Lieutenant Lawrence McCarthy V.C.Print Page

The pavilion commemorates Lieutenant Lawrence Dominic McCarthy who was awarded the Victoria Cross (V.C.) during World War One.  A portrait of Lieutenant McCarthy was also unveiled in the newly renovated RSL hall, renamed in the Victoria Cross recipient's honour.

Lawrence Dominic McCarthy was born in York, Western Australia, in August 1892.  Lieutenant McCarthy was in the original landing at Gallipoli and redeployed to the western front in France.  McCarthy was promoted to company sergeant major in March 1917 and the following month was commissioned as a second lieutenant. The day after receiving his commission, McCarthy was wounded at Bullecourt and evacuated to England where he spent three months in hospital and convalescing. In November he was promoted to lieutenant and was awarded the French Croix de Guerre.

On 23 August 1918, McCarthy performed what some regarded as the most effective piece of individual fighting in the history of the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) next to Albert Jacka's Military Cross winning feat at Pozières. Near Madam Wood, east of Vermandovillers, France, the battalion was heavily opposed by well-posted machine-guns. Lieutenant McCarthy, realizing the situation, dashed across the open ground with two men to the nearest post, where, having out-distanced his companions, he put the gun out of action, then continued fighting his way down the trench. Later, having been joined by one of his men, together they bombed their way along the trench until contact was established with an adjoining unit. During this action Lieutenant McCarthy had killed 22 of the enemy, taken 50 prisoners and captured 5 machine-guns.

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