John James Dwyer
Sergeant (later Lieutenant, 4th Company, Machine-Gun Corps
- Register No.
- 366 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Sergeant (later Lieutenant (register: Sergeant) all Sergeants →
- Unit
- 4th Company, Machine-Gun Corps (register: Australian Machine Gun Corps) all Australian Machine Gun Corps VCs →
- Date of action
- 26 September 1917 on this day → all of 1917 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 26th November 1917 on this day → all of 1917 →
- Born
- 9th March 1890 at Lovett, Port Cygnet, Tasmania
- Died
- 17th January 1962 at Bruny Island, Tasmania
- Memorial / grave
- grave in Hobart Cemetery, Tasmania, and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra
- Medal held by
- the Australian War Memorial, Canberra,
Digest of citation
On 26th September 1917, at Zonnebeke, Belgium, Sergeant Dwyer, in charge of a Vickers machine gun, during an advanced, rushed his gun forward to within 30 yards an enemy machine gun, fired point-blank at it and killed the crew. He then seized the gun and carried it back across the shell swept ground to our front line. On the following day, when the position was being heavily shelled, and his Vickers gun was blown up, he took his team through the enemy barrage and fetched a reserve gun which he put into use in the shortest possible time
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
DWYER, John James. (reg No. 366).
Sergeant (later Lieutenant. 4th Company, Machine-Gun Corps. Australian Imperial Force.
London Gazetted on 26th November 1917.
VC Medal's Custodian is the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia.
Born on 9th March 1890 at Lovett, Port Cygnet, Tasmania.
Died on 17th January 1962 at Bruny Island, Tasmania.
Memorial at grave in Hobart Cemetery, Tasmania, and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
Digest of Citation reads: On 26th September 1917, at Zonnebeke, Belgium, Sergeant Dwyer, in charge of a Vickers machine gun, during an advanced, rushed his gun forward to within 30 yards an enemy machine gun, fired point-blank at it and killed the crew. He then seized the gun and carried it back across the shell swept ground to our front line. On the following day, when the position was being heavily shelled, and his Vickers gun was blown up, he took his team through the enemy barrage and fetched a reserve gun which he put into use in the shortest possible time.
Additional information:. He became Speaker of the Tasmanian House of Assembly in 1941-48, the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries from 1948-61 and the Deputy Premier from 1958-61.
Additional information
He became Speaker of the Tasmanian House of Assembly in 1941-48, the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries from 1948-61 and the Deputy Premier from 1958-61.
Australian Imperial Force.
Australia.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: grave in Hobart Cemetery, Tasmania, and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra
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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