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The youngest son of Rev. G. H. Woolley, Old
Riffhams, Danbury, Essex, he was educated at St John's School, Leatherhead, and Queen's College, Oxford. While at the University he joined the Officers' Training Corps. He studied for Holy Orders, and is all but a curate of the Church of England, inasmuch
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For most conspicuous bravery on "Hill 60" during the night of 20th–21st April, 1915. Although the only
Officer on the hill at the time, and with very few men, he successfully resisted all attacks on his trench, and continued throwing bombs and encouraging his men till relieved. His trench
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Woolley's company were sent up on the afternoon of 20 April to take ammunition supplies to the defenders. The situation quickly deteriorated, with many men and all the other officers on the hill being killed. Woolley refused verbal and written orders to withdraw, saying he and his company would
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remain until properly relieved. They repelled numerous attacks through the night. When they were relieved the next morning, he returned with 14 men remaining from the 150-strong company. The citation for the
Victoria Cross he was awarded for this action reads:
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until he was invalided back to
England suffering from poison gas and psychological effects. When Woolley had recovered, he was appointed as an instructor at the Officers Infantry School. He returned to the Western Front in summer 1916 as a
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during all this time was being heavily shelled and bombed and was subjected to heavy machine gun fire by the enemy.
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313:, in London, and his wife Sarah. He had seven sisters and three brothers, including the famous archaeologist Sir
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as he was on the eve of being ordained when, at the age of twenty-three, he decided to fight for his country.
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pilot, was posted to North Africa in the same month, and killed in early
December 1942 in a battle over
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478:, in 1944. In 1952, finding it difficult to climb the hill, he resigned his commission and moved to be
289:, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to
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365:, a low rise to the south-east of Ypres. In the midst of fierce German efforts to retake the hill,
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in 1943 "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in North Africa." His son Harold, a
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In
January 1940 Woolley resigned from the school and was commissioned into the
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area in
November 1942, reaching the rank of Chaplain to the Forces 3rd Class (
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Victoria
Crosses on the Western Front August 1914–April 1915: Mons to Hill 60
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A pocket-book of prayers for those on active service and for those at home
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539:, A & C Black, 1920–2015; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014
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321:, a colonial administrator and ethnographer. Woolley was educated at
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Woolley was the son of a clergyman, Rev. George
Herbert Woolley, the
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After the war
Woolley resumed the study of theology at Oxford, was
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Staff. After the war, Woolley was one of many officers awarded the
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622:, p. 36: "A rest for shattered nerves was obviously required".
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Two days later Woolley was promoted directly to the rank of
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Military personnel from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
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British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross
673:"Casualty Details: Woolley, Harold Lindsay Cathcart"
486:, Sussex, where he stayed until he retired in 1958.
440:, Hampshire, before moving on to the chaplaincy of
383:. He saw further action in the early stages of the
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814:People educated at St John's School, Leatherhead
459:). With several other officers he was appointed
432:. In 1923 he resigned his commission and became
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357:The Queen Victoria's Rifles were posted to the
689:Batchelor, Peter; Matson, Christopher (2011).
661:(Supplement). 14 September 1943. p. 4119.
428:in December 1920, and took a teaching post at
361:. On 17 April 1915, the British Army captured
341:, the 9th (County of London) Battalion of the
824:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross
8:
829:People educated at Parmiter's School, London
784:Officers of the Order of the British Empire
522:(autobiography), Ernest Benn, London, 1963
451:. He was appointed Senior Chaplain of the
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794:Royal Army Chaplains' Department officers
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609:(Supplement). 22 May 1915. p. 4990.
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269:(14 May 1892 – 10 December 1968) was a
809:British Army personnel of World War II
585:. London: G. G. Harrap & company.
819:Alumni of the Queen's College, Oxford
804:British Army personnel of World War I
799:20th-century English Anglican priests
675:. Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
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418:St Mary's Church, West Chiltington
106:St Mary's Church, West Chiltington
14:
789:Recipients of the Military Cross
779:Queen Victoria's Rifles officers
510:(verse), Blackwell, Oxford, 1935
498:(verse), Blackwell, Oxford, 1929
449:Royal Army Chaplains' Department
191:Royal Army Chaplains' Department
474:Woolley took on the parish of
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533:WOOLLEY, Rev. Geoffrey Harold
476:St Mary's, Harrow on the Hill
327:St John's School, Leatherhead
277:priest, and Second World War
834:People from West Chiltington
641:. 30 May 1919. p. 6836.
416:Geoffrey Woolley's grave at
579:"The Two Heroes of Hill 60"
504:, Ernest Benn, London, 1930
331:The Queen's College, Oxford
281:. He was the first British
219:Order of the British Empire
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844:Territorial Force officers
839:People from West Grinstead
695:VCs of the First World War
285:officer to be awarded the
87:10 December 1968 (aged 76)
769:People from Bethnal Green
577:Leask, George A. (1916).
516:, SCM Press, London, 1940
496:The Epic of the Mountains
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301:Early life and education
716:Oldfield, Paul (2014).
583:V. C. Heroes of the War
402:King's Birthday Honours
339:Queen Victoria's Rifles
319:George Cathcart Woolley
247:Geoffrey Harold Woolley
238:George Cathcart Woolley
62:Geoffrey Harold Woolley
759:Burials in West Sussex
691:The Western Front 1915
566:. London: Ernest Benn.
508:A Journey to Palestine
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385:Second Battle of Ypres
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127:50.954425°N 0.449911°W
562:G.H. Woolley (1963).
415:
390:General Staff Officer
165:Years of service
168:1914–1920, 1940–1944
132:50.954425; -0.449911
722:Pen and Sword Books
620:Sometimes a Soldier
564:Sometimes a Soldier
520:Sometimes a Soldier
233:Sir Leonard Woolley
123: /
658:The London Gazette
638:The London Gazette
606:The London Gazette
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273:infantry officer,
708:978-0-7524-6057-4
699:The History Press
502:Fear and Religion
367:Second Lieutenant
325:, Bethnal Green,
323:Parmiter's School
309:of St Matthew’s,
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159:British Army
23:The Reverend
15:
754:1968 deaths
749:1892 births
653:"No. 36173"
633:"No. 31370"
601:"No. 29170"
537:Who Was Who
130: /
94:West Sussex
70:14 May 1892
743:Categories
527:References
408:Later life
394:Third Army
143:Allegiance
115:50°57′16″N
59:Birth name
404:of 1919.
240:(brother)
235:(brother)
229:Relations
118:0°27′00″W
96:, England
79:, England
465:Spitfire
426:ordained
420:, Sussex
297:forces.
153:Service/
453:Algiers
400:in the
381:Captain
363:Hill 60
345:of the
291:British
728:
705:
480:rector
307:curate
211:Awards
155:branch
101:Buried
77:London
469:Tunis
457:Major
434:vicar
264:
262:,
257:
255:,
177:Major
40:
36:
726:ISBN
703:ISBN
329:and
317:and
293:and
183:Unit
173:Rank
84:Died
67:Born
482:of
461:OBE
436:of
259:OBE
38:OBE
745::
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635:.
603:.
581:.
546:^
535:,
471:.
444:.
349:.
266:MC
252:VC
249:,
92:,
75:,
42:MC
34:VC
734:.
711:.
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