Commemorated: | |||
Awards & Titles: | Military Cross & 2 Bar General Service Medal (1918) & Iraq Clasp British War Medal Victory Medal | ||
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
- The Second World War 1939-1945, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: Royal Army Medical Corps |
| Action : War Survivor |
Although many perished in times of national conflict and in the service of their country, many more survived including those interned as Prisoners of War. Stories of those who did survive are included as part of this site, especially those with high gallantry awards, those included against an external rolls of honour and those who had a distinguished career in wartime and military leaderhip.
Detail :
George Arthur Fairclough Alley, Royal Army Medical Corps.
According to the book "For Conspicuous Gallantry" by Scott Addington, he gained a commission of temporary Lieutenant on the 17th July, 1915 and promoted to Temporary Captain, R.A.M.C. a year later and that was made substantive 1st August, 1919. He was invested with the Military Cross and 2 bars together on the 12th June, 1919.
In addition to the M.C., he later received the General Service Medal (1918) and Clasp for his service in Iraq between 1919-20.
His name appears in the Medical Directories 1942: "ALLEY, George Oliver Fairclough, M.C., Lt.-Col. R.A.M.C. -M.D. Dub. 1922, M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O. 1915; (T.C. Dub.)", giving light that he continued as soldier during the Second World War.
Citations & Commemorations :
London Gazette30111 1st June, 1917. Military Cross
30901 13th September, 1918. 1st Bar Citation
31183 1st February, 1919 2nd Bar listed & 31480 29th July, 1919. 2nd Bar Citation
He was awarded the 1st Bar "T./Capt George Oliver Fairclough Alley, M.C., M.B., R.A.M.C. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. After the troops had retired past his aid post, which was temporarily established in a shell hole, this officer continued to attend to and evacuate the wounded. He was exposed to fire from both sides, but succeeded in regaining the line after having evacuated all the wounded. He thus prevented any of them falling into the hands of the enemy."
He was awarded the 2nd Bar "For conspicuous courage, energy and initiative during the operations on October 8th, 1918, in front of Niergnies. He followed up the battle in the attack, dressing and evacuating wounded under heavy shelling, eventually establishing his aid post right forward in a section of trench in the rear of the front line. Here he dressed and evacuated wounded, not only his own battalion and brigade but of battalions operating on the right and left flanks. Throughout the day he behaved splendidly and by his fine devotion to duty saved many lives."
His second bar was also published in the British Medical Journal Page 227 of its 22nd February, 1919 edition.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Armed Forces No. 9875 E.C. | South Wales |
| Joined : | Mesopotamia No. 3820 E.C. | Iraq |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
2nd December 1919 | 6th January 1920 | 6th April 1920 |
He was an initiate of the Irish Constitution, having joined Phoenix Lodge No. 460 in Dublin in 1919. He soon after joined The Lodge Mesopotamia No. 3820 in the English Constitution on 20th October, 1920. He resigned Phoenix in 1930, but it is not known how long his membership endured in Lodge Mesopotamia.
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley