Harold John Colley VC MM (26 May 1895Birth Certificate at Birmingham Register Office – 25 August 1918) 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

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and

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forces.

Early life

He was born at 60 Winson Street in the Soho district of Birmingham, England. The family moved to nearby

Smethwick Smethwick () is an industrial town in Sandwell, West Midlands, England. It lies west of Birmingham city centre. Historically it was in Staffordshire. In 2019, the ward of Smethwick had an estimated population of 15,246, while the wider bu ...

sometime prior to the

1911 Census The United Kingdom Census 1911 of 2 April 1911 was the 12th nationwide census conducted in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The total population of the United Kingdom was approximately 45,221,000, with 36,070,000 recorded in England ...

, where they can be found at 74 Cheshire Road. This remained his home address during the First World War,

Military career

Colley was 24 years old, and an acting

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

in the 10th Battalion,

The Lancashire Fusiliers The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many years and wars, including the Second Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and had many different titles throughout its 280 ...

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 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 ...

when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 25 August 1918 at

Martinpuich Martinpuich is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Geography Martinpuich is situated south of Arras, near the junction of the D929 and the D6 roads. Population Places of interest * The church of ...

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 ...

, during a strong counter-attack Sergeant Colley's company was holding an advanced position with two platoons in advance and two in support. The forward platoons were ordered to hold on at all costs and Sergeant Colley went, without orders, to help these two platoons. He rallied the men, then formed a defensive flank and held it, although out of the two platoons only three men remained unwounded and the sergeant himself was dangerously wounded and died the same day. It was entirely due to his action that the enemy was prevented from breaking through.Harold John Colley
Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Legacy

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the

Fusilier Museum The Fusilier Museum is a museum in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Its collection includes the uniforms, medal and artefacts of the Lancashire Fusiliers. History The Fusilier Museum was originally housed in the Wellington Barracks, Bury, Well ...

Bury, Lancashire Bury ( ) is a market town on the River Irwell in Greater Manchester, England. Metropolitan Borough of Bury is administered from the town, which had an estimated population of 78,723 in 2015. The town is within the Historic counties of Englan ...

. Colley is the subject of a bronze memorial plaque in the vestibule of

Smethwick Council House Smethwick Council House is a municipal building in Smethwick, West Midlands, England. The building, which is located on High Street and was once the headquarters of Smethwick Borough Council, is now a Grade II listed building. History After a ...

, as well as being included in the list of names on the memorials at Bearwood Baptist Church and St. Mary's Church - both in Bearwood. On 25 August 2018, the centenary of his death, a commemorative paving stone in his honour was unveiled in Smethwick.

References

External link

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Colley, Harold John 1890s births 1918 deaths Burials in Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in France People from Smethwick Lancashire Fusiliers 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 Recipients of the Military Medal Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry soldiers British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross Military personnel from Birmingham, West Midlands