Personal info
- Name: Frederick Maurice Watson HARVEY
- D.O.B: 1st Sep, 1888
- D.O.A: 27th Apr, 1917
- D.O.D: 24th Aug, 1980
- Award: Victoria Cross
- Occupation at time of action: Lieutenant, ‘C’ Squadron, Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians), Canadian Cavalry Brigade, Canadian Expeditionary Force
- Book: The Complete History - Volume 2
Guyencourt, France 27 March 1917
27 March 1917
The First World War 1917
On 24 March 1917 the Canadian Cavalry Brigade was ordered to attack German positions along a twelve-mile front east of Combles and north-east of Péronne. In the course of the advance, at 5.15pm on 27 March, having been delayed by a heavy snow-storm, the Fort Garry Horse and Lord Strathcona’s Horse advanced on Guyencourt. Lieutenant F M W Harvey’s gallant assault on a strategically placed enemy machine-gun materially assisted the capture of the village.
Citation
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. During an attack by his regiment on a village a party of the enemy ran forward to a wired trench just in front of the village and opened rapid rifle and machine gun fire at a very close range, causing heavy casualties in the leading troop. At this critical moment, when the enemy showed no intention whatever of retiring and fire was still intense, Lt. Harvey, who was in command of the leading troop, ran forward well ahead of his men and dashed at the trench, still fully manned, jumped the wire, shot the machine gunner and captured the gun. His most courageous act undoubtedly had a decisive effect on the success of the operation.