Thomas Axford

He stormed machine guns and opened the way near Hamel Woods.

Thomas Leslie Axford, usually known as Jack, was born at Carrieton, South Australia, on 18 June 1894. His family moved to the Western Australian goldfields while he was a child, and he attended school at Coolgardie. He enjoyed swimming, cricket and boxing and found work as a laborer at the Boulder brewery. Before volunteering for overseas service he had trained with the Citizen Military Forces'84th Infantry.

Axford enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in 1915 and embarked with reinforcements for the 16th Battalion. After training in Egypt he joined the battalion in France in 1916. At Mouquet Farm that August he was treated for shell shock. In 1917 he was seriously wounded near Messines, evacuated to England and kept from the battalion until January 1918. Promotion to lance corporal followed, together with the Military Medal for gallantry during the German spring offensive.

At Hamel on 4 July 1918, Axford's platoon passed through gaps in the wire, but the neighboring platoon remained caught in uncut obstacles and exposed to machine guns. The retrieved official VC citation explains how he acted without waiting: he moved to the flank, threw bombs among the gun crews, entered the trench and attacked with his bayonet. He killed ten defenders, captured six, removed the machine guns and called the delayed men forward. He then returned to his own platoon and continued the operation (London Gazette, 17 August 1918, p 9660: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30849/supplement/9660/data.pdf).

The action freed other men to advance, but it did not end his service. He became a corporal later that month and returned to Australia at the end of 1918. Following discharge he resumed civilian work, later becoming a clerk for the Sunshine Harvester company. He married Lily Maud Foster in 1926, and they raised five children in Perth.

Axford enlisted again during the Second World War. From 1941 he worked in Western Australia's military records organization, eventually serving as a sergeant until discharge in 1947. He attended the VC centenary celebrations in London in 1956. In 1983 he again traveled for a reunion of VC and GC holders and died on the return journey on 11 October. His military honors were preserved by the Australian War Memorial, and he was commemorated at Karrakatta in Perth.

Official Victoria Cross citation

For most conspicuous bravery and initiative during operations. When the barrage lifted and the Infantry advance commenced, his platoon was able to reach the first enemy defences through gaps which had been cut in the wire. The adjoining platoon being delayed in un-cut wire, enemy machine guns got into action, and inflicted many casualties, including the Company Commander. Lance-Corporal Axford, with great initiative and magnificent courage, at once dashed to the flank, threw his bombs amongst the machinegun crews, jumped into the trench, and charged with his bayonet. Unaided he killed ten of the enemy and took six prisoners: he threw the machine guns over the parapet, and called out to the delayed platoon to come on. He then rejoined his own platoon, and fought with it during the remainder of the operations. Prior to the incidents above mentioned he had assisted in the laying out of the tapes for the jumping off position, which was within 100 yards of the enemy. When the tapes were laid he remained out as a special patrol to ensure that the enemy did not discover any unusual movement on our side. His initiative and gallantry undoubtedly saved many casualties, and most materially assisted towards the complete success of his company in the task assigned to it.

Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 16 August 1918. 17 August 1918, Numb. 30849, p. 9660