Lieutenant Charles Pope, 11th Battalion, AIF, Victoria Cross
action at Louverval, France.
It was a posthumous award.
Charles Pope (was born in London
but migrated to Canada,
where he worked for the Canadian Pacific Railways. He returned to London
in 1906 and joined the Metropolitan Police Force, resigning in 1910 to come to Australia
with his family. He enlisted in the 11th Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF in
August 1915, and in February 1916 he was commissioned as an officer.
Pope was killed in action on
15 April 1917 at
Louverval,
France, in a desperate
"last stand" charge, and was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.
Occupying an important picquet post during a German attack on the village, he
was ordered "to hold this post at all costs". The enemy attacked the
post and surrounded it, while Pope sent back an urgent request for re-supply.
Before anything could arrive, and with his men out of ammunition, Pope ordered
them to charge the large German force. Later his body, together with those of
his men, was found close to 80 dead Germans. He is buried in
Moeuvres
Communal Cemetery
in
France.
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