Francis Alexander Caron Scrimger

Francis Alexander Caron Scrimger

Francis Alexander Caron Scrimger VC MD
Born (1880-02-10)February 10, 1880
Montreal, Quebec
Died February 13, 1937(1937-02-13) (aged 57)
Montreal
Buried at Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal
Allegiance Canada
Service/branch Canadian Expeditionary Force
Years of service 1912 - 1919
Rank Lieutenant Colonel
Unit Canadian Army Medical Corps (attached 14th Battalion, CEF)
Battles/wars World War I - Second Battle of Ypres
Awards Victoria Cross

Francis Alexander Caron Scrimger VC [1] (February 10, 1880 February 13, 1937), was a Canadian 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.[2]

Victoria Cross

During the Second Battle of Ypres on 25 April 1915 at Saint-Julien, Belgium, Captain Scrimger was in charge of an advanced dressing station in a farmhouse near Wieltje on the St. Julien-Ypres Road. The advancing enemy were bombarding the area with an intense shelling. The German infantry were within sight. Scrimger directed the removal of the wounded under the heavy fire. Captain Scrimger and a badly wounded Captain Macdonald were the last men left at the station. Scrimger carried the wounded officer out of the farmhouse to the road. The bombardment of shell forced Scrimger to stop and place Macdonald on the road. Scrimger then protected him with his own body. During a lull in the gunfire Scrimger again carried Macdonald toward help. When he was unable to carry him any further, he remained with the wounded man until help could be obtained.[3]

Legacy

His medals are held at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. They were donated by his descendants in 2005.[4]

Notes

  1. There seems to be some uncertainty about the spelling of Dr. Scrimger’s third name. A paper published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 1916 reports “Caron”, whereas a 1938 obituary (Howell, 1938) and the Canadian War Museum report “Carron”.
  2. Howell, 1938, p. 280.
  3. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29202. p. 6115. 22 June 1915. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  4. http://www.warmuseum.ca/media/news/francis-scrimgers-victoria-cross-donated-to-the-canadian-war-museum/

See also

References

External links

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