Richard George Masters VC (30 March 1877 – 4 April 1963) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

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 ...

, 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. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and

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forces.

Details

He was 41 years old, and a

Private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

in the

Royal Army Service Corps The Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) was a corps of the British Army responsible for land, coastal and lake transport, air despatch, barracks administration, the Army Fire Service, staffing headquarters' units, supply of food, water, fuel and do ...

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

, attd. 141st Field Ambulance during 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 ...

when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 9 April 1918 near Bethune,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, owing to an enemy attack, communications were cut off and the wounded could not be evacuated. The road was reported impassable but Private Masters volunteered to try to get through and after great difficulty succeeded, although he had to clear the road of all sorts of debris. He made journey after journey throughout the afternoon over a road which was being shelled and swept by machine-gun fire and once he was bombed by an aeroplane. The greater number of wounded (approximately 200 men) were evacuated by him as his was the only car which got through. After his death in 1963 at the age of 86, he was buried at

St Cuthbert's parish church The Parish Church of St Cuthbert is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in central Edinburgh. Probably founded in the 7th century, the church once covered an extensive parish around the Old Town of Edinburgh, burgh of Edinburgh. The church ...

in Churchtown, Southport. The Territorial Army and Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) Centre 30 Pelham Drive,

Bootle Bootle (pronounced ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, which had a population of 51,394 in 2011; the wider Bootle (UK Parliament constituency), Parliamentary constituency had a population of 98,449. It is pa ...

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is named after Private Masters, VC. It was built to house what is now 238 SQN 156 TPT RLC(V) – 238 Squadron of 156 Transport Regimen
Royal Logistic Corps
(Volunteers). The RLC, formerly th

includes the Field Ambulance units which trace their history back through the

, the Army Service Corps and beyond. A troop of 96 Sqn RLC based at ATR Pirbright is also named after him. In 1972, when the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

's trials vessel ''No.5012'' and former mineweeper HMS ''Halsham'', was transferred to the

Royal Corps of Transport The Royal Corps of Transport (RCT) was a British Army Corps established to manage all matters in relation to the transport of men and material for the Army and the wider defence forces. It was formed in 1965 and disbanded in 1993; its units and tr ...

to continue operations for

Royal Aircraft Establishment The Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), bef ...

, Farnborough, it was renamed ''Richard George Masters'' (later shortened to ''R G Masters''), until withdrawn from service in 1979.

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the New

Royal Logistic Corps Museum The Royal Logistic Corps Museum tells the story of logistic support to the British Army from Agincourt to the modern day. Based at Worthy Down near Winchester, the museum holds the collection of the Royal Logistic Corps and the collections of it ...

'' RHQ The RLC, Building 204, Worthy Down Barracks, Winchester. SO21 2RG England)''. 2021 (signed KMB)

References

Bibliography

External links

Location of grave and VC medal
''(grave in Lancashire )'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Masters, Richard George 1877 births 1963 deaths Burials in Merseyside People from Southport Royal Army Service Corps soldiers Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross British Army personnel of World War I British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross Military personnel from Merseyside