Alfred John Shout, (8 August 1882 – 11 August 1915) was a New Zealand–born soldier and an
Australian recipient of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
(VC), the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" awarded to members of the British and
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
armed forces. Shout was posthumously awarded the VC for his actions at
Lone Pine in August 1915, during the
Gallipoli campaign of the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. After
Ottoman forces had counterattacked and seized a large stretch of the Australians' front line, Shout gathered a small party of men and charged down one trench throwing
bombs
A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the Exothermic process, exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-tra ...
. He killed eight Turkish soldiers, and managed to clear others to retake the trench. In a similar action later that day, and supported by another officer, he recaptured further ground amid heavy fighting. In the final push forward, Shout simultaneously lit three bombs to lob at the enemy. He successfully threw two, but just as the third left his hand it detonated. Shout was severely wounded and died two days later.
Born in
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
, Shout had served in the
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
as a teenager. He rose to
sergeant
Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
and was
mentioned in despatches
To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...
for saving a wounded man before being discharged in 1902. He remained in South Africa for the next five years, serving as an artilleryman in the
Cape Colonial Forces from 1903. With his Australian-born wife and their daughter, Shout immigrated to
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
in 1907. The family settled in
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. It lies on the River Skerne, west of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 at the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" ...
, where Shout worked for
Resch's Brewery as a carpenter and
joiner
Joinery is a part of woodworking that involves joining pieces of wood, engineered lumber, or synthetic substitutes (such as laminate), to produce more complex items. Some woodworking joints employ mechanical fasteners, bindings, or adhesives, ...
. He was also active in the part-time
Citizens' Forces, being
commissioned just prior to the outbreak of the First World War. In August 1914, he joined in the
Australian Imperial Force (AIF) for active service overseas and was appointed a
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
in the
1st Battalion. After training in Egypt, he took part in the
Anzac landings at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. For his leadership during the invasion and its immediate aftermath, Shout was awarded the
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...
and later mentioned in despatches. Shout's three gallantry awards at Gallipoli made him the most highly decorated member of the AIF for the campaign.
Early life

Alfred John Shout was born in
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
, New Zealand, on 8 August 1882. He was the eldest of nine children to an English-born father, John Richard Shout, and Irish mother, Agnes Mary (née Kelly, formerly McGovern).
Information on Alfred Shout's early life is rather scant and the details differ between sources,
but according to his
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
attestation form he was privately educated.
In early 1900, Shout travelled to South Africa with his elder half-brother, William McGovern. The brothers sought to join one of the colonial contingents then engaged in the
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
; Alfred enlisted in the newly raised Border Horse on 17 February 1900, while William (using the surname Shout) found a place in
Bethune's Mounted Infantry.
The Border Horse was an irregular colonial force formed in eastern
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...
, and Shout was allotted to the unit's No. 1 Company with the service number 9216.
Serving at Wittebergen,
Transvaal, and in the Cape Colony with the Border Horse, Shout was twice wounded,
including once in the chest.
In an action at Thabaksberg on 29 January 1901, the then
Lance Corporal
Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many English-speaking armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal.
Etymology
The presumed origin of the rank of lance corp ...
Shout assisted in maintaining the position of his men. At one point during the engagement, he ventured out under heavy rifle fire to retrieve a wounded man, and brought him back to a covered position; Shout's bravery in this action earned him a
mention in despatches
To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...
.
He was promoted to
sergeant
Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
on 7 May 1901, and discharged from the Border Horse 16 days later.
He then served with the Stellenbosch District Mounted Troop until 1902.
Shout was issued the
Queen's South Africa Medal
The Queen's South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British and Colonial military personnel, and to civilians employed in an official capacity, who served in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Altogether twenty-six clasps wer ...
with "Wittebergen", "Transvaal" and "Cape Colony" clasps, and the
King's South Africa Medal
The King's South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to all British and Colonial military personnel who served in the Second Boer War in South Africa, and who were in the theatre on or after 1 January 1902 and who had completed 18 m ...
with the clasps "South Africa 1901" and "South Africa 1902" for his service in the Boer War.
