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Battle of the Somme - first Victoria Cross

• Ruth Johnston on Sunday, 9th June 2002

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  The first Victoria Cross awarded to a soldier in the Battle of the Somme was to a young Belfast man called Billy McFadzean. Billy lived in Cregagh. There is now a commemorative plaque on the house where he lived.
  
  He enlisted in the 14th Royal Irish Rifles in September 1914. He was to become the most famous member of the battalion.
  
  While making preparations for an attack, grenades were being handed out to the men in the trench when a full box accidentally fell to the ground. Two bombs lost their pins. Billy immediately threw himself down thus sheltering his comrades from the blast. He was killed instantly but only one man in the trench was wounded.
  
  

• Message 2. Posted by Editor Northern Ireland on Tuesday, 11th June 2002 permalink

  Thanks for your message.
  You can read more detail about Private McFadzean at this article
  number - A766055
  We hope to move on to cover WW2 at some stage, have you any info from this period ?
  
  EDNI.

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