Personal info

• Name: Albert MOUNTAIN
• D.O.B: 19th Apr, 1895
• D.O.A: 27th Mar, 1918
• D.O.D: 7th Jan, 1967
• Award: Victoria Cross
• Occupation at time of action: Sergeant, 15th/17th Battalion The Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regiment), 93rd Brigade, 31st Division
• Book: The Complete History - Volume 2

Sources & Acknowledgements

Citation

 For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty during an enemy attack, when his company was in an exposed position on a sunken road, having hastily dug themselves in. Owing to the intense artillery fire, they were obliged to vacate the road and fall back. The enemy in the meantime was advancing in mass preceded by an advanced patrol about 200 strong. The situation was critical, and volunteers for a counter-attack were called for. Sjt. Mountain immediately stepped forward, and his party of ten men followed him. He then advanced on the flank with a Lewis gun and brought enfilade fire to bear on the enemy patrol, killing about 100. In the meantime the remainder of the Company made a frontal attack, and the entire enemy patrol was cut up and thirty prisoners taken. At this time the enemy main body appeared and the men, who were numerically many times weaker than the enemy, began to waver. Sjt. Mountain rallied and organised his party and formed a defensive position from which to cover the retirement of the rest of the Company and the prisoners. With this party of one Non-commissioned Officer and four men he successfully held at bay 600 of the enemy for half an hour, eventually retiring and rejoining his Company. He then took command of the flank post of the Battalion which was “in the air,” and held on there for 27 hours until finally surrounded by the enemy. Sjt. Mountain was one of the few who managed to fight their way back. His supreme fearlessness and initiative undoubtedly saved the whole situation.