Willward Alexander Sandys-Clarke

Lieutenant Willward Alexander Sandys-Clarke VC, known to family and comrades as Peter, was born on 8 June 1919 at Southport, Lancashire. Educated at Uppingham School, he later joined the British Army and served with the Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire). In 1941 he married Dorothy Irene Deakin, and by the spring of 1943 he was serving in North Africa with the 1st Battalion, The Loyal Regiment.

On 23 April 1943, during the fighting at Guiriat El Atach in Tunisia, Sandys-Clarke’s company was counter-attacked and almost destroyed. Though wounded in the head, and left as the sole surviving officer, he gathered together a composite platoon and volunteered to retake the position. As his men advanced, they were stopped by machine-gun fire. Sandys-Clarke manoeuvred the platoon into covering positions, then went forward alone, killing or capturing the crew and silencing the gun. When two more machine-gun posts opened fire, he repeated the act, again going forward single-handed and putting the guns out of action.

Having restored the situation and led his men onto the objective, he ordered them to consolidate. During this phase, enemy snipers began firing on the platoon. Without hesitation, Sandys-Clarke again advanced alone to clear the opposition, but was killed within feet of the enemy position. His leadership, courage, and refusal to leave the fight inspired his men and helped recover the position. He was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously, the award being gazetted in June 1943.