Wilfred Dolby Fuller

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wilfred Dolby Fuller (born 28th July 1893 in the Nottinghamshire village of east Kirby near Mansfield), received 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), when he just 21 years old. He was a Lance Corporal serving in the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards as a member of the "bombing party" during the First World War.

He was 21 years old, and a lance-corporal in the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 12 March 1915 at Neuve Chapelle, France, Lance-Corporal Fuller saw a party of the enemy trying to escape along a communication trench. He ran towards them and killed the leading man with a bomb; the remainder (nearly 50) seeing no means of evading his bombs, all surrendered to him. Lance-Corporal Fuller was quite alone at the time.

He received his Victoria Cross from King George V at Buckingham Palace on 4th June 1915. In September of the same year, at the express wish of the Tsar of Russia, he was also decorated by the King at Sheffield with the Russian Order of St George.

In March 1916 he married Helena Mat Wheeler, a Somerset girl, who was a nurse at the Hammersmith Hospital. Later the same year Corporal Fuller was discharged from the Army on medical grounds and towards the end of the year joined the Somerset Constabulary. He served at Milverton, Ilminster,Clevedon, Nunney and finally Frome where he performed his duties from Rodden Road police station. He retired from the police service on medical grounds in 1939 and took up residence in Frome.

Wilfred and Helena had two daughters and a later adopted a son.

He died aged 54 on 22nd November 1947 and lies buried at Christ Church, Frome, Somerset.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Guards Regimental Headquarters (Guards Museum), London, England.