| Harold Ackroyd | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 July 1877 Southport, Lancashire |
| Died | 11 August 1917 Ypres, Belgium |
| Buried at | Burr Cross Roads Cemetery, Zillebeke |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1915-1917 † |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Royal Army Medical Corps |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Military Cross |
Harold Ackroyd VC, MC (18 July 1877 – 11 August 1917) was an English 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.
Ackroyd was born on 18 July 1877 the son of Edward Ackroyd of Southport. He was educated at Mintholme College, Southport, then Shrewsbury School and finally Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.[1] He was married, to Mabel.[2]
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At the outbreak of the war Ackroyd joined the army and was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Posted to 6th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) as medical officer, he accompanied the battalion to France in 1915 and served uninterrupted with the battalion until August 1916 when he was posted hom suffering from stress. During this period he was awarded the Military Cross
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during operations. He attended the wounded under heavy fire, and finally, when he had seen that all our wounded from behind the line had been got in, he went out beyond the front line and brought in both our own and enemy wounded, although continually sniped at.[3]
He rejoined the 6th Berkshires in December 1916 and continued his duties. During the Battle of Passchendaele his courage was rewarded with the award of the Victoria Cross for his actions on 31 July and 1 August 1917.
For most conspicuous bravery. During recent operations Capt. Ackroyd displayed the greatest gallantry and devotion to duty. Utterly regardless of danger, he worked continuously for many hours up and down and in front of the line tending the wounded and saving the lives of officers and men. In so doing he had to move across the open under heavy machine-gun, rifle and shell fire. He carried a wounded officer to a place of safety under very heavy fire. On another occasion he went some way in front of our advanced line and brought in a wounded man under continuous sniping and machine-gun fire. His heroism was the means of saving many lives, and provided a magnificent example of courage, cheerfulness, and determination to the fighting men in whose midst he was carrying out his splendid work. This gallant officer has since been killed in action.[4]
Only 11 days later on 11 August he was killed in action at Glencorse Wood, Ypres. His headstone at Burr Cross Roads Cemetery reads "Believed to be buried in this cemetery.[5][6]
The VC medal was returned to his family from the Army Services Medical Museum in 1994 and was sold to the Lord Ashcroft Trust in 2004. The money from the sale has been used to endow four scholarships and an annual memorial lecture at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge at which Ackroyd received his medical training.[6] The VC is on display at the Lord Ashcroft Gallery in the Imperial War Museum in London.