Edward Colquhoun Charlton
VC (15 June 1920 – 21 April 1945) was an English recipient of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English ...
and
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with " republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from th ...
forces.
Charlton was a
guardsman
Guardsman is a rank used instead of private in some military units that serve as the official bodyguard of a sovereign or head of state. It is also used as a generic term for any member of a guards unit of any rank.
Canada
In the Canadian For ...
in the 2nd Battalion,
Irish Guards
("Who Shall Separate s")
, colors =
, identification_symbol_2 Saffron (pipes), identification_symbol_2_label = Tartan
, identification_symbol =
, identification_symbol_label = Tactical Recognition F ...
,
Guards Armoured Division
The Guards Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army during the Second World War. The division was created in the United Kingdom on 17 June 1941 during the Second World War from elements of the Guards units, the Grenadier ...
,
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...
during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. On 21 April 1945 Guardsman Charlton was a co-driver of one tank of a troop that was supporting an infantry platoon. They occupied the village of
Wistedt
Wistedt is a municipality in the district of Harburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germ ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
, which a unit from Panzergrenadier Regiment 115, part of the
15th Panzergrenadier Division
15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 and preceding 16.
Mathematics
15 is:
* A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and .
* A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky number, a pernicious n ...
, attempted to re-take. The numerically superior German forces consisted largely of officer cadets under the command of experienced instructor officers, supported by two or three self-propelled guns.
Three of the four Irish Guards tanks were badly hit, while Charlton's had already been disabled by a complete electrical failure before the attack began. Charlton was ordered to dismount the turret
0.30 Browning machine gun and support the infantry. The Irish Guards were in danger of being overrun. Charlton, on his own initiative, took the machine gun and advanced in full view of the attacking Germans, firing from the hip and inflicting heavy casualties. The lead German company was halted, which gave the rest of the Guards a respite in which to reorganise and retire. He continued firing, even when he was wounded in his left arm. Charlton placed the machine gun on a fence, where he launched a further attack, before his left arm was hit again, becoming shattered and useless. Charlton fought on, until a further wound and loss of blood resulted in the guardsman collapsing. His stand enabled the rest of the Irish Guards troop and infantry to escape. He later died of the wounds in enemy hands.
Charlton was awarded a posthumous
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, the last Victoria Cross of the European theatre, and the last awarded to a member of the Irish Guards. Unusually, much of the citation was based on German accounts of the fight, as most of his later actions had not been witnessed by any of the Guards officers or surviving non-commissioned officers.
[Whiting, page 87] His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Guards Regimental Headquarters (Irish Guards RHQ),
Wellington Barracks
Wellington Barracks is a military barracks in Westminster, central London, for the Foot Guards battalions on public duties in that area. The building is located about three hundred yards from Buckingham Palace, allowing the guard to be able ...
, London, England.
A road is named after Charlton in
Firswood
Firswood is a suburban area of Stretford in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England.
Geography
Firswood borders Whalley Range, Old Trafford and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. It was largely occupied by Rye Bank Farm, which remai ...
,
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tamesid ...
, near where he lived.
References
*
British VCs of World War 2
The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories. It takes precedence over all other Orders, decorati ...
(John Laffin, 1997)
*
Monuments to Courage
David Charles Harvey (29 July 1946 – 4 March 2004) was a historian and author. He is notable for his seminal work, ''Monuments To Courage'', which documents the graves of almost all recipients of the Victoria Cross, a task that took him over 36 ...
(David Harvey, 1999)
*
The Register of the Victoria Cross
''The Register of the Victoria Cross'' is a reference work that provides brief information on every Victoria Cross awarded until the publication date. Each entry provides a summary of the deed, along with a photograph of the recipient and the fol ...
(This England, 1997)
*"Europe's Last VC – Guardsman Edward Charlton", ''
After the Battle'' (magazine) No. 49, 1985. Contains additional memoirs of the surviving Irish Guards officers and men and German officers which correct the original citation.
External links
CWGC entry*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charlton, Edward Colquhoun
1920 births
1945 deaths
People from Rowlands Gill
Irish Guards soldiers
British World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross
British Army personnel killed in World War II
British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross
British World War II prisoners of war
World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
Military personnel from County Durham