Robert Dunsire VC (24 November 1891 – 30 January 1916) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Robert Dunsire VC | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 24 November 1891 Buckhaven, Fife, Scotland[1] |
| Died | 30 January 1916 (aged 24) Mazingarbe, France |
| Buried | Mazingarbe Communal Cemetery[1] |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1915–1916 † |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit | Royal Scots |
| Battles / wars | World War I |
| Awards |  Victoria Cross |
Dunsire was born in November 1891 to Thomas and Elizabeth Anderson Dunsire at Buckhaven in Fife.[2] At the outbreak of war in 1914, Robert was a miner at the Fife Coal Company's Rosie Pit[3] and married to Catherine Pitt. He enlisted in January 1915 joining the 13th Battalion, The Royal Scots (The Lothian Regiment), British Army. It was during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC for his actions during the Battle of Loos, on 26 September 1915.[4]
Citation
editFor most conspicuous bravery on Hill 70 on 26th Sept., 1915. Pte. Dunsire went out under very heavy fire and rescued a wounded man from between the firing lines. Later, when another man considerably nearer the German lines was heard shouting for help, he crawled out again with utter disregard to the enemy's fire and carried him in also. Shortly afterwards the Germans attacked over this ground.
He later achieved the rank of corporal. He was killed in action at Mazingarbe in France on 30 January 1916 and is buried there.[6]
His VC is displayed at the Royal Scots Museum, Edinburgh Castle, Scotland.[7][8]
References
edit- ^ a b Buzzell 1997, p. 97.
- ^ a b Dunsire, Robert, Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- ^ "Methil Heritage". Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
- ^ Batchelor & Matson 2011, pp. 208–209.
- ^ "No. 29371". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 November 1915. p. 11449.
- ^ "Mazingarbe Communal Cemetery". Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
- ^ Oldfield 2017, p. 268.
- ^ Batchelor & Matson 2011, p. 210.
- François Caron, Robert Dunsire : une Victoria Cross à Mazingarbe, bulletin du Comité Historique de Mazingarbe, n° 39, Mazingarbe, juin 2012.
- Methil Heritage
- Oldfield, Paul (2017). Victoria Crosses on the Western Front, 20th November 1917–23rd March 1918. Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1473827110.
- Batchelor, Peter; Matson, Christopher (2011). The Western Front 1915. VCs of the First World War. Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-6057-4.
- Buzzell, Nora, ed. (1997). The Register of the Victoria Cross. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: This England Alma House. ISBN 0-906324-27-0.
Further reading
edit- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
- Scotland's Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995)
- VCs of the First World War – The Western Front 1915 (Peter F. Batchelor & Christopher Matson, 1999)
External links
edit
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