George Peachment

Who was George Peachment?

George Stanley Peachment VC was an English Private in the 2nd Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps, British Army during World War I. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Before he joined up in April 1915, Peachment was an apprentice steam engine maker in Bury, Lancashire.

At the Battle of Loos, on 25 September 1915 near Hulluch, France, during very heavy fighting, when the front line was compelled to retire in order to reorganise, Private Peachment saw his company commander lying wounded and crawled to help him. The enemy fire was intense but although there was a shell-hole quite close in which a few men had taken cover, Private Peachment never thought of saving himself. He knelt in the open by his officer and tried to help him, but while doing so was first wounded by a bomb and a minute later mortally wounded by a rifle bullet.

His medal is held in the Lord Ashcroft VC Collection.