• Victoria Cross: 1914-1918

Date of birth:

1892 (Camberwell/Victoria, Australia)

Date of death:

April 28th, 1964 (Busselton/Western Australia, Australia)

Nationality:

Australian

Clifford Sadlier moved to Subiaco, WA as a youth. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in 1915, initially serving with the Army Medical Corps before joining the 51st Battalion in France. Promoted to lieutenant in 1918, Sadlier distinguished himself during the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux. Despite being wounded, he led a bombing section to silence multiple enemy machine-gun posts, ultimately clearing the flank and enabling his battalion’s advance. His solo assault on a third gun earned him the Victoria Cross for “coolness and utter disregard of danger”.

Invalided home later that year, Sadlier was discharged in 1919. He became State Secretary of the Returned and Services League and served on the Claremont Road Board, chairing it in 1928–29. He married Alice Edith Smart in 1936 and worked as a clerk in the Repatriation Department until 1949. Sadlier attended the VC Centenary in London in 1956. His medals were donated to St George’s Cathedral in Perth, where replicas are displayed.

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Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Rank:

Lieutenant

Unit:

51st Australian Battalion, 13th Australian Brigade, 4th Australian Divison, Australian Military Forces

Awarded on:

July 11th, 1918

"On 24/25 April 1918 at Villers-Bretonneux, France, Lieutenant Sadlier's platoon had to advance through a wood where a strong enemy machine-gun post was causing casualties and preventing the advance. Although he was himself wounded, Lieutenant Sadlier at once collected his bombing section and led them against the machine-guns, killing the crews and capturing two of the guns. By this time his party were all casualties and alone he attacked a third enemy machine-gun with his revolver, killing the crew and taking the gun. In doing so, he was again wounded. The very gallant conduct of this officer was the means of clearing the flank, and allowing the battalion to move forward, thereby saving a most critical situation. His coolness and utter disregard of danger inspired all"

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

1937

Awarded on:

1953

• - "No. 30790". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 July 1918. p. 8156
  - Medal Group