Captain George Allan Maling, VC

Wikipedia Biographical Summary

"...Captain George Allan Maling VC (6 October 1888 – 9 July 1929) 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.

Part of the Maling pottery family, Maling was born in Bishopwearmouth, County Durham, the son of Edwin Allan Maling (1838–1920), a general practitioner, and his wife, Maria Jane, née Hartley (1847–1932). He was also a maternal cousin of Sir Henry Havelock.

Maling was a 26 year old, Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps, attached to the 12th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 25 September 1915 near Fauquissart, France Lieutenant Maling worked for over 24 hours with untiring energy, collecting and treating in the open, under heavy shell fire, more than 300 men. During the morning of the 25th he was temporarily stunned by the bursting of a large high explosive shell which wounded his only assistant and killed several of his patients. A second shell covered him and his instruments with debris, but he continued his gallant work single-handed.

Maling's Victoria Cross is displayed at the Army Medical Services Museum (Aldershot, England)."

SOURCE: Wikipedia contributors, 'George Allan Maling', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 24 Jan 2011, 06:08 UTC, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Allan_Maling> [accessed 26 June 2011]