Lance Corporal Fred Fisher
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Date of birth: 1895-08-03
Place of birth: St. Catherines Ontario Canada
Next of kin: Mr. W. H. Fisher, Father, 576 Landsdowne Ave., Westmount, Quebec
Marital status: single
Occupation (attested): Student
Occupation (normalized): Other Professional, Technical and Related Workers Not Elsewhere Classified
Religion: Church of England
Date of death:
1915-04-24
Cause of death:
Killed in action
Buried:
Menin Gate (Ypres) Memorial, Panel 24 - 26 - 28 - 30
MILITARY INFORMATION
Regimental number: 24066
Highest Rank:
Lance Corporal
(13th Battalion)
Rank detail
Lance Corporal, 13th Battalion, Infantry (Army).
Degree of service: Europe
Survived war: no
Battle wounded/killed: 2nd Ypres
Awards
Victoria Cross (Second Battle of Ypres)
Description: On 23rd April, 1915, in the neighbourhood of St. Julien, he went forward with the machine gun, of which he was in charge, under heavy fire, and most gallantly assisted in covering the retreat of a battery, losing four men of his gun team. Later, after obtaining four more men, he went forward again to the firing line and was himself killed while bringing his machine gun into action under very heavy fire, in order to cover the advance of support.
Date of award: 1915-06-22
Date of award: 1915-04-23
Source: London Gazette
RESEARCH INFORMATION
CVWM ID: No CVWM ID in our database, but try
this.
CWGC ID: 1592163
LAC ID:
388420
Service file: B3105-S029
Uploader's Notes: Born August 3, 1895 in St. Catharines, Ontario. Son of Mr. W. H. Fisher, of 576 Lansdowne Avenue, Westmount, Quebec. Lance Corporal Fred Fisher was the first Canadian born man to be awarded the Victoria Cross while serving in the Canadian Army.
Uploader's Research notes: The story of his VC win is told in Arthur Bishop's book True Canadian Heroes on the Battlefield, pages 23-24. [Lance Corporal Army Canadian Infantry 13th Battalion Victoria Cross Second Battle of Ypres On 23rd April, 1915, in the neighbourhood of St. Julien, he went forward with the machine gun, of which he was in charge, under heavy fire, and most gallantly assisted in covering the retreat of a battery, losing four men of his gun team. Later, after obtaining four more men, he went forward again to the firing line and was himself killed while bringing his machine gun into action under very heavy fire, in order to cover the advance of support. ]
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Date added: 2004-09-04
Last modified: 2011-11-26