Cecil Harold Sewell
Lieutenant, The Royal West Kent Regiment attached to the 3rd Battalion (Light) Tank Corps
- Register No.
- 1126 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Lieutenant all Lieutenants →
- Unit
- The Royal West Kent Regiment attached to the 3rd Battalion (Light) Tank Corps (register: Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)) all Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) VCs →
- Date of action
- 29 August 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 30th October 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
- Born
- 27th January 1895 at Greenwich, London
- Died
- 29th August 1918 at Fremicourt, France
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- at Vaulx Hill Cemetery, France and a dedicated Toc H lamp at Bovington Garrison Church, Dorset
Digest of citation
On 29 August 1918 at Fremicourt, France, Lieutenant Sewell, who was in command of a section of whippet light tanks, got out of his own tank and crossed open ground under heavy machine-gun fire to rescue the crew of another whippet of his section which had side slipped into a shell-hole, overturned and caught fire. The door of the tank had become jammed against the side of the shell-hole, but Lieutenant Sewell, unaided, dug away the entrance to the door and released the crew. Further Research required
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
SEWELL, Cecil Harold. (Reg. No.1126)
Lieutenant The Royal West Kent Regiment attached to the 3rd Battalion (Light) Tank Corps.
London Gazetted on 30th October 1918.
Born on 27th January 1895 at Greenwich, London.
Died on 29th August 1918 at Fremicourt, France.
Memorial on grave at Vaulx Hill Cemetery, France and a dedicated Toc H lamp at Bovington Garrison Church, Dorset.
Digest of Citation reads: On 29 August 1918 at Fremicourt, France, Lieutenant Sewell, who was in command of a section of whippet light tanks, got out of his own tank and crossed open ground under heavy machine-gun fire to rescue the crew of another whippet of his section which had side slipped into a shell-hole, overturned and caught fire. The door of the tank had become jammed against the side of the shell-hole, but Lieutenant Sewell, unaided, dug away the entrance to the door and released the crew. Further Research required
SEXTON, Gerald, also known as Maurice Vincent BUCKLEY (reg.No 147).
Alf's notes on his life
SEXTON, Gerald, also known as Maurice Vincent BUCKLEY (reg.No 147).
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: at Vaulx Hill Cemetery, France and a dedicated Toc H lamp at Bovington Garrison Church, Dorset
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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