Robert Mactier
Private, 23rd Battalion. * Australian Imperial Force
- Register No.
- 818 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Private all Privates →
- Unit
- 23rd Battalion. * Australian Imperial Force (register: 23rd Battalion, AIF) all AIF VCs →
- Date of action
- 1 September 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 14th December 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
- Born
- 17th May 1890 at Tatura, Victoria, Australia
- Died
- in action on the 1st September 1918 near Peronne, France
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- at Hem Farm Military Cemetery, France and on three the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia
Digest of citation
On the morning of the 1st September, 1918, an attack was mounted on the village of Mont St Quentin, France, prior to the advance of Private Mactier's Battalion. It was vital that several enemy strong points, close to our lines, were cleared out. The bombing parties sent forward had failed in this and thus, the Battalion was pinned down. Single-handed, Private Mactier leapt from the trench, rushing past the block he closed on the Machine-Gun garrison, killed the eight-man crew with his revolver and threw the machine gun over the parapet. Rushing forward another 20 yards, he launched himself into another strong point, held by six of the enemy, all of whom surrendered. Going on through the trench to the next block, he disposed of another machine gun which and supplying devastating fire across the flank of the advancing troops. He was then killed by another machine gun from close range. His action enabled us Battalion to go on and capture Mont San Quentin
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
MACTIER, Robert. (reg No. 818).
Private. 23rd Battalion. * Australian Imperial Force.
London Gazetted on 14th December 1918.
Born on 17th May 1890 at Tatura, Victoria, Australia.
Killed in action on the 1st September 1918 near Peronne, France.
Memorial on grave at Hem Farm Military Cemetery, France and on three the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia.
Digest of Citation reads: On the morning of the 1st September, 1918, an attack was mounted on the village of Mont St Quentin, France, prior to the advance of Private Mactier's Battalion. It was vital that several enemy strong points, close to our lines, were cleared out. The bombing parties sent forward had failed in this and thus, the Battalion was pinned down. Single-handed, Private Mactier leapt from the trench, rushing past the block he closed on the Machine-Gun garrison, killed the eight-man crew with his revolver and threw the machine gun over the parapet. Rushing forward another 20 yards, he launched himself into another strong point, held by six of the enemy, all of whom surrendered. Going on through the trench to the next block, he disposed of another machine gun which and supplying devastating fire across the flank of the advancing troops. He was then killed by another machine gun from close range. His action enabled us Battalion to go on and capture Mont San Quentin..
* Victoria.
* Victoria.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: at Hem Farm Military Cemetery, France and on three 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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