Second Lieutenant John Spencer Dunville VC

IN HONOUR OF/ SECOND LIEUTENANT JOHN SPENCER DUNVILLE VC/ 1ST ROYAL DRAGOONS/ SECOND SON OF VIOLET AND JOHN DUNVILLE OF REDBURN HOLYWOOD/ BORN MAY 7TH 1896 DIED IN FRANCE JUNE 26TH 1917/ OF WOUNDS RECEIVED IN ACTION ON THE PREVIOUS DAY/ AGED 21 YEARS/ VICTORIA CROSS AWARDED FOR THE MOST CONSPICUOUS BRAVERY/ WHEN IN CHARGE OF A PARTY CONSISTING OF SCOUTS AND ROYAL ENGINEERS ENGAGED IN THE/ DEMOLITION OF THE ENEMY’S WIRE, THIS OFFICER DISPLAYED GREAT GALLANTRY AND /DISREGARD OF ALL PERSONAL DANGER. IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE ABSOLUTE SUCCESS OF THE /WORK ENTRUSTED TO HIM, SECOND LIEUTENANT DUNVILLE PLACED HIMSELF BETWEEN AN NCO/ OF THE ROYAL ENGINEERS AND THE ENEMY’S FIRE, AND THUS PROTECTED, THIS NCO WAS/ ENABLED TO COMPLETE A WORK OF GREAT IMPORTANCE. SECOND LIEUTENANT DUNVILLE,/ ALTHOUGH SEVERELY WOUNDED, CONTINUED TO DIRECT HIS MEN IN THE WIRE-CUTTING AND/ GENERAL OPERATIONS UNTIL THE RAID WAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED, THEREBY SETTING A/ MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE OF COURAGE, DETERMINATION AND DEVOTION TO DUTY, TO ALL RANKS/ UNDER HIS COMMAND./ THIS GALLANT OFFICER HAS SINCE SUCCUMBED TO HIS WOUNDS/ WAR OFFICE 2ND AUGUST 1917// LT COLONEL WORMALD COMMANDING THE ROYAL DRAGOONS WHEN INFORMING HIS PARENTS OF/ THE DEATH OF THEIR SON WRITES AS FOLLOWS:/ I MUST GIVE YOU AN ACCOUNT OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH HE WAS KILLED TO/ ENABLE YOU TO APPRECIATE HIS BRAVERY. A RAID WAS ORDERED TO BE UNDERTAKEN ON THE/ GERMAN LINES AT 1.00 AM ON JUNE 25TH AND THE ROYALS WERE DETAILED TO CARRY IT OUT./ /TWO PARTIES EACH CONSISTING OF 50 ROYALS AND 3 SAPPERS CARRYING TORPEDO BOMBS FOR /DESTROYING THE ENEMY’S WIRE WERE TOLD OFF. JOHNNIE WHO WAS SCOUT OFFICER HAD THE/ DIRECTION OF THE RIGHT PARTY AND LED THEM ON COMPASS BEARING OVER 800 YARDS TO THE/ PLACE TO BE ATTACKED ARRIVING THERE PUNCTUALLY AT THE SCHEDULED TIME./ THIS WAS NO EASY TASK AND WAS SPLENDIDLY DONE. WHEN THEY REACHED THE MAIN WIRE IT/ WAS FOUND THAT ONE OF THE JOINTS OF A TORPEDO BOMB HAD GOT BENT AND IT HAD TO BE/ REPAIRED. THIS OCCASIONED DELAY AND THE ENEMY MEANTIME DETECTED OUR INTENTIONS AND/ OPENED FIRE WITH RIFLES AND HAND GRENADES./ THE SAPPER CORPORAL, A VERY GALLANT BOY, STATES THAT DURING THE WHOLE OF THE TIME/ WHEN HE WAS ENGAGED IN REPAIRING THE BOMB JOHNNIE DELIBERATELY INTERPOSED HIS OWN/ BODY BETWEEN THE ENEMY AND HIMSELF AND THAT BY HIS EXAMPLE AND BRAVERY HE GAVE HIM/ THE NECESSARY CONFIDENCE TO CARRY OUT HIS TASK. AFTER THE BOMB HAD BEEN REPAIRED/ AND EXPLODED AND AS THE LEADING MEN GOT UP TO THE GAP JOHNNIE WAS WOUNDED, HIS/ LEFT/ ARM BEING SHATTERED BY A BOMB WHICH ALSO INFLICTED A SEVERE CHEST WOUND./ DESPITE THESE DREADFUL WOUNDS HE WALKED BACK THE WHOLE DISTANCE TO/ OUR/OUTPOSTS./ A MAN OF LESS GRIT COULD NOT HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IT. YOUR POOR BOY WAS/ AS BRAVE AND PATIENT AS THE GALLANT HERO THAT HE WAS AND PASSED AWAY AT 3.00 AM ON JUNE 26TH./WE HIS BROTHER OFFICERS WHILST WE SHALL ALWAYS MOURN THE LOSS OF A/ CHEERFUL COMPANION AND FRIEND WHOM WE COULD ILL AFFORD TO LOSE, ARE JUSTLY PROUD/ OF THE GALLANT WAY IN WHICH A BROTHER OFFICER MET HIS DEATH. THE RECORD OF HIS/ DARING AND DEVOTION MUST ALWAYS REMAIN AN INCIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE REGIMENT/ ON WHICH ALL CONNECTED WITH IT WILL LOOK BACK WITH PRIDE./ I CANNOT PUT INTO WORDS THE ADMIRATION WE ALL FEEL FOR HIM AND THE RESPECT IN WHICH/ WE SHALL ALWAYS RETAIN HIS MEMORY.