Edmund De Wind

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photo submitted by Neil Hutton

Edmund De Wind, VC (11 December 1883-21 March 1918) born Comber, County Down, Ireland was a Canadian (also considered Irish) 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.

He was 34 years old, and a Second Lieutenant in the 15th Battalion, The Royal Irish Rifles, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

It was during the First Battle of the Somme on 21 March 1918, at the Racecourse Redoubt, near Groagie, France, that for seven hours, Second Lieutenant De Wind held this important post and though twice wounded and practically single-handed, he maintained his position until another section could be sent to his help. On two occasions, with two NCOs only, he got out on top under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire and cleared the enemy out of the trench, killing many of them. He continued to repel attack after attack until he was mortally wounded and collapsed.

[edit] Remarks

Named on Poziers Monument. Mount De Wind, Alberta, Canada named after this VC recipient. A housing estate in his home town of Comber is also named in his honour. A plaque memorial was erected in his old school, Campbell College, Belfast. Edmund was officially remembered in Comber on Friday 14th September 2007 through the unveiling of an Ulster History Circle "Blue Plaque" in his honour. The first memorial to de Wind is a pillar his mother caused to be carved at the main entrance on the west front of St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast. The pillar bears his name and the date of his death. The west front was dedicated to the men from Northern Ireland who died in the Great War. It was dedicated in 1927.