Victoria Cross : Private R Mactier, 23 Battalion, AIF Accession Number: REL/09400.001

Description

Victoria Cross. Engraved reverse suspender with recipient's details; reverse cross with date of action.

Contextual Description

Robert 'Bob' Mactier was born at Tatura, Victoria on 17 May 1890. He was unmarried and working on his parents' property before enlisting in March 1917 as private 6939. Mactier arrived on the Western Front in late 1917, in time for the battle of Hamel and the August offensive of 1918. In his last letter home he wrote: 'if our side only keep going I think the war [will] be over by next spring'.

Mactier won the only Victoria Cross awarded to his battalion, but made the ultimate sacrifice. Moving into position for the assault on Mont St Quentin, 23 Battalion was stopped by enemy machine-gun fire. As a company runner, Mactier was sent to investigate. Armed with a revolver and bombs, he attacked, throwing a bomb, climbing through the wire, and tossing the machine-gun out of the trench. When his comrades came forward, they found the crew dead and saw Mactier attacking the next post. He then charged a third post, killing the occupants. Finding yet another obstacle, he ran into the open for his fourth attack where he was killed by fire from his flank. The recommendation for the award reads:

'On the morning of 1st September, 1918, during the operation entailing capture of MT. ST. QUENTIN, this man stands out for the greatest bravery and devotion to duty.

15 minutes before zero 2 bombing patrols were sent to clear up several enemy strong points close to our line, but they met with very stubborn resistance and no success, and the Battalion was unable to move on to its Jumping Off Trench. MACTIER singlehanded and in daylight, then jumped out of the trench from the leading Company, rushed past the block, closed with and killed the machine-gun garrison of 8 men with his revolver and bombs, and threw the enemy machine gun over the parapet. He rushed forward another 20 yards and jumped into another strong point held by a garrison of 6 men who immediately surrendered. Continuing to the next block through the trench an enemy gun which had been enfilading our flank advancing troops, was swung onto him, but he jumped out of the trench into the open and disposed of this third post and gun crew by bombing them from the rear. Before he could get into this trench he was killed by enemy machine gun at close range. In the three posts which MACTIER rushed 15 of the enemy were found killed and 30 taken prisoners.

It was entirely due to this man’s exceptional bravery and determination that the Battalion was able to move on to its Jumping Off Trench and carry out the successful operation of capturing the village of MT. ST. QUENTIN a few hours later.'

Mactier's Victoria Cross is accompanied by two service medals for the First World War.