William Faulds

Who was William Faulds?

William Frederick Faulds VC MC was a South African soldier, and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award of the British Commonwealth, for gallantry "in the face of the enemy", during the First World War. He was the first South African-born man serving with South African Forces to be awarded the VC.

Faulds was born 19 February 1895. When he was 21 years old, and a private in the 1st Battalion of the South African Infantry Brigade during the First World War, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 18 July 1916 at Delville Wood, France.

The citation reads as follows:

"A bombing party under Lieut Craig attempted to rush over 40 yards of ground which lay between the British and enemy trenches. Coming under very heavy rifle and machine gun fire the officer and the majority of the party were killed and wounded. Unable to move, Lieut Craig lay midway between the two lines of trench, the ground being quite open. In full daylight, Pte Faulds, accompanied by two other men, climbed over the parapet, ran out, picked up the officer, and carried him back... Two days later Private Faulds again showed most conspicuous bravery in going out alone to bring in a wounded man, and carried him nearly half a mile to a dressing-station... The artillery fire was at the time so intense that stretcher-bearers and others considered that any attempt to bring in the wounded man meant certain death..."