Shout decided to remain in South Africa after his discharge and, in 1903, enlisted in the
Cape Colonial Forces. He was made a sergeant in
Prince Alfred's Own Cape Field Artillery, with which he served until 1907.
While living in
Cape Town
Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
, Shout married Rose Alice Howe, an Australian from
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, in 1905; the couple had a daughter named Florence in June that year.
In 1907, the Shout family immigrated to Australia, settling in the Sydney suburb of
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. It lies on the River Skerne, west of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 at the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" ...
. Here, Shout gained employment as a
carpenter
Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenter ...
and
joiner
Joinery is a part of woodworking that involves joining pieces of wood, engineered lumber, or synthetic substitutes (such as laminate), to produce more complex items. Some woodworking joints employ mechanical fasteners, bindings, or adhesives, ...
at
Resch's Brewery.
He also joined the 29th Infantry Regiment of the part-time
Citizens' Forces shortly after arriving in Sydney, was a foundation member of the 29th Infantry Club, and a regular visitor at the
Randwick rifle range, where he gained a reputation as an excellent shot.
Shout was
commissioned as a
second lieutenant in the Citizens' Forces on 16 June 1914.
First World War
Following the outbreak of the First World War, Shout applied for a commission in the newly raised
Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 18 August 1914.
The AIF was formed as Australia's
expeditionary force to fight in the war, as the Citizens' Forces were restricted to home defence per the Defence Act (1903). Shout's application was accepted on 28 August and he was posted to the
1st Battalion as a second lieutenant in F Company, commanded by Lieutenant Cecil Sasse.
According to his medical assessment at the time, Shout stood at , weighed , and was recorded as having "good" eyesight.
On 18 October, the 1st Battalion embarked for the Middle East, with Shout boarding HMAT ''Afric'' at Sydney.
Sailing via
Albany, Western Australia
Albany ( ; ) is a port city in the Great Southern region in the Australian state of Western Australia, southeast of Perth, the state capital. The city centre is at the northern edge of Princess Royal Harbour, which is a part of King G ...
, the troopship arrived in Egypt on 2 December.
Shortly after, the 1st Battalion was reorganised into four companies; Shout was allotted to D Company as a
platoon
A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...
commander.
The battalion spent the next four months training in the Egyptian desert, during which time Shout was promoted
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
on 1 February 1915.
Gallipoli
Landing at Anzac

As part of an endeavour to defeat the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
and force a supply route through to Russia via the
Bosporus
The Bosporus or Bosphorus Strait ( ; , colloquially ) is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul, Turkey. The Bosporus connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and forms one of the continental bo ...
and the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
, the British War Council formulated a plan to invade the
Gallipoli Peninsula
The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east.
Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...
.
On 25 April 1915, the men of the
1st Australian Brigade—of which the 1st Battalion was part—
landed at Anzac Cove between 05:30 and 07:30 among the second and third waves of Australian troops. The 1st Battalion was meant to be held in reserve, but due to heavy casualties and confusion the unit soon went into action.
Following a request for reinforcements, Shout moved up with one of the 1st Battalion's companies to the hill feature Baby 700.
Arriving at the position around 11:00,
he led a party to hold the rear left flank of the hill as part of the Australians' rearguard action.
The Australian position on Baby 700 had become dire by that afternoon, a situation compounded by the small number of available infantry in the area and the complete lack of artillery support, when the Turkish forces launched a counter-assault. By this time, Shout and Lieutenant
Leslie Morshead of the
2nd Battalion were the only two surviving officers in their sector of the line. At 16:30, the Turks broke through the defensive line and the Australians were forced to abandon their position on the hill. Shout was one of the last to evacuate, and withdrew down towards the beach.
During his retreat, Shout encountered Lieutenant Colonel
George Braund, commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, on Walker's Ridge. Braund dispatched Shout to the beach with a request for reinforcements. Shout duly relayed the message, and was immediately tasked with leading 200 stray men to reinforce the thin defensive line near Braund's position. Shout established a post at the base of the ridge as dusk began to fall, and his men started to dig in.
By 27 April, Shout had been continually in action without rest since the landing. That morning, he was sent to Walker's Ridge to replace a wounded officer in a vulnerable sector of the line.
