Maurice Vincent Buckley, (13 April 1891 – 27 January 1921) was an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...

soldier serving under the pseudonym Gerald Sexton who was awarded 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 ...

. This is the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Life

Buckley was born at Upper Hawthorn,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, to Timothy Buckley, brickmaker, and his wife Agnes, née Sexton. His father was a native of Cork, Ireland; his mother was Victorian-born. Maurice Buckley was educated at the Christian Brothers' School in Abbotsford. He joined the 13th Light Horse Regiment on 18 December 1914 shortly after the outbreak of the

at Warrnambool, Victoria. In July 1915, he arrived in Egypt with reinforcements for his regiment, but in Cairo contracted the venereal disease chancroid. The following month he was sent back to Australia with 274 other VD-infected men on the Australian troopship HMAT A18 Wiltshire, and in late September 1915 was admitted to an Australian army medical isolation-detention barracks at Langwarrin, near Melbourne, that had been established earlier in 1915 to receive and treat VD-infected soldiers from Egypt. In January 1916 he escaped from Langwarrin, and was declared a deserter on 20 March. On 6 May 1916 he enlisted again, this time in Sydney, using the name 'Gerald Sexton' – comprising his recently deceased younger brother's first name and his mother's maiden surname. He was sent to France in early 1917, where he fought on the Western Front. Following the award of the

Distinguished Conduct Medal The Distinguished Conduct Medal was a decoration established in 1854 by Queen Victoria for gallantry in the field by other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military decoration, ranki ...

he was promoted to sergeant in August 1918 and involved in the advance on the

Hindenburg Line The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 1916 ...

. He was awarded the Victoria Cross in the name 'Gerald Sexton' for his actions on 18 September 1918, at Le Verguier near Saint-Quentin. His unit was advancing under cover of a creeping barrage but was held up by German

machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) ar ...

posts. Buckley attacked them with his Lewis gun section and captured 30 German prisoners of war. When the advance was again held up by machine-gun fire, Sergeant Buckley, supported by another platoon, put the enemy guns out of action. Later, he again showed conspicuous initiative in capturing hostile posts and machine-guns. According to the citation, he was "to the fore dealing with enemy machine-guns, rushing enemy posts, and performing great feats of bravery and endurance without faltering or for a moment taking cover". The award of the VC was originally gazetted under the name 'Gerald Sexton', but he had disclosed his real identity by the time that it was presented to him by

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 29 May 1919. and was discharged in December 1919.

Death

He was severely injured in a riding accident at Boolarra, Gippsland on 15 January 1921, and died on 27 January, aged 29. Ten Victoria Cross recipients were pallbearers at his funeral. He is buried at

Brighton Cemetery Brighton General Cemetery is located in the Melbourne suburb of Caulfield South, Victoria, but takes its name from Brighton, Victoria. History The Cemetery pre-dates the Caulfield Roads Board - the first official recognition of the suburb of Ca ...

. He was unmarried. D. M. Horner
"Buckley, Maurice Vincent (1891–1921)"
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7, Melbourne University Press, 1979, p. 475Maurice Vincent Buckley (1891–1921), Soldier & Contractor
gravesite at Brighton General Cemetery (Victoria)

Medals

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia. Medals: Victoria Cross, Distinguished Conduct Medal, 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, Victory MedalGerald SEXTON
The AIF Project.

References

External links

* D. M. Horner
"Buckley, Maurice Vincent (1891–1921)"
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7, Melbourne University Press, 1979, p. 475 *
Maurice BUCKLEY
The AIF Project
Gerald SEXTON
The AIF Project

gravesite at Brighton General Cemetery (Victoria) {{DEFAULTSORT:Buckley, Maurice 1891 births 1921 deaths Military personnel from Melbourne Australian World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross Australian Army soldiers Australian recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal Australian people of Irish descent Accidental deaths in Victoria (Australia) Deaths by horse-riding accident in Australia