John Carroll VC (16 August 1891 – 4 October 1971) was an Australian 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. Born in Brisbane, Queensland to Irish parents, he moved to Western Australia while still a child. He worked as a labourer and railway guard before enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force as a private in April 1916. Joining the Australian 3rd Division, Carroll was originally a reinforcement for the 44th (Western Australia) Battalion before moving to the 33rd (New South Wales) Battalion in November 1916. On 7-12 June 1917 at St. Yves, Belgium, during the Battle of Messines, Private Carroll rushed the enemy's trench and bayoneted four of the occupants. He then noticed a comrade in difficulty and went to his assistance, killing another of the enemy. Next, he single-handedly attacked a machine-gun team, killing three of them and capturing the gun. Later, two of his comrades were buried by a shell; in spite of heavy shelling and machine-gun fire, he managed to rescue them. Carroll is notable for failing on three occasions to appear at Buckingham Palace for his Victoria Cross award ceremony. On the fourth occasion, he took advantage of one of the entitlements of VC winners to call out the Palace Guard. He later achieved the rank of Lance-Corporal. He was severely wounded at Passchendaele in October 1917. A lengthy rehabilitation was unsuccessful and after briefly returning to his unit, he was repatriated to Australia in August 1918. He died on 4 October 1971, at the age of 80, and is buried in Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth, Western Australia. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia.
References
- "One of a kind", Ross McMullin, Wartime Issue 29, 2005
