Christopher Bushell

Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Bushell VC DSO (31 October 1888 – 8 August 1918) was an English recipient of 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.

Christopher Bushell
Born31 October 1887
Neston, Cheshire
Died8 August 1918 (aged 30)
Morlancourt, France
Buried
Querrieu British Cemetery
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service1912-1918 †
RankLieutenant Colonel
UnitThe Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment
Battles/warsWorld War I
AwardsVictoria Cross
Distinguished Service Order

Bushell was 29 years old, and a temporary lieutenant colonel in the 7th (S) Battalion, The Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment, British Army, Commander during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

On 23 March 1918 west of St. Quentin's Canal and north of Tergnier, France, Lieutenant Colonel Bushell personally led C Company of his battalion, who were cooperating with an Allied regiment in a counterattack. In the course of this attack he was severely wounded in the head, but continued to carry on, walking in front of both British and Allied troops, encouraging them and visiting every portion of the lines in the face of terrific machine-gun and rifle fire. He refused to go to the rear until he had to be removed to the dressing station in a fainting condition.[1]

He was killed in action to the south of Morlancourt, Somme, France, on 8 August 1918. He is buried at Querrieu CWGC, Somme, France.[2]

In 1923, the Christopher Bushell Prize of books, for Modern History undergraduates, was established at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where Bushell read Modern History from 1906–1909.[3]

References
  1. "No. 30667". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 April 1918. p. 5353.
  2. CWGC entry
  3. Corpus Christi College Biographical Register 1880–1974
  • Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
  • The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
  • VCs of the First World War - Spring Offensive 1918 (Gerald Gliddon, 1997)
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