As the Turks occupied positions in the scrub just beyond the Australians' trench, Shout and his men were subjected to accurate and heavy rifle fire throughout the day. Accordingly, Shout reorganised his men and, exposing himself to the Turks' fire, ventured out to reconnoitre the enemy's position. He was then able to accurately direct the rifle fire of his men.
Though wounded early in the action, Shout refused to leave the frontline.
As the fighting wore on, the Turks closed in on the Australian trench and Shout led a bayonet charge to hold them at bay.
He was later wounded a second time, a bullet passing through his arm and rendering it useless. Still, he refused to leave. Soon after, he was wounded a third time and evacuated for medical treatment. During the engagement, Shout had carried several wounded men away from the frontline.
Cited for his "conspicuous courage and ability" at Walker's Ridge, Shout was awarded the
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...
,
becoming the first member of his battalion to receive the decoration.
The notification and accompanying citation for the award was published in a supplement to the ''
London Gazette
London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Tha ...
'' on 3 July 1915.
Shout's wounds proved to be relatively light and he soon rejoined the 1st Battalion.
On 11 May, he was wounded once again, suffering a second gunshot to his arm. He was evacuated to the hospital ship HMHS ''Gascon'', but rejoined his unit fifteen days later. On 20 May, Shout was
mentioned in the despatch of General
Sir Ian Hamilton, General Officer Commanding the
Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, in recognition of his efforts from the landing on 25 April to 5 May.
He was promoted to
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
on 29 July.
Lone Pine

On 6 August 1915, the 1st Australian Brigade launched an assault on the impregnable Ottoman position at
Lone Pine.
Led by the 2nd,
3rd and
4th Battalions (with the 1st Battalion held in reserve),
the attack was orchestrated to divert Turkish attention and reinforcements away from the primary operation to the north of the line as the British sought to capture the
Sari Bair ridge. The Australian assault at Lone Pine commenced in the late afternoon just before sunset. An artillery barrage had preceded the attack, though according to historian Robin Prior the results had been "feeble" and the advance was hard-fought. Nonetheless, within half an hour the Australians had breached the Turkish trenches and seized their objectives.
Despite the initial success, Australian casualties had been heavy and the 1st Battalion was ordered forward in preparation for the expected Turkish counter-attack.
The battle descended into fierce fighting over the next three days,
often in the form of what Bryan Perrett has described as "deadly bombing duels".
At 09:00 on 9 August, the day after Shout's 33rd birthday, the 1st Battalion relieved the 3rd Battalion on the Lone Pine front at a position known as Sasse's Sap. Soon after, the Turks renewed their attack and recaptured a stretch of the sap.
Determined to rout these men, and supported by a few of his own soldiers, Shout charged down one trench throwing
bombs
A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the Exothermic process, exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-tra ...
. He killed eight Turks, and managed to clear others to retake the trench.
Meanwhile, Captain Cecil Sasse—Shout's former company commander—gathered three men with sandbags, and cleared another section of the sap.
Armed with a rifle, Sasse had charged down the trench at the head of his men. His party soon discovered a group of Turks focused on, and firing in, a different direction; Sasse and his men killed 12 and forced the remainder to flee. Sasse continued to keep the Turks at bay with rifle fire as his men barricaded the trench with the sandbags.
Sasse, described by official historian
Charles Bean as "elated" by the achievement that morning, approached Shout with a proposal to repeat the feat.
Shout agreed. The duo assembled a party of eight men this time to carry sandbags and extra bombs.
Having reconnoitred the Turks' position, the previously erected barricade was shoved down and, side-by-side, Sasse and Shout ran forward.
While Sasse fired his revolver and Shout lobbed bombs, the Australian party advanced in short stages along the trench and built a barricade each time they halted.
Bean wrote that Shout fought with "splendid gaiety" throughout the assault,
historian Stephen Snelling adding that Shout was "laughing and joking and cheering his men on".
As the Australians progressed, the two officers located a suitable position to raise their final barricade. Readying himself for this final push forward, Shout simultaneously lit three bombs. He successfully threw two, but the third burst just as it was leaving his hand.
