Personal info
- Name: Rev Edward Noel MELLISH
- D.O.B: 24th Dec, 1880
- D.O.A: 29th Mar, 1916
- D.O.D: 8th Jul, 1962
- Award: Victoria Cross
- Occupation at time of action: Temporary Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class, Army Chaplains’ Department, attached 4th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
St Eloi, Belgium 27-29 March 1916
27-29 March 1916
The First World War 1916
On 27 March 1916 at St Eloi, Belgium, about two miles south of Ypres on the Messines road, the British attacked a German position known as The Mound from which the enemy was shelling them. After a preliminary artillery barrage and the explosion of five mines, the British advanced and destroyed The Mound but suffered very heavy casualties.
Citation
For most conspicuous bravery. During heavy fighting on three consecutive days he repeatedly went backwards and forwards, under continuous and heavy shell and machine-gun fire, between our original trenches and those captured from the enemy, in order to tend and rescue wounded men. He brought in ten badly wounded men on the first day from ground swept by machine-gun fire, and three were actually killed while he was dressing their wounds. The battalion to which he was attached was relieved on the second day, but he went back and brought in twelve more wounded men. On the night of the third day he took charge of a party of volunteers and once more returned to the trenches to rescue the remaining wounded. This splendid work was quite voluntary on his part and outside the scope of his ordinary duties.