Allan Ebenezer Ker
Lieutenant, 3rd Battalion. Gordon Highlanders attached to 61st Battalion, Machine Gun Corps
- Register No.
- 686 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Lieutenant all Lieutenants →
- Unit
- 3rd Battalion. Gordon Highlanders attached to 61st Battalion, Machine Gun Corps all Gordon Highlanders VCs →
- Date of action
- 21 March 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 4th September, 1919 on this day → all of 1919 →
- Born
- 5th March, 1883 at Edinburgh, Scotland
- Died
- 12th September 1958 at London
- Memorial / grave
- not known
Digest of citation
On 21st March, 1918 at St Quentin, France, when the enemy had penetrated the line, Lieutenant Ker, with one Vicker's gun, succeeded in holding up the attack, inflicting many enemy casualties. He stayed at the post with a sergeant and several men who had been badly wounded, beating off bayonet attacks with revolvers after the Vickers gun had been destroyed. Although exhausted from lack of food and gas poisoning, from fighting and looking after the wounded, Lieutenant Ker surrendered only after all his ammunition was gone and they were overrun by the enemy. He and his men had held 500 enemy at bay for over three hours
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
KER, Allan Ebenezer. (reg No. 686).
Lieutenant. 3rd Battalion. Gordon Highlanders attached to 61st Battalion, Machine Gun Corps.
London Gazetted on 4th September, 1919.
Born on 5th March, 1883 at Edinburgh, Scotland.
Died on 12th September 1958 at London.
Memorial not known.
Digest of Citation reads: On 21st March, 1918 at St Quentin, France, when the enemy had penetrated the line, Lieutenant Ker, with one Vicker's gun, succeeded in holding up the attack, inflicting many enemy casualties. He stayed at the post with a sergeant and several men who had been badly wounded, beating off bayonet attacks with revolvers after the Vickers gun had been destroyed. Although exhausted from lack of food and gas poisoning, from fighting and looking after the wounded, Lieutenant Ker surrendered only after all his ammunition was gone and they were overrun by the enemy. He and his men had held 500 enemy at bay for over three hours.
Additional information:. He attained a rank of Major .
Additional information
He attained a rank of Major
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: not known
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