Shout was grievously wounded; the explosion incinerated his right hand and part of the left, destroyed his left eye, cut his cheek, and caused burns to his chest and leg.
Despite the severity of his wounds Shout remained conscious and was dragged out of the firing line, where, "still cheerful" according to Bean,
he "drank tea and sent a message to his wife".
Victoria Cross and legacy

Shout was evacuated from the Gallipoli Peninsula to the hospital ship ''Neuralia'' shortly after he was wounded.
He died two days later, on 11 August 1915, and was
buried at sea.
Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Bennett, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, labelled Shout's actions at Lone Pine as "brilliant" and described him as "unapproachable in his splendid leadership".
Although Sasse's Sap was not completely recovered,
Shout was posthumously awarded the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
(VC) in recognition of his efforts to recover much of the trench system, while Sasse received the
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...
.
Shout's VC was the seventh and final awarded to the AIF for the operations around Lone Pine, and the second to a member of the 1st Battalion.
Shout's three gallantry awards from Gallipoli also marked him as the most highly decorated member of the AIF for the campaign.
The announcement of Shout's VC was promulgated in the ''London Gazette'' on 15 October 1915, reading:

There was considerable confusion following Shout's death. Army Headquarters in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
cabled Rose Shout on 15 August to inform her that Alfred had been wounded. Confirmation of his death was conveyed to her, but was contradicted by a later cable on 23 August. This communication stated that Shout was not dead, but alive and returning to Australia aboard the ''Themistocles''. The press in Australia published news of his pending return, adding that he would arrive in Sydney in mid-September. This proved to be a case of mistaken identity. Shout's death was confirmed by 26 August; a Lieutenant A. J. Shirt, also of the 1st Battalion, was the officer aboard the ''Themistocles''. Rose Shout received a ministerial apology for the clerical errors and distress caused.
Shout is commemorated on the
Lone Pine Memorial, and he was remembered by the citizens of Darlington with a memorial plaque. The
governor-general
Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...
,
Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson, unveiled the plaque at the
Darlington Town Hall in a ceremony on 20 November 1915. The plaque has since entered the collections of the
Victoria Barracks Museum in
Paddington
Paddington is an area in the City of Westminster, in central London, England. A medieval parish then a metropolitan borough of the County of London, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Paddington station, designed b ...
.
In 1916, to honour "the heroic and glorious deeds and death" of Shout and relieve the financial strain placed upon his wife, a collection was taken up by local citizens in Sydney to provide Rose and their daughter with a house.
Until 2006 Shout's medals were in the possession of his family. That year, Shout's grandson decided to sell the medals to relieve some of the family debt and financial burdens. At the time Shout's VC was the only one awarded to a member of the AIF at Gallipoli that was not in the collection of the
Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial (AWM) is a national war memorial, war museum, museum and archive dedicated to all Australians who died as a result of war, including peacekeeping duties. The AWM is located in Campbell, Australian Capital Territory, C ...
. The medals were auctioned by the Sydney firm Bonhams & Goodman on 24 July 2006, and realised a world record
hammer price
In auctions, the buyer's premium is a charge in addition to the hammer price (i.e. the winning bid announced) of an auction item, or lot. The winning bidder is required to pay both the hammer price and the percentage of that price called for by t ...
of
AU$1 million. The sale surpassed, almost doubling, the previous auction records for a medal—set by the
Naval Gold Medal awarded to
Sir Thomas Hardy, 1st Baronet—and the price paid for a VC, previously held by that awarded to
Norman Cyril Jackson. Shout's medals were purchased by media mogul
Kerry Stokes
Kerry Matthew Stokes (born John Patrick Alford on 13 September 1940) is an Australian businessman. He holds business interests in industries including electronic and print media, property, mining and construction equipment. He is most widely k ...
, who subsequently donated the set to the Australian War Memorial for display in the Hall of Valour.
Notes
References
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shout, Alfred John
1882 births
1915 deaths
Australian Army officers
Australian Gallipoli campaign recipients of the Victoria Cross
Australian military personnel killed in World War I
British colonial army soldiers
Burials at sea
New Zealand expatriates in Australia
New Zealand military personnel of the Second Boer War
Military personnel from Wellington City