The bronze memorial to Captain Chavasse and other holders of the Victoria Cross
Memorial to Captain Chavasse unveiled
Liverpool, UK - : A memorial to Captain Noel Chavasse has been unveiled at a service in Abercromby Square. The bronze memorial depicts Captain Chavasse and a Liverpool Scottish stretcher bearer attending a wounded soldier.
Captain Chavasse was the only soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross twice in the First World War. Son of the Bishop of Liverpool, he was also a medical student at the University. He lived in Abercromby Square as a boy.
As a surgeon-lieutenant, Captain Chavasse rescued wounded men from No-Man’s Land under heavy fire, sometimes just 25 yards from enemy lines. He saved the lives of more than 20 men before being honoured with his first Victoria Cross. He was awarded the second posthumously for the rescue and treatment of soldiers during conflict in Belgium while mortally wounded himself.
Around 1,000 people attended the unveiling of the memorial which is dedicated to Captain Chavasse and 15 others who were awarded the Victoria Cross between 1857 and 1917.
Funds for the memorial were raised by the Noel Chavasse VC Memorial Association.
Chairman of the Association, Bill Sergeant, said: “This memorial reminds us of the past, but it can also be an inspiration for the future. We can be assured that future generations will be reminded of the contribution our heroes made, and the principles for which they fought.”
The memorial - created by Tom Murphy, whose other work includes the Bill Shankly statue at Liverpool FC - will remain in Abercromby Square temporarily while the Association look for a permanent site.
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