Private Edward Warner VC (18 November 1883 – 2 May 1915) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

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 ...

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

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

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. He was a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

in the 1st Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment,

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

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 ...

, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry during the defence of Hill 60 on 1 May 1915.

Before World War I

Born and raised in St Albans, Ted had started his working life as a straw hat finisher, enlisting into the ranks of the

Bedfordshire Regiment The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of a Line infantry, line infantry regiment of the British Army that was originally formed in 1688. After centuries of service in many conflicts and wars, including both the World War ...

late in 1903 as Private 7602. Service in India until 1908 followed, at which time Ted returned to England when the battalion finished its tour of foreign service that year. His term in the regulars complete, Ted became a Reservist and spent time employed by the Deep Well Boring Works, for the St. Albans council and the Post Office Telephones Dept.

War service

When war was declared in August 1914, Private Warner was mobilised from the Reserves and rejoined the 1st Battalion who were based in Ireland at the time. He arrived on the Western Front with the battalion on 16 August 1914 and fought in the

Battle of Mons A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

, the

Battle of Le Cateau The Battle of Le Cateau was fought on the Western Front during the First World War on 26 August 1914. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the French Fifth Army had retreated after their defeats at the Battle of Charleroi (21–23 A ...

, during the rearguard actions of the British Army's

Retreat from Mons The Great Retreat (), also known as the retreat from Mons, was the long withdrawal to the River Marne in August and September 1914 by the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the French Fifth Army. The Franco-British forces on the Western Fr ...

, at the

First Battle of the Marne The First Battle of the Marne was a battle of the First World War fought from 5 to 12 September 1914. It was fought in a collection of skirmishes around the Marne River Valley. It resulted in an Entente victory against the German armies in the ...

, the

First Battle of the Aisne The First Battle of the Aisne (french: 1re Bataille de l'Aisne) was the Allied follow-up offensive against the right wing of the German First Army (led by Alexander von Kluck) and the Second Army (led by Karl von Bülow) as they retreated aft ...

, the

Battle of La Bassée The Battle of La Bassée was fought by German and Franco-British forces in northern France in October 1914, during reciprocal attempts by the contending armies to envelop the northern flank of their opponent, which has been called the Race to th ...

and the

First Battle of Ypres The First Battle of Ypres (french: Première Bataille des Flandres; german: Erste Flandernschlacht – was a battle of the First World War, fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front around Ypres, in West Flanders, Belgium. Th ...

. Despite the intensity of those early battles and the long casualty list his battalion sustained, Ted came through it all with just a poisoned hand. After the winter's lull in fighting and Ted's battalions' involvement in the

Christmas truce ckb: ئاگربەستی کریسماس The Christmas truce (german: Weihnachtsfrieden; french: Trêve de Noël; nl, Kerstbestand) was a series of widespread unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front of the First World War around Christ ...

of 1914, the campaigning season had started once again and he found himself in the line around Hill 60, south-east of Ypres. He had been due to complete his service in May 1915 but with dependants, 75-year-old widowed mother Charlotte and new fiancée Maud Burton, waiting at home, was doubtless contemplating whether to extend his service or take the well-earned, honourable discharge that would be offered to him in the coming weeks. Having come through the dreadful battle on Hill 60 in April, he had written to his mother days earlier; "You will see in the papers that we have been in a tight corner. I think it’s the hottest place I have ever been in but, thank the Lord, I have been spared to get through alright. We have lost a lot killed and wounded. It was a proper death trap. The dirty pigs could not have blown us to pieces fast enough so they tried to blind us but I am pleased to say I am safe.''"'

Victoria Cross

Following almost two weeks of fierce fighting for control of 'Murder Hill', Ted and his battalion were due for relief once darkness arrived on 1 May 1915, but at 6.30 p.m. that evening, a German gas attack was launched against the defenders of the hill. On the right, the 1st Battalion,

Devonshire Regiment The Devonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that served under various titles and served in many wars and conflicts from 1685 to 1958, such as the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War. In 1958 ...

lost over 300 men in just moments, leaving the 1st Battalion,

on their left flank exposed. Ted's platoon held the right flank of the battalion line on the hill, every one of his colleagues being taken by the effects of gas as it rolled into their section. Regardless of the overwhelming numbers arrayed against him, the psychological effects of a new weapon such as gas, with no real defence against its effects and being under heavy shell fire, Ted Warner remained in the trench, fending off all German attempts to gain entry. Once a lull in the fighting allowed, he moved back through the gas cloud, artillery bombardment and machine gun fire to gather reinforcements. Ted found some men from his battalion and guided them back into the danger area but soon after returning to the front trenches had to be carried back to the regimental aid post suffering from the effects of prolonged exposure to the gas.

The night quietened down and on the morning of 2 May Fred Brimm found his mortally wounded friend, Ted Warner, 'more dead than alive' at the nearby Regimental Aid Post. He wrote: 'Ted was quite sensible to within half an hour of his death. He knew he was going and only wanted another chance to get at them again. His last words were "They’ve gone and done for me, the cowards.''"’ As is often the case with the earlier war deaths from around Ypres, Ted's grave was lost in the fighting that continued to rage in the salient for a further 42 months and he is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial to the missing.CWGC entry
/ref> The London Gazette (edition dated 29 June 1915) published the citation which accompanied the posthumous award of Edward Warner's Victoria Cross, reading:

The medal

His Victoria Cross, along with his 1914 Star, Victory and British War Medals are displayed at the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regimental Museum, Wardown Park, Luton, Bedfordshire, England.

References

Bibliography

*''

Monuments to Courage David Charles Harvey (29 July 1946 – 4 March 2004) was a historian and author. He is notable for his seminal work, ''Monuments To Courage'', which documents the graves of almost all recipients of the Victoria Cross, a task that took him over 36 ...

'' (David Harvey, 1999) *''

The Register of the Victoria Cross ''The Register of the Victoria Cross'' is a reference work that provides brief information on every Victoria Cross awarded until the publication date. Each entry provides a summary of the deed, along with a photograph of the recipient and the fol ...

'' (This England, 1997) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Warner, Edward 1883 births 1915 deaths Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment soldiers British Army personnel of World War I British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross British military personnel killed in World War I People from St Albans British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross Military personnel from Hertfordshire Participants of the Christmas truce of 1914