Mick Moon

Wounded four times, he led his men round the enemy defences.

Rupert Vance Moon, known as Mick, was born at Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, in August 1892. Educated at Kyneton Grammar School, he worked for the National Bank of Australia and served in the militia before enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force in August 1914. He sailed with the 4th Light Horse Regiment, served on Gallipoli from May 1915, and later transferred to the infantry. Commissioned in the 58th Battalion in September 1916, he served on the Western Front.

On 12 May 1917 at Bullecourt, Moon led an attack against a German strongpoint obstructing the battalion's advance. Wounded early in the assault, he continued forward with his men and helped capture the position. He then led them against a trench, encouraging others to join the attack. Repeated wounds did not persuade him to leave while his section remained engaged. Only after the captured ground had been secured did he accept evacuation. He had been wounded four times.

King George V presented his Victoria Cross at Buckingham Palace on 3 August 1917. After hospital treatment and a period in Australia, Moon returned to his battalion in France in 1918. He finished the war as a temporary captain and returned to Australia in 1919.

His civilian career included work on a Malayan rubber estate, rural employment, banking, accountancy and wool broking. He married Susan in 1931 and they had two children. During the Second World War he again served in Australia, holding a captain's commission in the Volunteer Defence Corps and staff appointments. After the war he became managing director of Dennys Lascelles, retiring from that position around 1960 but remaining a director. Moon died on 28 February 1986 and was buried at Mount Duneed Cemetery following a military funeral. His medals are held by the Australian War Memorial.

Victoria Cross citation: [For] most conspicuous bravery during an [attack] on an enemy strong point. His own immediate objective was a posi[tion in] advance of the hostile trench, and [thence] against the hostile trench itself, after [the cap]ture of which it was intended that his men [sho]uld co-operate in a further assault on a str[ong p]oint further in rear. Although wounded in the initial advance, he reached his first objective. Leading his men against the trench itself, he was again badly wounded and incapacitated for the moment. He nevertheless inspired and encouraged his men and captured the trench. Lt. Moon continued to lead his much diminished command in the general attack with the utmost valour, being again wounded, and the attack was successfully pressed home. During the consolidation of the position, this officer was again badly wounded, and it was only after this fourth and severe wound through the face that he consented to retire from the fight. His bravery was magnificent, and was largely instrumental in the successful issue against superior numbers, the safeguarding of the flank of the attack and the capture of many prisoners and machine guns.

Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette of 12 June 1917. 14 June 1917, Numb. 30130, p. 5865