Willward Alexander Sandys-Clarke

Willward Alexander Sandys-Clarke VC (8 June 1919 – 23 April 1943) was an English 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.

Details
He was 23 years old, and a lieutenant in The Loyal Regiment, British Army during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 23 April 1943 at Guiriat El Atach, Tunisia, Lieutenant Clarke's company were counter-attacked and almost wiped out, he being the sole remaining officer. Although wounded in the head he gathered a composite platoon together and advancing to attack the position again met heavy fire from a machine-gun post. He manoeuvred his men to give covering fire and then tackled the post single-handed, killing or capturing the crew and knocking out the gun. He dealt similarly with two other posts and then led his platoon to the objective, but was killed when he later went forward to tackle two sniper posts singlehanded.

Further information
Born in Southport, he married Dorothy Irene Deakin at the United Reformed Church in Belmont, Lancashire in 1941, and they lived in Egerton, near Bolton. Lieutenant Willward Alexander Sandys-Clarke VC was related to four other recipients of the award: Lord Roberts (Khudaganj) and his son Lt. Frederick Roberts (Colenso), and Gen. Walter Congreve (Colenso) and his son Maj. William LaTouche Congreve (Somme). Lieutenant Roberts and Major Congreve were both posthumous recipients of the Victoria Cross.

The medal is retained by his family and is not on public display.