Edward Christopher Allworth (July 6, 1895 – June 24, 1966) was an American officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during

World War I 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 ...

Biography

Allworth was born in

Battle Ground, Washington Battle Ground is a city in Clark County, Washington, United States. The population was 20,743 at the 2020 census. Between 2000 and 2005, Battle Ground ranked fourth in the state for population growth, out of 279 eligible incorporated communitie ...

, Allworth graduated from

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering co ...

in 1916. He enlisted at

Corvallis, Oregon Corvallis ( ) is a city and the county seat of Benton County in central western Oregon, United States. It is the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2020 United ...

in 1917 and joined the 60th Infantry Regiment of the 5th Division. On November 5, 1918, mere days from the armistice, Allworth and his company crossed the Meuse River via a canal bridge near the French village of Clery-le-Petit. When shellfire destroyed the bridge and separated the company into two halves, Allworth swam across with some of his men while under fire from the enemy. Leading a subsequent charge towards the enemy lines, he forced them back one kilometre, taking 100 prisoners and thus capturing the bridgehead. For this action, Allworth received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

,in 1919. In 1925, Allworth rejoined the

faculty as secretary of the Alumni Association, secretary of the Memorial Union Board of Governors, and manager of the Memorial Union. He published a set of memoirs titled ''Edward C. Allworth Papers, 1954-1963''Oregon Universit
site
retrieved on March 10, 2007 before he retired in 1963. He died in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

on June 24, 1966.

Medal of Honor Citation

*Rank and organization:

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

, 60th Infantry, 5th Division. *Place and date: At Clery-le-Petit,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, November 5, 1918. *Entered service at:

*Born: July 6, 1895, Crawford,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

*General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 16 ( January 22, 1919). Citation:

While his company was crossing the Meuse River and canal at a bridgehead opposite Clery-le-Petit, the bridge over the canal was destroyed by shell fire and Capt. Allworth's command became separated, part of it being on the east bank of the canal and the remainder on the west bank. Seeing his advance units making slow headway up the steep slope ahead, this officer mounted the canal bank and called for his men to follow. Plunging in he swam across the canal under fire from the enemy, followed by his men. Inspiring his men by his example of gallantry, he led them up the slope, joining his hard-pressed platoons in front. By his personal leadership he forced the enemy back for more than a kilometer, overcoming machinegun nests and capturing 100 prisoners, whose number exceeded that of the men in his command. The exceptional courage and leadership displayed by Capt. Allworth made possible the re-establishment of a bridgehead over the canal and the successful advance of other troops.

Military Awards

Allworth's military decorations and awards include:

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allworth, Edward Christopher 1895 births 1966 deaths People from Battle Ground, Washington United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army Medal of Honor recipients United States Army officers People from Corvallis, Oregon Oregon State University alumni Oregon State University faculty World War I recipients of the Medal of Honor Military personnel from Oregon

Biography

Medal of Honor Citation

Military Awards

See also

Notes