Albert Mountain

For the mountain in North Carolina, see Albert Mountain (North Carolina).
Albert Mountain
Born 19 April 1895
Leeds, West Yorkshire
Died 7 January 1967 (aged 71)
Leeds
Buried at Lawnswood Crematorium, Leeds
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Rank Sergeant
Unit The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment)
Battles/wars World War I
Awards Victoria Cross
Croix de guerre (France)
Médaille militaire

Albert Mountain VC (19 April 1895 7 January 1967) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross during the First World War, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Mountain won his VC while serving as a sergeant in the 15/17th Battalion, The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment), British Army. The citation for his VC reads:

On 21 March 1918 at Hamelincourt, France, when the situation was critical, Sergeant Mountain with a party of 10 men attacked an advance enemy patrol of about 200 strong with a Lewis gun, killing half of them. The sergeant then rallied his men in the face of overwhelming numbers of the main body of the enemy, to cover the retirement of the rest of the company – this party of one NCO and four men held at bay 600 of the enemy for half an hour. Sergeant Mountain later took command of the flank post of the battalion, holding on for 27 hours until finally surrounded.[1]

He was also awarded the Croix de guerre and Médaille militaire (France). His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire Museum, York, England.

References

  1. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30733. p. 6776. 4 June 1918. Retrieved 25 May 2015.

External links

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