John Molyneux

He stormed a defended house, forcing its defenders to yield.

John Molyneux was born at St Helens, Lancashire, on 22 November 1890. The son of a miner, he attended Holy Trinity School and worked at Sherdley Colliery. He was also a concertina player and a member of the local concertina club. He enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers in September 1914.

He served with the 2nd Battalion at Gallipoli, where he was wounded and suffered frostbite before evacuation to Malta. After rejoining in Egypt, he reached France in March 1916. A further wound on the Somme brought him back to Britain for treatment before he returned to the battalion.

On 9 October 1917 near Poelcapelle, an attack was halted by machine-gun fire from a defended house and trench. Molyneux organised a bombing party, cleared the trench and captured a machine gun. He then rushed the house. When the men following him arrived, he was already fighting inside. The defenders surrendered, leaving a substantial body of prisoners.

The Victoria Cross recognised his initiative in breaking the position. King George V presented the decoration at Buckingham Palace in December 1917. His homecoming at St Helens brought gifts from fellow miners and the community, including a new concertina.

After demobilisation in January 1919 he returned to the colliery and married Mary Agnes Lyne. They had a son and daughter. From 1925 he worked for Pilkington Brothers, the glassmakers, remaining there for about thirty years. During the Second World War he served as a warrant officer in the West Lancashire Home Guard.

Molyneux continued attending veterans' reunions and Victoria Cross commemorations. He died at St Helens in March 1972 and was cremated there, with his ashes scattered in the garden of remembrance.

Official Victoria Cross citation:

For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. During an attack, which was held up by machine-gun fire which caused many casualties, Sjt. Molyneux instantly organised a bombing party to clear the trench in front of a house. Many enemy were killed and a machine-gun captured. Having cleared this obstacle, he immediately jumped out of the trench and called for someone to follow him, and rushed for the house. By the time the men arrived he was in the thick of a hand-to-hand fight; this only lasted a short time, and the enemy surrendered, and, in addition to the dead and wounded, between 20 and 30 prisoners were taken. Apart from the personal bravery of this non-commissioned officer, his initiative and dash prevented a slight check from becoming a serious block in the advance, and undoubtedly prevented many casualties.