Victoria Cross : Second Lieutenant F Birks, 6 Battalion, AIF

Victoria Cross. Engraved reverse suspender with recipient's details; reverse cross with date of action.

Frederick Birks was born to Samuel and Mary (nee Williams) Birks at Buckley, North Wales on 31 August 1894. Educated at the local St Matthews Anglican School, he was a conscientious pupil with an interest in sports, particularly boxing and football. Birks migrated to Australia with friends in August 1913. Working in South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria, he enlisted in the AIF as private 47 on 18 August 1914 at Broadmeadows, Melbourne, barely two weeks after the declaration of war.

Posted to the 2nd Australian Field Ambulance, Birks embarked with his unit on HMAT 'Wiltshire' from Melbourne on 19 October. Landing on Gallipoli around dawn of the 25th April, Birks immediately demonstrated the courage that would mark his military career. Under heavy fire he carried the wounded from areas that could not be accessed using stretchers. He repeated the actions again at Cape Helles on 8 May. A recommendation for a Military Medal was drafted to recognise his actions on Gallipoli though no further action was taken. On 26 June he was slightly wounded.

Birks unit was withdrawn to Mudros on 9 September and did not return to the peninsula. Transferring to Egypt in early 1916, he embarked for France in March, arriving in Marseilles on the 30th. On 21 April, Birks was promoted to lance corporal and to corporal in early August.

In September a second recommendation for a Military Medal was forwarded, this time for his actions during fierce fighting near Pozieres on 26 July. Disregarding his own safety, Birks once again braved heavy fire to rescue his comrades. The award was gazetted on 16 November.

In February 1917, Birks attended officer training and was commissioned 2nd lieutenant to 6 Battalion on 26 April. On 21 September, Birks was killed during fighting around Ypres following the action for which he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. The recommendation for the award reads:

'During the advance on GLENCOURSE WOOD east of YPRES on 20th September 1917 this officer accompanied only by a Corporal rushed a Strong Point which was holding up the advance. The Corporal was wounded by a bomb but 2nd Lieut. BIRKS went on by himself, killed the remaining Germans and captured a Machine Gun. Shortly afterwards he organised a small party and attacked another strong point which was occupied by about 25 Germans; after killing a number of these they captured an Officer and 15 men. During the consolidation this Officer did magnificent work in reorganising parties of other units who had been disorganised owing to getting too close to our own barrage. By his wonderful coolness and personal bravery he kept his men in splendid spirits throughout.

2nd Lieutenant BIRKS was killed in his post by a shell on the morning of 21st September whilst standing exposed endeavouring to extricate some of his men who had been buried by a shell.'

'It may lesson your sorrow a little', wrote an officer who witnessed the action to Birk's mother, 'to know that although he is not with us, he will live forever in our memory as one of the greatest hearted men we ever had the honour of associating with.'

The corporal mentioned in the recommendation was 1981 Corporal William Johnston, whose wounds were suffered when he threw himself in front of Birks to take the force of a German grenade. Johnston, awarded a Military Medal for his bravery, was originally recommended for a Victoria Cross.


Birks is buried in Perth Cemetery (China Wall) near Ypres, Belgium. A cenotaph in his honour was erected in the grounds of St Matthews, Buckley, in 1921. His Victoria Cross was presented to his brother, Captain Samuel Birks of the Royal Horse Artillery, who was recalled from his posting in Italy to be presented with the award by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 19 December 1917.

• Belgian Pocket Revolver : Second Lieutenant F Birks, 6 Battalion, AIF
• Military Medal : Lance Corporal F Birks, 2 Field Ambulance, AIF
• 1914-15 Star : Private F Birks, 2 Field Ambulance, AIF
• British War Medal 1914-20 : Second Lieutenant F Birks, 6 Battalion, AIF
• Victory Medal : Second Lieutenant F Birks, 6 Battalion, AIF