Robert Vaughan Gorle

He galloped his gun ahead to silence the enemy machine guns.

Robert Vaughan Gorle was born at Southsea, Hampshire, on 6 May 1896. Educated at Rugby School, he went to South Africa to farm before returning to Britain after the outbreak of the First World War. He was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery in 1915 and served in France from late that year.

On 1 October 1918, during the attack on Ledeghem, Belgium, Temporary Lieutenant Gorle commanded an 18-pounder gun supporting the infantry. He repeatedly brought it into exposed positions and engaged enemy machine-guns over open sights. When intense fire drove the infantry back, he galloped his gun ahead of them and again silenced the positions causing the trouble. His example helped the infantry rally and retake the northern part of the village.

King George V presented his Victoria Cross at Buckingham Palace on 14 June 1919. Gorle returned to Southern Africa, farmed near Fort Jameson and married Ruth Thomas in 1924. From 1929 he served as sergeant-at-arms and librarian to the Southern Rhodesian parliament. He died at Durban on 9 January 1937 and was buried in Stellawood Cemetery.

Victoria Cross citation

For most conspicuous bravery, initiative and devotion to duty during the attack on Ledeghem on 1st October, 1918, when in command of an 18-pdr. gun working in close conjunction with infantry. He brought his gun into action in the most exposed positions on four separate occasions, and disposed of enemy machine guns by firing over open sights under direct machine-gun fire at 500 to 600 yards’ range. Later, seeing that the infantry were being driven back by intense hostile fire, he, without hesitation, galloped his gun in front of the leading infantry, and on two occasions knocked out enemy machine guns which were causing the trouble. His disregard of personal safety and dash were a magnificent example to the wavering line, which rallied and re-took the northern end of the village.