The Raid on Zeebrugge - 23rd April 1918

e-mail Colin McKenzie

photographs to follow

2. Captain Edward Bamford  - Royal Marine Light Infantry

The Royal Marines officers held their ballot and selected Edward Bamford. He was the officer who led the Marine storming party onto the Mole from HMS Vindictive.

4. Lieutenant-Commander George Bradford - Royal Navy (posthumous award)

As the Iris came alongside the Mole, it was immediately obvious that the scaling ladders would be too short to reach from the vessel's deck to the top of the Mole. The huge swell made it impossible even to lean the ladders against the side of the harbour wall. One young officer - Lt Claude Hawkins - had climbed to the top of a ladder held up by his men and jumped onto the Mole. He was killed instantly by the German defenders.

George Bradford did not hesitate to follow his young colleague. Carrying a grappling hook in his hand, he climbed up an anchor hoist and jumped across the gap onto the Mole. As he secured the grappling hook to the parapet wall, he was swept into the sea by a hail of machine gun bullets.

... The Medals

THE WINNERS OF THE VICTORIA CROSS

1. Captain Alfred Carpenter - Royal Navy

The naval officers' ballot for the VC was won by Alfred Carpenter, who narrowly beat Lt-Cmd Campbell of the Daffodil and Lt-Cmd Adams who led the attack along the Mole. Many of Adams' young friends who might have voted for him had been killed in the Raid.

Capt Carpenter had led the entire fleet across the channel in pitch darkness with no lights, radio or other navigation aids; they arrived at the Mole within a minute of the target time. His navigational skill and his cool command of his vessel throughout the Raid won the admiration of all those under his command.

Later in 1918 Carpenter toured England and North America lecturing on his experiences. As one of the 'heroes of Zeebrugge' he drew audiences of over two thousand at a time and his visits were headline news in every town. He retired as an Admiral in 1929 and was made a Rear Admiral in 1934.

3. Lieutenant-Commander Arthur Harrison - Royal Navy (posthumous award)

An England rugby international before the war, Arthur Harrison started the Raid badly by being knocked unconscious and breaking his jaw. However he soon regained consciousness and insisted on joining the assault team which had had been led onto the Mole by Bryan Adams.

Harrison arrived on the Mole to meet Adams looking for reinforcements. He listened to Adams report and sent him back to fetch Marine support. He then gathered a team of men, including Able Seaman Albert McKenzie carrying his Lewis gun, and led them in a tremendous charge along the Mole.  But their assault was soon stopped by withering German fire and Harrison was mortally wounded.  All the men in this assault team were killed or badly wounded including Albert McKenzie.

Another member of the assault team Able Seaman Eaves tried to carry Arthur Harrison's body back to the Vindictive before being wounded himself. Eaves was later taken prisoner by the Germans, but Harrison had died on the Mole.

More VCs winners ...