Samuel Forsyth

He led a tank and rallied its crew to outflank machine guns.

Samuel Forsyth was born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1891 and worked as a gold amalgamator. He enlisted in the New Zealand Engineers in August 1914, sailed for Egypt that October, and served at Gallipoli in 1915. After illness and evacuation, he joined the New Zealand Division on the Western Front. He married Mary Sked Gardner in 1917 and rose to sergeant in 1918.

On 24 August 1918, while attached to the 2nd Auckland Infantry Battalion near Grevillers, Forsyth led attacks that captured three machine-gun positions. Further guns checked the advance, so he reconnoitred them and sought help from a tank. Although wounded, he continued guiding it under fire.

When the tank was disabled, Forsyth combined its crew with his own men and led them into an outflanking position. Their pressure forced the enemy guns to withdraw and allowed the advance to resume. A sniper killed him at that moment.

Forsyth had no later military career. His posthumous Victoria Cross was presented to his widow by King George V in November 1918. His surviving campaign medals commemorate service from Gallipoli to the final Allied offensives in France.

Official Victoria Cross citation

For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in attack. On nearing the objective, his company came under heavy machine gun fire. Through Sjt. Forsyth’s dashing leadership and total disregard of danger, three machine-gun positions were rushed and the crews taken prisoner before they could inflict many casualties on our troops. During subsequent advance his company came under heavy fire from several machine guns, two of which he located by a daring reconnaissance. In his endeavour to gain support from a Tank, he was wounded, but after having the wound bandaged, he again got in touch with the Tank, which, in the face of very heavy fire from machine guns and anti-Tank guns, he endeavoured to lead with magnificent coolness to a favourable position. The Tank, however, was put out of action. Sjt. Forsyth then organised the Tank crew and several of his men into a section, and led them to a position where the machine guns could be outflanked. Always under heavy fire, he directed them into positions which brought about a retirement of the enemy machine guns and enabled the advance to continue. This gallant N.C.O. was at that moment killed by a sniper. From the commencement of the attack until the time of his death Sjt. Forsyth’s courage and coolness, combined with great power of initiative, proved an invaluable incentive to all who were with him, and he undoubtedly saved many casualties among his comrades.

Ninth Supplement of The London Gazette of 18 October 1918. 22 October 1918, Numb. 30967, pp. 12487-88