Percy Herbert Cherry
Captain, 26th Battalion (Queensland and Tasmania) Australian Imperial Force
- Register No.
- 208 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Captain all Captains →
- Unit
- 26th Battalion (Queensland and Tasmania) Australian Imperial Force (register: 26th Battalion, AIF) all AIF VCs →
- Date of action
- 26 March 1917 on this day → all of 1917 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 11th May 1917 on this day → all of 1917 →
- Born
- 4th June 1895 at Murradoc, Drysdale, Victoria, Australia
- Died
- 27th March 1917 at Lagnicourt, France. (killed in action
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- Queant Road Cemetery, France and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia
- Medal held by
- the Australian War Memorial, Canberra,
Digest of citation
On 26th March 1917 at Lagnicourt, France, Captain Cherry was commanding a company detailed to storm and clear a village. After, all the other officers of the company had become casualties, he carried on in the face of fierce opposition and cleared the village of the enemy. Having done this, he beat off most resolute and heavy counter-attacks. He was wounded in early next morning, but refused to leave his post and remained, encouraging his men to hold out at all costs, until in the afternoon he was killed by an enemy shell
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
CHERRY, Percy Herbert. (reg No. 208).
Captain 26th Battalion (Queensland and Tasmania) Australian Imperial Force.
London Gazetted on 11th May 1917.
VC Medal's Custodian is the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia.
Born on 4th June 1895 at Murradoc, Drysdale, Victoria, Australia.
Died on 27th March 1917 at Lagnicourt, France. (killed in action )
Memorials at Queant Road Cemetery, France and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia.
Digest of Citation reads: On 26th March 1917 at Lagnicourt, France, Captain Cherry was commanding a company detailed to storm and clear a village. After, all the other officers of the company had become casualties, he carried on in the face of fierce opposition and cleared the village of the enemy. Having done this, he beat off most resolute and heavy counter-attacks. He was wounded in early next morning, but refused to leave his post and remained, encouraging his men to hold out at all costs, until in the afternoon he was killed by an enemy shell.
Additional information: He also held the Military Cross (MC)
Additional information
He also held the Military Cross (MC)
Australia.
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Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: Queant Road Cemetery, France and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia
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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