Alfred Oliver Pollard
Encyclopedia
Alfred Oliver Pollard VC
, MC & Bar
, DCM
(4 May 1893–5 December 1960) 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. He later became a prolific author of crime and mystery books.
and Merchant Taylors' School
1906-1908. Pollard had volunteered for service on August 8, 1914. Up to that date, he had worked as a clerk at an insurance company. He was wounded twice, but showed exceptional courage in returning to his unit after recovering from wounds. His bravery earned him the highest (and largest number of) awards awarded to a soldier in his unit during the war.
He had entered the war as a private, but was commissioned as a second lieutenant
in the 1st Battalion, Honourable Artillery Company
, British Army
during the First World War
when the deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 29 April 1917 at Gavrelle
, France
, the troops of various units had become disorganized owing to the heavy casualties from shell fire and a subsequent determined attack with very strong forces caused further confusion and retirement. Second Lieutenant Pollard realized the seriousness of the situation and with only four men he started a counter-attack with bombs, pressing it home until he had broken the enemy attack and regained all that had been lost and much ground in addition. This officer's splendid example inspired courage into every man who saw him.
His Victoria Cross is held by the Honourable Artillery Company
in London, and a copy is on display in its Medal Room
.
in a short term commission as a pilot officer
in the mid-1920s.
Pollard's autobiography, Fire-Eater: the Memoirs of a VC published in 1932, recounts his experience of the war, from joining the HAC on the outbreak of war up to the armistice. It depicts a man who was able to deal with the violence and huge loss of life by rationalising it as a necessary evil to destroy the enemy. Pollard became a professional writer post-war and published more than 60 books, fiction and non-fiction.
Pollard died in Bournemouth, where he was cremated and is buried.
catalogue (Accessed August 2010).
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, MC & Bar
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, DCM
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was an extremely high level award for bravery. It was a second level military decoration awarded to other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries.The medal was instituted in 1854, during the Crimean...
(4 May 1893–5 December 1960) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces. He later became a prolific author of crime and mystery books.
Military Service
He was educated at St Olave's Grammar SchoolSt Olave's Grammar School
St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School is a super-selective boys' secondary school in Orpington, Greater London, England. The school is consistently one of the top achieving state schools in the UK and it was The Sunday Times State School of the Year in 2008...
and Merchant Taylors' School
Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Merchant Taylors' School is a British independent day school for boys, originally located in the City of London. Since 1933 it has been located at Sandy Lodge in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire ....
1906-1908. Pollard had volunteered for service on August 8, 1914. Up to that date, he had worked as a clerk at an insurance company. He was wounded twice, but showed exceptional courage in returning to his unit after recovering from wounds. His bravery earned him the highest (and largest number of) awards awarded to a soldier in his unit during the war.
He had entered the war as a private, but was commissioned as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 1st Battalion, Honourable Artillery Company
Honourable Artillery Company
The Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
, British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
when the deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 29 April 1917 at Gavrelle
Gavrelle
Gavrelle is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated northeast of Arras, at the junction of the N50 and the D33 roads...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the troops of various units had become disorganized owing to the heavy casualties from shell fire and a subsequent determined attack with very strong forces caused further confusion and retirement. Second Lieutenant Pollard realized the seriousness of the situation and with only four men he started a counter-attack with bombs, pressing it home until he had broken the enemy attack and regained all that had been lost and much ground in addition. This officer's splendid example inspired courage into every man who saw him.
His Victoria Cross is held by the Honourable Artillery Company
Honourable Artillery Company
The Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
in London, and a copy is on display in its Medal Room
Honourable Artillery Company Museum
The Honourable Artillery Company Museum opened in 1987 in Armoury House, City Road, London EC1, England. It is associated with the Honourable Artillery Company, the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army....
.
Brother
His elder brother, Frank, was also a member of the HAC, but when he believed he would not be sent to the front, deserted and joined the Grenadier Guards. He was killed in action in September 1916, just before he was to be sent back to England on a commissioning course.Later life
In 1918, Pollard married Mary Ainsley of Trefilan, Purley. He served in the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in a short term commission as a pilot officer
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
in the mid-1920s.
Pollard's autobiography, Fire-Eater: the Memoirs of a VC published in 1932, recounts his experience of the war, from joining the HAC on the outbreak of war up to the armistice. It depicts a man who was able to deal with the violence and huge loss of life by rationalising it as a necessary evil to destroy the enemy. Pollard became a professional writer post-war and published more than 60 books, fiction and non-fiction.
Pollard died in Bournemouth, where he was cremated and is buried.
Works
From British LibraryBritish Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
catalogue (Accessed August 2010).
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