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Henry Dalziel VC was an Australian 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. Dalziel's VC was the 1000th awarded.
He was 25 years old, and serving as a driver in the 15th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force during the First World War when, during the Battle of Hamel, the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. Assigned to the battalion's transport company, Dalziel volunteered to join the attack to make up for a manpower shortage that the battalion was experiencing at that time.
On 4 July 1918 at Hamel Wood, France, when determined resistance was coming from an enemy strong-point which was also protected by strong wire entanglements, Dalziel, armed only with a revolver, attacked an enemy machine-gun. He killed or captured the entire crew and, although severely wounded in the hand, carried on until the final objective was captured. He twice went over open ground under heavy artillery and machine-gun fire to obtain ammunition and, suffering from loss of blood, continued to fill magazines and serve his gun until wounded in the head.
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