Ranks Held | Captain, Lieutenant, Second Lieutenant |
---|---|
Birth Date | 27 October 1884 |
Birth Place | Australia: Western Australia, Northam |
Death Date | 19 November 1933 |
Death Place | Australia: Western Australia, Greenmount |
Final Rank | Captain |
Service | Australian Imperial Force |
Unit | 10th Australian Light Horse Regiment |
Places | |
Conflict/Operation | First World War, 1914-1918 |
Gazettes |
Published in London Gazette in 1915-11-05 Published in London Gazette in 1915-10-15 Published in Commonwealth Gazette in 1916-02-24 Published in Commonwealth Gazette in 1916-01-27 |
Captain Hugo Vivian Hope Throssell
Hugo Throssell, a Western Australian farmer, joined the 10th Light Horse at the outbreak of war. He arrived on Gallipoli in August 1915 and survived the regiment's ill-fated charge at the Nek on 7 August. Throssell was awarded the Victoria Cross for an action on 29-30 August which took place at Hill 60. The 10th Light Horse was brought into an offensive action to extend the front line past Hill 60 in the early hours of the 29th. Throssell and his men became involved in a fierce bomb fight, which continued all night. Throssell was wounded twice but even with his face covered in blood he refused medical help, continuing to shout encouragement to his men. His was the first Victoria Cross awarded to a Western Australian in the war, and the only one to an Australian light horseman.
After the war Throssell married the novelist Katharine Susannah Prichard. Badly affected by his war experiences, he became a socialist and an opponent of war. Although he tried to resume his life on the land, he never fully recovered, and committed suicide in 1933.
Citation:
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty during operations on the Kaiakij Aghala (Hill 60) in the Gallipoli
Peninsula on 29th and 30th August 1915. Although severely wounded in several places during a counter-attack, he refused to leave his post or to obtain medical assistance till all danger was passed, when he had his wounds dressed and returned to the firing-line until ordered out of action by the Medical Officer. By his personal courage and example he kept up the spirits of his party, and was largely instrumental in saving the situation at a critical period.
Rolls
-
Honours and Awards (Recommendation):
- Unit
- 10th Australian Light Horse Regiment
- Conflict
- First World War, 1914-1918
- Rank
- Second Lieutenant
-
Honours and Awards:
- Unit
- 10th Australian Light Horse Regiment
- Conflict
- First World War, 1914-1918
- Rank
- Second Lieutenant
- London Gazette
- 15 October 1915 on page 10154 at position 2
- Commonwealth Gazette
- 24 February 1916 on page 456 at position 2
-
First World War Embarkation Roll:
- Conflict
- First World War, 1914-1918
- Rank
- Second Lieutenant
-
Honours and Awards (Recommendation):
- Unit
- 10th Australian Light Horse Regiment
- Conflict
- First World War, 1914-1918
- Rank
- Second Lieutenant
-
Honours and Awards (Recommendation):
- Unit
- 10th Australian Light Horse Regiment
- Conflict
- First World War, 1914-1918
- Rank
- Second Lieutenant
-
First World War Embarkation Roll:
- Conflict
- First World War, 1914-1918
- Rank
- Lieutenant
-
Honours and Awards:
- Unit
- 10th Australian Light Horse Regiment
- Conflict
- First World War, 1914-1918
- Rank
- Second Lieutenant
- London Gazette
- 05 November 1915 on page 11002 at position 24
- Commonwealth Gazette
- 27 January 1916 on page 156 at position 56
-
Honours and Awards (Recommendation):
- Unit
- 10th Australian Light Horse Regiment
- Conflict
- First World War, 1914-1918
- Rank
- Second Lieutenant
Timeline
Date of birth | 27 October 1884 | |
---|---|---|
Date and unit at enlistment (ORs) | 05 October 1914 | Posted to WA first mounted squadron - later expanded and became 10 Light Horse Regiment. |
Date promoted | 06 October 1914 | Appointed Sergeant. |
Date commissioned | 03 February 1915 | Appointed 2nd Lieutenant. |
Date of embarkation | 19 February 1915 | |
Other units | 05 August 1915 | 10th Light Horse Regiment. |
Date of honour or award | 30 August 1915 | Awarded Victoria Cross for action at Hill 60, Gallipoli, Turkey whilst serving with 10 Light Horse Regiment. THough severely wounded he refused to leave his post. After receiving medical attention he returned to his post until ordered out of action by the Medical Officer. |
Date of recommendation honour or award | 07 September 1915 | |
Date of recommendation honour or award | 07 September 1915 | |
Date of recommendation honour or award | 1916 | |
Date promoted | 20 February 1916 | Appointed Lieutenant. |
Date wounded | 1916-04 | Invalided to Australia after contracting cerebrospinal meningitis. |
Date of embarkation | 22 January 1917 | |
Other units | 22 January 1917 | Light Horse Reinforcements. |
Date wounded | 1917-04 | Wounded in action at Second Battle of Gaza, in which his brother was killed. |
Other units | 1917-04 | 10 Battalion. |
Date promoted | 15 August 1917 | Appointed Captain. |
Date of discharge | 13 February 1919 | |
Date of death | 19 November 1933 |