37:
387:
defence against its effects and being under heavy shell fire, Warner remained in the trench, fending off all German attempts to gain entry. Once a lull in the fighting allowed, he moved back through the gas cloud, artillery bombardment and machine gun fire to gather reinforcements. Warner found some men from his battalion and guided them back into the danger area but soon after returning to the front trenches, he had to be carried back to the regimental aid post suffering from the effects of prolonged exposure to the gas.
110:
129:
391:
400:
The night quietened down and on the morning of 2 May Fred Brimm found his mortally wounded friend, Ted Warner, 'more dead than alive' at the nearby
Regimental Aid Post. He wrote: 'Ted was quite sensible to within half an hour of his death. He knew he was going and only wanted another chance to get at
363:
in April, he had written to his mother days earlier; "You will see in the papers that we have been in a tight corner. I think it’s the hottest place I have ever been in but, thank the Lord, I have been spared to get through alright. We have lost a lot killed and wounded. It was a proper death trap.
358:
had been due to complete his service in May 1915 but with dependants, 75-year-old widowed mother
Charlotte and new fiancée Maud Burton, waiting at home, was doubtless contemplating whether to extend his service or take the well-earned, honourable discharge that would be offered to him in the coming
421:
For most conspicuous bravery near ' Hill 60 ' on 1st May, 1915. After Trench 46 had been vacated by our troops, consequent on a gas attack, Private Warner entered it single-handed in order to prevent the enemy taking possession. Reinforcements were sent to
Private Warner, but could not reach him
386:
Warner's platoon held the right flank of the battalion line on the hill, every one of his colleagues being taken by the effects of gas as it rolled into their section. Regardless of the overwhelming numbers arrayed against him, the psychological effects of a new weapon such as gas, with no real
374:
Following almost two weeks of fierce fighting for control of 'Murder Hill', Warner and his battalion were due for relief once darkness arrived on 1 May 1915, but at 6.30 p.m. that evening, a German gas attack was launched against the defenders of the hill. On the right, the 1st
Battalion,
320:
When war was declared in August 1914, Private Warner was mobilised and rejoined the 1st
Battalion who were based in Ireland. He arrived on the Western Front with the battalion on 16 August 1914 and fought in the
406:
As is often the case with the earlier war deaths from around Ypres, Warner's grave was lost in the fighting that continued to rage in the salient for a further 42 months and he is remembered on the Ypres
622:
308:
in late 1903 as
Private 7602. Service in India followed, the battalion returning to England in 1908 at the end of its tour of foreign service. His term in the regulars complete, Warner became a
434:
His
Victoria Cross, along with his 1914 Star, Victory and British War Medals are displayed at the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regimental Museum, Wardown Park, Luton, Bedfordshire, England.
627:
612:
637:
647:
642:
617:
422:
owing to the gas. He then came back and brought up more men, by which time he was completely exhausted, but the trench was held until the enemy's attack ceased.
167:
583:
414:
The London
Gazette (29 June 1915) published the citation which accompanied the posthumous award of Edward Warner's Victoria Cross, reading:
529:
550:
360:
226:
632:
349:. Despite the high casualties his battalion sustained in these early battles, Warner came through with just a poisoned hand.
17:
364:
The dirty pigs could not have blown us to pieces fast enough so they tried to blind us but I am pleased to say I am safe.
182:
356:
of 1914, the campaigning season restarted and he found himself in the line around Hill 60, south-east of Ypres. He '
563:
338:
334:
285:
216:
211:
36:
296:, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry during the defence of Hill 60 on 1 May 1915.
277:
342:
312:
and worked at the Deep Well Boring Works, for the St. Albans council and the Post Office
Telephones Dept.
380:
346:
305:
221:
272:, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to
607:
602:
542:
376:
326:
204:
96:
492:
579:
575:
330:
199:
186:
487:
304:
Born and raised in St Albans, Warner worked as a straw hat finisher before enlisting in the
230:
143:
390:
571:
353:
128:
76:
322:
281:
273:
269:
261:
249:
194:
154:
115:
596:
80:
56:
475:
425:
This very gallant soldier died shortly afterwards from the effects of gas poisoning.
289:
132:
352:
After the winter's lull in fighting and Warner's battalion's involvement in the
293:
177:
408:
309:
52:
507:
401:
them again. His last words were "They’ve gone and done for me, the cowards.
418:
No. 7602 Private Edward Warner, 1st
Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment.
265:
84:
60:
567:
389:
379:
lost over 300 men in just moments, leaving the 1st Battalion,
508:"Victoria Cross holders and their known medal location"
394:
Edward Warner (VC) memorial at St. Albans War Memorial
329:, during the rearguard actions of the British Army's
623:
British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross
245:
173:
163:
153:
138:
121:
103:
90:
66:
46:
27:
359:weeks. Having come through the dreadful battle on
628:British military personnel killed in World War I
613:Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment soldiers
416:
558:Batchelor, Peter; Matson, Christopher (2011).
464:1st Bedfordshires. Part One; Mons to the Somme
451:1st Bedfordshires. Part One; Mons to the Somme
638:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross
8:
648:Participants of the Christmas truce of 1914
24:
16:For other people named Edward Warner, see
187:
442:
264:(18 November 1883 – 2 May 1915) was an
231:
643:Military personnel from Hertfordshire
618:British Army personnel of World War I
7:
551:The Register of the Victoria Cross
14:
127:
108:
35:
18:Edward Warner (disambiguation)
1:
496:. 29 June 1915. p. 6270.
