Bernard Sidney Gordon, VC, MM (16 August 1891 – 19 October 1963) was an Australian recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

forces.

First World War

Gordon was 27 years old, and acting as a

lance corporal Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer (NCO), usually equi ...

in the 41st Battalion, Australian Imperial Force when, during the Battle of Amiens, the following deeds leading to him being awarded the

Military Medal The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award ...

occurred. This action occurred on the "Black Day" of the German Army, in which the Australian Corps destroyed their opposition. As a result of this, on 9 August 1918 the Canadian Corps advance lead to a general retreat by the German troops. The Australian 3rd Division continued to advance toward the bend in the River Somme. During this period the following action, for which Gordon was awarded the

, took place: Gordon was wounded on 1 September 1918 (Bouchavesnes Spur –

Battle of Mont St Quentin The Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin was a battle on the Western Front during World War I. As part of the Allied Hundred Days Offensive on the Western Front in the late summer of 1918, the Australian Corps crossed the Somme River on the night of 31 ...

). He was evacuated and sent to England on 4 September 1918, where he was awarded the Military Medal on 15 September 1918. He was not awarded the

until 20 December 1918 (after the Armistice), the citation for which states:

Sale of his medal

Gordon's Victoria Cross was sold at auction in Sydney on 28 November 2006 for A$478,000.Lot 205
An Important World War 1 Victoria Cross to Lance Corporal Bernard Sidney Gordon 41st Battalion A.I.F., 28 November 2006, bonhamsandgoodman.com.au The medal was sold by one of Gordon's daughters, who needed money to keep the family farm in operation. The VC was purchased by an agent of media tycoon

Kerry Stokes Kerry Matthew Stokes (born John Patrick Alford on 13 September 1940) is an Australian businessman. He holds business interests in a diverse range of industries including electronic and print media, property, mining, and construction equipment. ...

, the same man who paid a world record price of A$1 million in July 2006 for the VC awarded to

Alfred Shout Alfred John Shout, Victoria Cross, VC, Military Cross, MC (8 August 1882 – 11 August 1915) was a New Zealand-born soldier and an List of Australian Victoria Cross recipients, Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest d ...

, A$180,000 for the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...

of Lieutenant Commander

George Gosse Lieutenant Commander George Gosse, (16 February 191231 December 1964) was an Australian recipient of the George Cross, the highest award for heroism or courage, not in the face of the enemy, that could be awarded to a member of the Australian ...

, and in conjunction with the South Australian Government, the VC of Major

Peter Badcoe Peter John Badcoe, (11 January 1934 – 7 April 1967) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in battle that could be awarded at that time to a member of the Australian armed forces. Badcoe, born Pet ...

. All four medals are on display at the

Australian War Memorial The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving pe ...

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

Notes

External links

* James W. Courtney
'Gordon, Bernard Sidney (1891–1963)'

Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...

, Volume 9, Melbourne University Press, 1983, pp. 50–51 {{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Bernard Sidney 1891 births 1963 deaths Australian Army soldiers Australian farmers Australian World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross People from Launceston, Tasmania Military personnel from Tasmania Australian recipients of the Military Medal