Samuel Frickleton

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Back row, Left to Right: Col. L.W. Andrew, Maj. R.S. Judson, Pte. J.D. Crichton, Lt. H.J. Laurent, Lt. C.R.G. Bassett.
Front row, Sg. J.D. Hinton, Lt. K. Elliott, Cpt. C.H. Upham, Sg. A.C. Hulme, Cpt. S. Frickleton, Lt. J.G. Grant.

Samuel Frickleton VC (1 April 1891 - 6 August 1971) was a New Zealand 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 26 years old, and a lance-corporal in the 3rd Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade, New Zealand Expeditionary Force during the First World War. He enlisted in 1915, and was discharged as medically unfit with tuberculosis. He re-enlisted in 1916. The following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 7 June 1917 at Messines, Belgium, Lance-Corporal Frickleton, although slightly wounded, dashed forward at the head of his section, pushed into our barrage and personally destroyed with bombs an enemy machine-gun and crew which was causing heavy casualties. He then attacked a second gun killing all the crew of 12. By the destruction of these two guns he undoubtedly saved his own and other units from very severe casualties. During the consolidation of this position he received a second severe wound. In WWI he was promoted to sergeant, then second lieutenant, and when he joined the Territorial Force in 1934 he was made captain.

Frickleton's grave.

Born in Slamannan, Stirlingshire, Scotland, and later a West Coast (coal) miner at the Blackball Mine at Blackball, New Zealand, he is also considered Scottish. He died in Wellington, New Zealand, and his grave is in Taita Serviceman's Cemetery, Naenae, New Zealand: Plot 1188, with headstone.

His Victoria Cross was displayed at the QEII Army Memorial Museum, Waiouru, New Zealand. On Sunday 2 December 2007 it was one of nine Victoria Crosses that were among a hundred medals stolen from the museum.^[1] On 16 February 2008 New Zealand Police announced all the medals had been recovered Stolen War Medals Recovered</ref>