Hugo Vivian Hope Throssell

From Alf Askin's research notes

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

THROSSELL, Hugo Vivian Hope. (reg No.1214).

Second Lieutenant. 10th Light Horse Regiment. Australian Imperial Force.

London Gazetted on 15th October 1915.

VC Medal's Custodian is the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Austrailia.

Born 27th October 1884 at Northam , Western Australia.

Died on 19th November 1933 at Perth, Australia.

Memorial on a plaque at Greenmount, Australia and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia.

Digest of Citation reads: During operations on the Kaiakij Aghala, ( known as Hill 60), in the Gallipoli Peninsula on the 29th/30th August 1915, although a seriously wounded in several places during a counter-attack, Lieutenant Throssell refused to leave his post to receive medical assistance until he was satisfied that all danger was past. When he had his wounds dressed, he returned to the firing line until he was ordered out of the action by the Medical Officer. He was largely responsible, at that critical period, for saving the situation by his personal courage and fine example, by which he managed to keep up the spirits of his party.

Additional information:. Lieutenant Throssell was the youngest son of the Honourable George Throssell, CMG. At the beginning of the European War (WW I) he enlisted in the 10th Light Horse Regiment. He was first promoted to Sergeant and then gained a commission. For a time the Regiment was in Egypt before moving, dismounted, to Gallipoli, leaving Lieutenant Throssell in charge of the horses. He rejoined his regiment in Gallipoli Peninsula in time to take part, at Walker's Ridge, in the now famous charge of the Light Horse Brigade on the 7th August 1915. He was invalided to England suffering from meningitis, before returning to his regiment, which was then serving in Egypt and on to Palestine. On his return to Australia, he married Katharine Susannah Prichard, the prize-winning author of "The Pioneers," a tale of Australian life. He did sterling work for the Discharged Soldier's Association in Western Australia.