Frederick Birks VC MM (1894 - 1917)

Biography

Frederick Birks VC MM was born on 16th August 1894 at Garden Cottage, Lane End, Buckley, Flintshire, Wales. He was the youngest of six children of Samuel Birks, a groom, and his wife Mary Williams. ^[1] Birks was five years old when his father died in a coal-mining accident. He attended the St Matthew's Anglican School in Buckley and was awarded a medal for eleven years 'without ever being absent or late'. Known to be adventurous, being active in boxing and association football he was also a member of the local Church Lads' Brigade.

After serving in the Royal Artillery for three years, Birks migrated to Australia in 1913 together with two of his friends, aboard the SS Otway, disembarking in Melbourne. He moved between Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia finding various work.

Within weeks of the declaration of the First World War, Birks enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, being posted to the 2nd Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps. The 2nd Field Ambulance boarded the HMAT A18 Wiltshire in Melbourne on 19th October 1914, and set sail for Egypt.

Birks served as a non-commissioned officer during the landing and campaign at Gallipoli and through the Battle of the Somme, providing medical support for the the battalions of the 2nd Infantry Brigade. Regularly being exposed to heavy shell fire as he rescued wounded soldiers; whenever stretchers were unable to reach the wounded he would carry them to the rear under heavy shell and rifle fire. For his devotion to duty and gallantry, Birks was awarded the Military Medal in 1916. ^[2]

Victoria Cross

Birks was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 4th May 1917, being assigned to the 6th Australian Infantry Battalion. On 20th September, in what would become known as the Battle of Menin Road, Birks' actions resulted in the posthumous award of the Victoria Cross, the announcement of which was gazetted on 8 November 1917. His citation read: "For most conspicuous bravery in attack when accompanied by only a corporal, he rushed a strong point which was holding up the advance. The corporal was wounded by a bomb, but 2nd Lt. Birks went on by himself killed the remainder of the enemy occupying the position, and captured a machine gun. Shortly afterwards he organised a small party and attacked another strong point which was occupied by about twenty-five of the enemy, of whom many were killed and an officer and fifteen men captured. During the consolidation this officer did magnificent work in reorganising parties of other units which had been disorganised during the operations. By his wonderful coolness and personal bravery 2nd Lt. Birks kept his men in splendid spirits throughout. He was killed at his post by a shell whilst endeavouring to extricate some of his men who had been buried by a shell." ^[3]

Birks was attempting to dig out some of his men who had been buried by heavy artillery shelling on 21st September 1917, "standing exposed", when another shell exploded killing him and four others helping with the digging. Frederick Birks's name is located at panel 46 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra and he is remembered at the Perth Cemetery (China Wall), Ypres, Flanders, Belgium. ^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ UK FreeBMD Birth Index Sep qtr 1894, vol 8a, page 427
2. ↑ London Gazette 14 Nov 1916 Supplement: 29827 Page: 11144: Military Medal; accessed 15 Apr 2019
3. ↑ London Gazette 6 Nov 1917 Supplement: 30372 Page: 11568: Victoria Cross; accessed 15 Apr 2019
4. ↑ Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour: Frederick Birks; accessed 15 Apr 2019

See also

• Australian War Memorial: Second Lieutenant Frederick Birks; accessed 15 Apr 2019.
• Wikipedia profile: Frederick Birks.