Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War 1918 ‘Somme’ M.M. awarded to Corporal A V. Holt, 28th Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, for his gallantry at Villers Bretonneux, 8 August 1918, when ‘The Diggers of ‘A’ Company, led by Lieutenant J. Hopkins (later wounded), advanced with a home-made flag bearing the 28th Battalion colour patch, made from material ‘salvaged’ from Villers Bretonneux. Another machine gun nest temporarily held up the advance, until Sergeant M. A. Farrelly and Corporal A. V. Holt attacked the post, killing six of the garrison and capturing six others. The advance was immediately resumed’

Military Medal, G.V.R. (5878 Cpl. A. V. Holt. 28/Inf: A.I.F.) very fine £600-800

M.M. London Gazette 24 January 1919. The original recommendation (in which Holt is jointly listed with Sergeant M. A. Farrelly) states:

‘During the attack East of Villers Bretonneux near Amiens on the 8th August 1918, these two N.C.O.s rushed a German Machine Gun which was firing on our troops. They captured it killing six of the crew and taking six prisoners. This act enabled the advance to be continued.’

Alexander Victor Holt was born in Perth, Australia. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, 20 April 1916, and embarked for France 10 October 1916. Holt served with the 28th Australian Infantry Battalion as part of the 7th Australian Brigade, 2nd Australian Division in the French theatre of war.

Holt was awarded his M.M. for gallantry in operations on the Somme, in particular during an action east of Villers Bretonneux, 8 August 1918. The Battalion War Diary for 7-8 August 1918 records that the attack was a complete success with the Battalion taking 5 German officers and 68 other ranks prisoner, as well as capturing four 77mm field guns, three heavy and four light machine guns, and 4 light trench mortars.

The Blue and White Diamond - The History of the 28th Battalion 1914-19 gives the following additional details for the attack:

‘Lieutenant J. C. Birt, brandishing his revolver, leapt into an enemy post and forced the surrender of its garrison of twenty enemy troops and two machine guns. The Diggers of ‘A’ Company, led by Lieutenant J. Hopkins (later wounded), advanced with a home-made flag bearing the 28th Battalion colour patch, made from material ‘salvaged’ from Villers Bretonneux. Another machine gun nest temporarily held up the advance, until Sergeant M. A. Farrelly and Corporal A. V. Holt attacked the post, killing six of the garrison and capturing six others. The advance was immediately resumed. Privates S. W. Robinson and A. Knowles rushed a third strong point. The two Diggers charged the post with a Lewis Gun, inflicted heavy casualties on the garrison and forced the surrender of twenty Germans.’

Holt received a gun shot wound to his knee, 2 September 1918, and was invalided back to Australia in H.T. Takaola 25 December 1918. He was discharged 26 May 1920.