Private Patrick Joseph Bugden

Service number	3774
Birth Date	17/03/1897
Birth Place	Australia: New South Wales
Death Date	28/09/1917
Death Place	Belgium: Flanders, West-Vlaanderen, Polygon Wood
Final Rank	Private
Service	Australian Imperial Force
Units	30th Australian Infantry Battalion 31st Australian Infantry Battalion 31st Australian Infantry Battalion 31st Australian Infantry Battalion
Places	Belgium New South Wales Polygon Wood
Event	The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (3774) Private Patrick Joseph Bugden, 31st Battalion, AIF, First World War 1914-1918
Conflict/Operation	First World War, 1914-1918

Description

Twenty-year-old Pat Bugden (1897-1917), a hotelkeeper from the north coast of New South Wales before enlistment, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his outstanding bravery over three days during one of the Australians' successful step-by-step advances in late September 1917. On two occasions, when held up by intense fire from machine-guns, he led small parties to silence the enemy posts. Five times he rescued wounded men trapped by intense shelling and machine-gun fire. Once, seeing that an Australian corporal had been taken prisoner, he single-handedly rushed to his comrade's aid, shooting and bayoneting the enemy. He kept fighting until he was killed.

Collection items

Rolls

Honours and Awards (Recommendation):

Unit

31st Australian Infantry Battalion

Conflict

First World War, 1914-1918

Rank

Private
Honours and Awards (Recommendation):

Unit

31st Australian Infantry Battalion

Conflict

First World War, 1914-1918

Rank

Private
Honours and Awards:

Unit

31st Australian Infantry Battalion

Conflict

First World War, 1914-1918

Rank

Private
Roll of Honour:

Unit

31st Australian Infantry Battalion

Conflict

First World War, 1914-1918

Rank

Private
First World War Embarkation Roll:

Conflict

First World War, 1914-1918

Rank

Private

Timeline

Date of birth	17/03/1897
Date and unit at enlistment (ORs)	25/05/1916	Began training at Enoggera in Queensland.
Date of embarkation	19/09/1916	Embarked with reinforcements for the 31st Battalion.
Date of honour or award	1917-09-26 - 1917-09-28	Awarded the Victoria Cross for action at Polygon Wood, near Ypres, Belgium whilst serving with 31 Battalion, 8 Brigade, 5 Division as a Private
Date of recommendation honour or award	03/10/1917
Date of recommendation honour or award	02/10/1917
Date of death	28/09/1917
Other units	03/1917	31st Battalion.