Charles Pope

Lieutenant, 11th Battalion. * Australian Imperial Force

Register No.: 995 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
Rank: Lieutenant all Lieutenants →
Unit: 11th Battalion. * Australian Imperial Force (register: 11th Battalion, AIF) all AIF VCs →
Date of action: 15 April 1917 on this day → all of 1917 →
Conflict / campaign: First World War
London Gazette: 8th June 1917 on this day → all of 1917 →
Born: 5th March 1883 at Mile End, London
Died: in action on 15th April 1917 at Louveral, France
Award: Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
Memorial / grave: in Moeuvres Communal Cemetery Extension, France and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia

Digest of citation

Lieutenant Pope was in command of very important picquet post on the 15th April 1917 at Louveral, France, in the sector held by the 11th Battalion, having been given the orders to hold the post at all costs. A superior force of the enemy attacked and surrounded the picquet post and Lieutenant Pope realised that he was running out of ammunition and sent back for further supplies. Before these could arrive the situation changed drastically and Lieutenant Pope was observed, charging with his picquet, against a far superior enemy force. Eventually it was overpowered, but not before the lieutenant and his party had inflicted heavy losses upon the enemy. His body, along with most of his party, was found in close proximity to 80 of the enemy dead, proof indeed that they had put up a gallant resistance: furthermore Lieutenant Pope had obeyed the order to hold the position to the last

From Alf Askin's research notes

Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.

POPE, Charles. (reg No. 995).

Lieutenant. 11th Battalion. * Australian Imperial Force.

London Gazetted on 8th June 1917.

Born on 5th March 1883 at Mile End, London.

Killed in action on 15th April 1917 at Louveral, France.

Memorial on grave in Moeuvres Communal Cemetery Extension, France and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia.

Digest of Citation reads: Lieutenant Pope was in command of very important picquet post on the 15th April 1917 at Louveral, France, in the sector held by the 11th Battalion, having been given the orders to hold the post at all costs. A superior force of the enemy attacked and surrounded the picquet post and Lieutenant Pope realised that he was running out of ammunition and sent back for further supplies. Before these could arrive the situation changed drastically and Lieutenant Pope was observed, charging with his picquet, against a far superior enemy force. Eventually it was overpowered, but not before the lieutenant and his party had inflicted heavy losses upon the enemy. His body, along with most of his party, was found in close proximity to 80 of the enemy dead, proof indeed that they had put up a gallant resistance: furthermore Lieutenant Pope had obeyed the order to hold the position to the last.

* Western Australian

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Alf recorded the memorial as: in Moeuvres Communal Cemetery Extension, France and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia

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