Richard Wallace Annand
Second Lieutenant (later Captaain), 2nd Battalion The Durham Light Infantry
- Register No.
- 34 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Second Lieutenant (later Captaain) (register: Second Lieutenant) all Second Lieutenants →
- Unit
- 2nd Battalion The Durham Light Infantry all Durham Light Infantry VCs →
- Date of action
- 15 May 1940 on this day → all of 1940 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second World War
- London Gazette
- 23rd August 1940 on this day → all of 1940 →
- Born
- 5th November 1915 at South Shields, County Durham
- Died
- 24th December 2004
Digest of citation
On 15th/16th May, 1940, on the South side of the River Dyle, Belgium, Second Lieutenant Annand in command of the platoon astride a bridge that had been blown. During the night an attack by the enemy had been beaten off but the following morning they again launched a savage attack pushing forward a bridging party. Lieutenant Annand attacked this party. Ammunition having been consumed Lieutenant Annand moved forward inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy with hand-grenades, all the time under machine gun and mortar fire. On reaching the top of the bridge he inflicted at least 20 casualties and causing the enemy party to withdraw by his excellent use of hand grenades. He was wounded and went to rejoin his platoon. After having his wound dressed, he made another attack on the enemy that same evening, causing heavy casualties once more using grenades.. Later, when the position became hopeless and the platoon was ordered to withdraw, Lieutenant Annand discovered that his batman, Private Joseph Hunter was wounded. He returned at once to the former position and brought the man back in a wheelbarrow before collapsing from exhaustion and loss of blood. Unfortunately Hunter was captured and died of his wounds in a Dutch Hospital
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
ANNAND, Richard Wallace (Reg. No. 34)
Second Lieutenant (later Captaain) 2nd Battalion The Durham Light Infantry.
London Gazetted on 23rd August 1940 Born on 5th November 1915 at South Shields, County Durham.
Died on 24th December 2004. Attended VC dedication at Westminster Abbey on 14th May 20003 Digest of Citation reads: On 15th/16th May, 1940, on the South side of the River Dyle, Belgium, Second Lieutenant Annand in command of the platoon astride a bridge that had been blown. During the night an attack by the enemy had been beaten off but the following morning they again launched a savage attack pushing forward a bridging party. Lieutenant Annand attacked this party. Ammunition having been consumed Lieutenant Annand moved forward inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy with hand-grenades, all the time under machine gun and mortar fire. On reaching the top of the bridge he inflicted at least 20 casualties and causing the enemy party to withdraw by his excellent use of hand grenades. He was wounded and went to rejoin his platoon. After having his wound dressed, he made another attack on the enemy that same evening, causing heavy casualties once more using grenades.. Later, when the position became hopeless and the platoon was ordered to withdraw, Lieutenant Annand discovered that his batman, Private Joseph Hunter was wounded. He returned at once to the former position and brought the man back in a wheelbarrow before collapsing from exhaustion and loss of blood. Unfortunately Hunter was captured and died of his wounds in a Dutch Hospital.
Attended VC dedication at Westminster Abbey on 14th May 20003
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