Knowledge (XXG)

Edward Colquhoun Charlton

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Guards a respite in which to reorganise and retire. He continued firing, even when he was wounded in his left arm. Charlton placed the machine gun on a fence, where he launched a further attack, before his left arm was hit again, becoming shattered and useless. Charlton fought on, until a further wound and loss of blood resulted in the guardsman collapsing. His stand enabled the rest of the Irish Guards troop and infantry to escape. He later died of the wounds in enemy hands.
192: 109: 89: 271:, the last Victoria Cross of the European theatre, and the last awarded to a member of the Irish Guards. Unusually, much of the citation was based on German accounts of the fight, as most of his later actions had not been witnessed by any of the Guards officers or surviving non-commissioned officers. His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Guards Regimental Headquarters (Irish Guards RHQ), 263:
and support the infantry. The Irish Guards were in danger of being overrun. Charlton, on his own initiative, took the machine gun and advanced in full view of the attacking Germans, firing from the hip and inflicting heavy casualties. The lead German company was halted, which gave the rest of the
33: 256:, attempted to re-take. The numerically superior German forces consisted largely of officer cadets under the command of experienced instructor officers, supported by two or three self-propelled guns. 457: 259:
Three of the four Irish Guards tanks were badly hit, while Charlton's had already been disabled by a complete electrical failure before the attack began. Charlton was ordered to dismount the turret
477: 467: 462: 482: 472: 403:(magazine) No. 49, 1985. Contains additional memoirs of the surviving Irish Guards officers and men and German officers which correct the original citation. 253: 244:. On 21 April 1945 Guardsman Charlton was a co-driver of one tank of a troop that was supporting an infantry platoon. They occupied the village of 447: 169: 388: 312: 452: 164: 260: 233: 218: 74: 213:, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to 442: 437: 272: 337: 342: 283: 191: 32: 384: 308: 399: 173: 125: 268: 214: 210: 206: 195: 94: 431: 413: 49: 45: 422: 241: 237: 229: 159: 149: 114: 418: 225: 139: 279: 249: 245: 62: 305:
Monty's Greatest Victory: The Drive for the Baltic April – May 1945
209:(15 June 1920 – 21 April 1945) was an English recipient of the 252:, which a unit from Panzergrenadier Regiment 115, part of the 458:
British World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross
186: 155: 145: 135: 120: 100: 82: 69: 56: 39: 23: 397:"Europe's Last VC – Guardsman Edward Charlton", 381:British VCs of World War 2: A Study in Heroism 478:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany 468:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross 463:British Army personnel killed in World War II 8: 346:(Supplement). 30 April 1946. p. 2119. 31: 20: 295: 174: 483:Military personnel from Tyne and Wear 473:British World War II prisoners of war 307:. Pen & Sword Books. p. 84. 7: 278:A road is named after Charlton in 267:Charlton was awarded a posthumous 170:Western Allied invasion of Germany 14: 190: 107: 87: 16:Recipient of the Victoria Cross 1: 254:15th Panzergrenadier Division 499: 448:People from Rowlands Gill 419:Edward Colquhoun Charlton 303:Whiting, Charles (2002). 261:0.30 Browning machine gun 204:Edward Colquhoun Charlton 30: 25:Edward Colquhoun Charlton 234:Guards Armoured Division 286:, near where he lived. 75:Becklingen War Cemetery 60:21 April 1945 (aged 24) 228:in the 2nd Battalion, 453:Irish Guards soldiers 383:. Sutton Publishing. 379:John, Laffin (1997). 121:Years of service 275:, London, England. 273:Wellington Barracks 343:The London Gazette 284:Greater Manchester 201: 200: 490: 400:After the Battle 394: 366: 365:Whiting, page 87 363: 357: 356:Whiting, page 86 354: 348: 347: 334: 328: 327:Whiting, page 86 325: 319: 318: 300: 242:Second World War 194: 176: 130: 113: 111: 110: 102: 93: 91: 90: 35: 21: 498: 497: 493: 492: 491: 489: 488: 487: 428: 427: 410: 391: 378: 375: 370: 369: 364: 360: 355: 351: 336: 335: 331: 326: 322: 315: 302: 301: 297: 292: 224:Charlton was a 126: 108: 106: 88: 86: 78: 61: 44: 26: 17: 12: 11: 5: 496: 494: 486: 485: 480: 475: 470: 465: 460: 455: 450: 445: 440: 430: 429: 426: 425: 416: 409: 408:External links 406: 405: 404: 395: 389: 374: 371: 368: 367: 358: 349: 329: 320: 313: 294: 293: 291: 288: 269:Victoria Cross 211:Victoria Cross 199: 198: 196:Victoria Cross 188: 184: 183: 182: 181: 180: 179: 157: 153: 152: 147: 143: 142: 137: 133: 132: 122: 118: 117: 104: 98: 97: 95:United Kingdom 84: 80: 79: 73: 71: 67: 66: 65:, Nazi Germany 58: 54: 53: 41: 37: 36: 28: 27: 24: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 495: 484: 481: 479: 476: 474: 471: 469: 466: 464: 461: 459: 456: 454: 451: 449: 446: 444: 441: 439: 436: 435: 433: 424: 420: 417: 415: 412: 411: 407: 402: 401: 396: 392: 390:0-7509-1026-7 386: 382: 377: 376: 372: 362: 359: 353: 350: 345: 344: 339: 333: 330: 324: 321: 316: 314:0-85052-909-3 310: 306: 299: 296: 289: 287: 285: 281: 276: 274: 270: 265: 262: 257: 255: 251: 247: 243: 239: 235: 231: 227: 222: 220: 216: 212: 208: 205: 197: 193: 189: 185: 177: 171: 168: 167: 166: 165:Western Front 163: 162: 161: 158: 154: 151: 148: 144: 141: 138: 134: 131: 129: 124:1940–45  123: 119: 116: 105: 99: 96: 85: 81: 76: 72: 68: 64: 59: 55: 51: 50:County Durham 47: 46:Rowlands Gill 42: 38: 34: 29: 22: 19: 423:Find a Grave 398: 380: 361: 352: 341: 332: 323: 304: 298: 277: 266: 258: 238:British Army 230:Irish Guards 223: 219:Commonwealth 203: 202: 160:World War II 156:Battles/wars 150:Irish Guards 127: 115:British Army 43:15 June 1920 18: 443:1945 deaths 438:1920 births 338:"No. 37551" 240:during the 432:Categories 414:CWGC entry 373:References 83:Allegiance 226:guardsman 140:Guardsman 77:, Germany 52:, England 280:Firswood 221:forces. 101:Service/ 250:Germany 246:Wistedt 215:British 172: ( 128:† 63:Wistedt 387:  311:  187:Awards 112:  103:branch 92:  70:Buried 290:Notes 385:ISBN 309:ISBN 217:and 146:Unit 136:Rank 57:Died 40:Born 421:at 175:DOW 434:: 340:. 282:, 248:, 236:, 232:, 207:VC 48:, 393:. 317:. 178:)

Index


Rowlands Gill
County Durham
Wistedt
Becklingen War Cemetery
United Kingdom
British Army

Guardsman
Irish Guards
World War II
Western Front
Western Allied invasion of Germany
DOW

Victoria Cross
VC
Victoria Cross
British
Commonwealth
guardsman
Irish Guards
Guards Armoured Division
British Army
Second World War
Wistedt
Germany
15th Panzergrenadier Division
0.30 Browning machine gun
Victoria Cross

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