Australian Military Units

Lawrence Dominic 'Fats' McCarthy, VC

Date of birth  1892-01-21  York, WA. 
Date and unit at enlistment (ORs)  1914-10-16  Went to Blackboy Hill Camp to join the 16th Battalion as a private. 
Other  1915-04-26  The 16th Battalion landed at Gallipoli. 
Date promoted  1915-05-13  Appointed lance corporal. 
Date promoted  1915-07-19  Appointed corporal. 
Other  1915-09  Evacuated due to illness and rejoined the unit in late November. 
Date promoted  1915-09-01  Appointed sergeant. 
Other  1915-12-20  Left Gallipoli. 
Other  1916-06  16th Battalion deployed in France. 
Other  1916-08  The 16th Battalion was involved in action at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm. 
Other  1917-03-08  Appointed company sergeant major. 
Date wounded  1917-04  Wounded in the first attack on Bullecourt and evacuated to England. 
Date commissioned  1917-04  Appointed to 2nd lieutenant. 
Date of honour or award  1917-11  French Croix de Guerre. 
Date promoted  1917-11-01  Appointed to lieutenant. 
Other  1918-02  Trained troops in England. 
Other  1918-08  McCarthy's position training troops finished when he rejoined his battalion in France. 
Date of honour or award  1918-08-23  Awarded Victoria Cross for action at near Madame Wood, west of Vermandovillers, France, whilst serving as a lieutenant with 16th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 4th Division. The forward movement of McCarthy's company was blocked by German machine guns. McCarthy crossed open ground to attack the enemy trench. McCarthy inflicted serious causalities and had captured much of the trench before he was joined by one of his men. 
Other  1918-11-21  Fell ill and evacuated to hospital rejoining the 16th Battalion on 7 January 1919. 
Date returned to Australia  1919-12-20   
Date of discharge  1920-08-06  McCarthy was demobilised. 
Date of death  1975-05-25  Died at Heidleberg Repatriation Hospital in Melbourne, VIC.