383:on their left flank exposed.
411:) Memorial to the missing.
664:
564:VCs of the First World War
41:Warner on a cigarette card
15:
466:, Fighting High Ltd, p131
453:, Fighting High Ltd, p128
339:First Battle of the Aisne
335:First Battle of the Marne
286:The Bedfordshire Regiment
217:First Battle of the Aisne
212:First Battle of the Marne
34:
462:Fuller, Steven (2012),
449:Fuller, Steven (2012),
560:The Western Front 1915
427:
395:
284:in the 1st Battalion,
633:People from St Albans
393:
381:Bedfordshire Regiment
347:First Battle of Ypres
306:Bedfordshire Regiment
222:First Battle of Ypres
168:Bedfordshire Regiment
139:Years of service
554:(This England, 1997)
546:(David Harvey, 1999)
543:Monuments to Courage
512:victoriacross.org.uk
377:Devonshire Regiment
343:Battle of La Bassée
327:Battle of Le Cateau
205:Battle of Le Cateau
97:Menin Gate Memorial
530:Regimental profile
493:The London Gazette
396:
300:Before World War I
95:Remembered on the
585:978-0-7524-6057-4
576:The History Press
331:Retreat from Mons
280:forces. He was a
268:recipient of the
255:
254:
227:Battle of Hill 60
200:Retreat from Mons
655:
589:
523:
522:
520:
518:
504:
498:
497:
484:
478:
473:
467:
460:
454:
447:
233:
189:
148:
131:
123:
114:
112:
111:
73:
50:18 November 1883
39:
25:
663:
662:
658:
657:
656:
654:
653:
652:
593:
592:
586:
572:Gloucestershire
557:
538:
526:
516:
514:
506:
505:
501:
486:
485:
481:
474:
470:
461:
457:
448:
444:
440:
432:
372:
354:Christmas truce
318:
302:
144:
142:1903–1915
109:
107:
99:
91:Place of burial
75:
71:
51:
42:
30:
21:
12:
11:
5:
661:
659:
651:
650:
645:
640:
635:
630:
625:
620:
615:
610:
605:
595:
594:
591:
590:
584:
555:
547:
537:
534:
533:
532:
525:
524:
499:
479:
468:
455:
441:
439:
436:
431:
428:
371:
370:Victoria Cross
368:
323:Battle of Mons
317:
314:
301:
298:
270:Victoria Cross
253:
252:
250:Victoria Cross
247:
243:
242:
241:
240:
239:
238:
237:
236:
219:
214:
209:
208:
207:
197:
195:Battle of Mons
175:
171:
170:
165:
161:
160:
157:
155:Service number
151:
150:
140:
136:
135:
125:
119:
118:
116:United Kingdom
105:
101:
100:
94:
92:
88:
87:
74:(aged 31)
68:
64:
63:
48:
44:
43:
40:
32:
31:
28:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
660:
649:
646:
644:
641:
639:
636:
634:
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
619:
616:
614:
611:
609:
606:
604:
601:
600:
598:
587:
581:
577:
573:
569:
565:
561:
556:
553:
552:
548:
545:
544:
540:
539:
535:
531:
528:
527:
513:
509:
503:
500:
495:
494:
489:
483:
480:
477:
472:
469:
465:
459:
456:
452:
446:
443:
437:
435:
429:
426:
423:
419:
415:
412:
410:
404:
402:
392:
388:
384:
382:
378:
369:
367:
365:
362:
355:
350:
348:
344:
340:
336:
332:
328:
324:
315:
313:
311:
307:
299:
297:
295:
291:
287:
283:
279:
275:
271:
267:
263:
260:
259:Edward Warner
251:
248:
244:
234:
228:
225:
224:
223:
220:
218:
215:
213:
210:
206:
203:
202:
201:
198:
196:
193:
192:
190:
184:
183:Western Front
181:
180:
179:
176:
172:
169:
166:
162:
158:
156:
152:
149:
147:
141:
137:
134:
130:
126:
120:
117:
106:
102:
98:
93:
89:
86:
82:
81:Ypres salient
78:
69:
65:
62:
58:
57:Hertfordshire
54:
49:
45:
38:
33:
29:Edward Warner
26:
23:
19:
559:
549:
541:
536:Bibliography
515:. Retrieved
511:
502:
491:
482:
471:
463:
458:
450:
445:
433:
424:
420:
417:
413:
405:
399:
397:
385:
373:
357:
351:
319:
303:
290:British Army
278:Commonwealth
258:
256:
174:Battles/wars
145:
133:British Army
72:(1915-05-02)
22:
608:1915 deaths
603:1883 births
488:"No. 29210"
316:War service
294:World War I
178:World War I
597:Categories
476:CWGC entry
438:References
409:Menin Gate
104:Allegiance
70:2 May 1915
430:The medal
333:, at the
310:reservist
53:St Albans
345:and the
257:Private
122:Service/
517:10 July
361:Hill 60
292:during
282:private
274:British
266:English
229: (
185: (
146:†
85:Belgium
77:Hill 60
61:England
582:
568:Stroud
341:, the
337:, the
325:, the
246:Awards
124:branch
113:
580:ISBN
519:2024
276:and
164:Unit
159:7602
67:Died
47:Born
403:"’
366:"'
232:DOW
188:WIA
599::
578:.
574::
570:,
566:.
562:.
510:.
490:.
288:,
262:VC
191:)
83:,
79:,
59:,
55:,
588:.
521:.
407:(
398:'
235:)
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
