Personal info

  • Name: Charles Ernest GARFORTH
  • D.O.B: 23rd Oct, 1891
  • D.O.A: 23rd Aug, 1914
  • D.O.D: 1st Jul, 1973
  • Award: Victoria Cross
  • Occupation at time of action: Corporal, 15th (The King’s) Hussars, 3rd Division
  • Book: The Complete History - Volume 2
View On Interactive Map

Sources & Acknowledgements

Harmignies, Belgium 23 August 1914; Retreat from Mons 3 September 1914

23 August and 3 September 1914

More details about:
The First World War 1914 

On 23 August 1914, as the Germans attacked the British Expeditionary Force in Belgium along the Mons-Condé Canal, a troop of 15th Hussars was caught in a barbed wire entanglement near Harmignies, on the Givry road, five miles south-east of Mons. Disregarding enemy machinegun fire, Corporal C E Garforth dismounted and cut the wire. Twice later during the retreat from Mons he defied enemy fire to save men whose horses had been shot from under them.

Citation

 At Harmignies on 23rd August volunteered to cut wire under fire which enabled his squadron to escape. At Dammartin he carried a man out of action. On 3rd September, when under maxim fire, he extricated a sergeant whose horse had been shot, and by opening fire for 3 minutes enabled the sergeant to get away safely. 

Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 13 November 1914. 16 November 1914, Numb. 28976, p. 9374. Repeated in The London Gazette of 17 November 1914, Numb. 28977, p. 9403

Copyright © 2023 VC and GC Association. All Rights Reserved. Created by Glide.Design