Graham Thomson Lyall

Graham Thomson Lyall VC was an English-born soldier in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War who was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy. He received this decoration for his heroic actions on the Western Front in the final months of the war, where he served as an infantry officer.

Following the conclusion of the First World War, Lyall returned to civilian life in the United Kingdom but remained active in military service. Throughout the inter-war period, he served in the Territorial Army as part of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, continuing his dedication to military service.

During the Second World War, Lyall served in the British Army and reached the rank of Colonel. He died of a heart attack at the age of 49 while on active service in Egypt. His Victoria Cross and campaign medals were later loaned to the REME Museum of Technology, and he is remembered through memorial plaques in Manchester and St. Catharines.