THE VICTORIA CROSS AWARDED TO LIEUTENANT THOMAS DINESEN, 42ND BN, QUEBEC REGIMENT, CANADIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, HAS BEEN ACQUIRED BY THE LORD ASHCROFT VC COLLECTION |
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1 December 2013 |
The Victoria Cross, Orders, decorations and campaign medals awarded to Lieutenant Thomas Dinesen, 42nd Bn, Quebec Regiment ( Royal Highlanders of Canada ), Canadian Expeditionary Force, have been acquired by the Lord Ashcroft Trust the holding institution for the Lord Ashcroft VC Collection. The group will go on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery housed in the Imperial War Museum, London.
For the award of the Victoria Cross [ London Gazette, 26 October 1918 ], Parvillers, France, 12 August 1918, 2075467 Private Thomas Dinesen, 42nd Bn, Quebec Regiment ( Royal Highlanders of Canada ), Canadian Expeditionary Force.
For most conspicuous bravery and continuous bravery ( Parvillers, France ) displayed during ten hours of hand-to-hand fighting, which resulted in the capture of over a mile of strongly garrisoned and stubbornly defended enemy trenches. Five times in succession he rushed forward alone, and single-handed put hostile machine guns out of action, accounting for twelve of the enemy with bomb and bayonet. His sustained valour and resourcefulness inspired his comrades at a very critical stage of the action, and were an example to all.
Thomas Dinesen was invested with his Victoria Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace on the 13th December 1918.
Thomas Dinesen was a Danish citizen and was determined to take part in the First World war. Before he managed to join the Canadian Army Dinesen had been turned down by the British, French and US forces. Finally, whilst in New York, Dinesen was accepted by a Canadian Recruiting Office, and was drafted into the 42nd Bn, Quebec Regiment ( Royal Highlanders of Canada ). Thomas Dinesen died on the 10th March 1979 in the town of Leerbaek in Denmark and is buried in the nearby Hoersholm Cemetery. Dinesen was the brother of Karen Blixen the celebrated author of 'Out of Africa' and between 1921 and 1923 lived in a cottage on her coffee farm in British East Africa ( Kenya ) located in the Ngong Hills southwest of Nairobi. |
Iain Stewart, 1 December 2013