylie were killed. Their leadership was recognized by posthumous awards of the Victoria Cross. Walford was thirty-two and had no postwar military career. His widow received his decoration from George V at Buckingham Palace in November 1916. His campaign medals record his service in France during the qualifying period for the 1914 Star and his subsequent service at Gallipoli.

Victoria Cross citation: On 26th April, 1915, subsequent to a landing having been effected on the beach at a point on the Gallipoli Peninsula, during which both Brigadier-General and Brigade Major had been killed, Lieutenant-Colonel Doughty-Wylie and Captain Walford organised and led an attack through and on both sides of the village of Sedd-el-Bahr on the Old Castle at the top of the hill inland. The enemy’s position was very strongly held and entrenched, and defended with concealed machine-guns and pom-poms. It was mainly due to the initiative, skill and great gallantry of these two Officers that the attack was a complete success. Both were killed in the moment of victory.

Supplement to The London Gazette of 22 June 1915. 23 June 1915, Numb. 29202, p. 6115