Harold Ackroyd

Harold Ackroyd
Harold Ackroyd
Born	18 July 1877; Southport, Lancashire, England
Died	11 August 1917 (aged 40); Passchendaele salient, Belgium
Buried	, Zillebeke
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1915–1917
Rank	Captain
Unit	Royal Army Medical Corps
Battles/wars	First World War Western Front Battle of the Somme Battle of Delville Wood; ; Battle of Passchendaele Battle of Pilckem Ridge; Capture of Westhoek †; ; ;
Awards	Victoria Cross; Military Cross

Harold Ackroyd, VC, MC (18 July 1877 – 11 August 1917) was a British physician, scientific researcher, army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

An officer with the Royal Army Medical Corps during the First World War, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in late July–early August 1917, during the Battle of Passchendaele.

Education and medical career[]

Ackroyd attended Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, matriculating in October 1896 to follow his elder brother Edward, who had matriculated in 1893.^[1] He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1899 and continued his medical studies at Guy's Hospital, London.^{[citation needed]}

Family[]

46 Kneesworth Street, Royston

Ackroyd met Mabel Robina Smythe (1877–1947) matron of while at Cambridge. They were married on 1 August 1908 and lived in Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire where their children Ursula (1909–1993) and Stephen (1912–1963) were born. They then moved to Brooklands, 46 Kneesworth Street, Royston, Hertfordshire, where Anthony (1914–1988) was born. There is a memorial to Ackroyd on the street-facing wall and inside the house. A road in the town has been named after him.^{[citation needed]}

Military service[]

On 19 July 1916 he was awarded the Military Cross:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during operations. He attended the wounded under heavy fire, and finally, when he had seen that all our wounded from behind the line had been got in, he went out beyond the front line and brought in both our own and enemy wounded, although continually sniped at.^[2]

Ackroyd rescued many of the wounded from the 1st South African Infantry Brigade and there is a memorial to him in the room commemorating Delville Wood at Fort Beaufort Historical Museum, South Africa.^{[citation needed]}

Ypres[]

The third battle of Ypres, known as the Battle of Passchendaele, commenced on 31 July 1917. Ackroyd died during it on 11 August.^{[citation needed]}

Ackroyd's CWGC headstone

Ackroyd was attached to the 6th Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross:

For most conspicuous bravery. During recent operations Capt. Ackroyd displayed the greatest gallantry and devotion to duty. Utterly regardless of danger, he worked continuously for many hours up and down and in front of the line tending the wounded and saving the lives of officers and men. In so doing he had to move across the open under heavy machine-gun, rifle and shell fire. He carried a wounded officer to a place of safety under very heavy fire. On another occasion he went some way in front of our advanced line and brought in a wounded man under continuous sniping and machine-gun fire. His heroism was the means of saving many lives, and provided a magnificent example of courage, cheerfulness, and determination to the fighting men in whose midst he was carrying out his splendid work. This gallant officer has since been killed in action.^[3]

Ackroyd's body was evacuated and buried. A headstone at , Zillebeke near Ypres reads "Believed to be buried in this cemetery."^[4]

The medals[]

The medals of Harold Ackroyd

His medals were sold in 2003. The proceeds were used to endow a medical scholarship at Gonville and Caius College. In addition, the college agreed to arrange an annual memorial lecture on a scientific subject connected with medicine. In 2004 it was confirmed the buyer was Lord Ashcroft.^[4]

References[]

^ "Ackroyd, Harold (AKRT896H)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^ "No. 29793". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 October 1916. p. 10174.
^ "No. 30272". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 September 1917. p. 9259.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "THE VICTORIA CROSS AWARDED TO CAPTAIN HAROLD ACKROYD, ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS, ATT'D ROYAL BERKSHIRE REGIMENT, HAS BEEN SOLD PRIVATELY". victoriacross.org. 1 April 2004.