William Barnsley Allen

From Alf Askin's research notes

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

ALLEN William Barnsley (Reg.No.20)

Captain Royal Army Medical Corps attached to 246th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery .

VC Medal's Custodian is Army Medical Services Museum, Aldershot. (Keogh Barracks), Hampshire.

London Gazetted on 26th October1916 Born on: 8th June 1892 at Sheffield, Yorkshire.

Died on 27th October 1933 at Bracklesham, Near Chichester, Sussex.

Memorial on grave at Earnley Cemetery, Bracklesham Bay, Sussex.

Digest of Citation reads: On 3 September 1916, near Mesnil, France, when gun detachments were unloading high explosive ammunition, the enemy suddenly began to shell the battery position. The first shell fell on one of the limbers, exploded the ammunition and caused several casualties. Captain Allen at once ran across under heavy shell fire and started attending to the wounded. He himself was hit four times by pieces of shell, but he went coolly on with his work until the last man had been attended to and removed. He then went to tend a wounded officer and only then reported his own wounds.

Additional Information: Major Allen also had been awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) as well as the Military Cross (MC) and Bar. He died at the age of 41.

ALLEN, William Wilson. (Reg No 21.) (or ALLAN) Corporal, 2nd Battalion, The 24th Regiment. (Later South Wales Borderers)

London Gazetted on 2nd May 1879 VC Medal's Custodian is the South Wales Borderers Museum, Brecon, Wales.

Born around 1844 (Date not known) in Newcastle on Tyne..

Died on 12th March 1890 at Monmouth.

Memorial on grave at Monmouth Cemetery.

Digest of Citation reads: On 22nd and 23rd January 1879 at Rorke's Drift, Natal, South Africa, Corporal Allan and another man (See F. Hitch Reg. No.574) kept communication with the hospital open, despite being severely wounded. Their determined conduct enabled the patients to be withdrawn from the hospital, and when incapacitated by their wounds from fighting, they continued, as soon as their wounds were dressed, to serve out ammunition to their comrades during the night.

Additional information: William Allan later became a Sergeant Musketry Instructor. His Victoria Cross and campaign medal were bought by a Mr Philip Wilkins on the 21st of June 1906..