Joseph Lister

Sergeant, 1st Battalion. Lancashire Fusiliers

VC
Register No.
747 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
Rank
Sergeant all Sergeants →
Unit
1st Battalion. Lancashire Fusiliers all Lancashire Fusiliers VCs →
Date of action
9 October 1917 on this day → all of 1917 →
Conflict / campaign
First World War
London Gazette
26th November, 1917 on this day → all of 1917 →
Born
19th October, 1886 at Higher Broughton, Salford, Lancashire
Died
19th January 1963 at Reddish, Stockport, Cheshire
Memorial / grave
at Willow Grove Cemetery, Reddish, Stockport

Digest of citation

On 9th October 1917 at a place East of Ypres, Belgium, seeing that machine-gun fire, coming from the direction of two pillboxes, was holding up the advance of his company, Sergeant Lister ran ahead of his men and found the gun firing from a shell-hole in front of the pillbox. He shot two of the Gunners causing the rest to surrender. Entering the pillbox he ordered the occupants to surrender. They all complied, with the exception of one man whom Sergeant Lister shot. This caused about 100 others, further to the rear, to come from the shelter of the shell holes and surrender

From Alf Askin's research notes

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

LISTER, Joseph. (reg No. 747).

Sergeant. 1st Battalion. Lancashire Fusiliers.

London Gazetted on 26th November, 1917.

Born on 19th October, 1886 at Higher Broughton, Salford, Lancashire.

Died on 19th January 1963 at Reddish, Stockport, Cheshire.

Memorial on grave at Willow Grove Cemetery, Reddish, Stockport.

Digest of Citation reads: On 9th October 1917 at a place East of Ypres, Belgium, seeing that machine-gun fire, coming from the direction of two pillboxes, was holding up the advance of his company, Sergeant Lister ran ahead of his men and found the gun firing from a shell-hole in front of the pillbox. He shot two of the Gunners causing the rest to surrender. Entering the pillbox he ordered the occupants to surrender. They all complied, with the exception of one man whom Sergeant Lister shot. This caused about 100 others, further to the rear, to come from the shelter of the shell holes and surrender.

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Alf recorded the memorial as: at Willow Grove Cemetery, Reddish, Stockport

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