William Addison (VC)

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William Robert Fountaine Addison
File:VCWilliamRobertFountainsAddison.jpg
Born	(1883-09-18)18 September 1883 Cranbrook, Kent
Died	St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1914–1938 1939–1942
Rank	Chaplain
Unit	Army Chaplain's Department
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Victoria Cross Order of St. George IV class (Russia)

William Robert Fountaine Addison VC (18 September 1883 – 7 January 1962) 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.

The Reverend William Addison attended Sarum College, was ordained in 1913 and became curate of St Edmund's Church, Salisbury (now closed). During the First World War he was a Temporary Chaplain of the Forces, 4th Class in the Army Chaplain's Department, British Army, when the following deed took place on 9 April 1916 at Sanna-i-Yat, Mesopotamia, for which he was awarded the VC "for most conspicuous bravery":

He carried a wounded man to the cover of a trench, and assisted several others to the same cover, after binding up their wounds under heavy rifle and machine gun fire.

In addition to these unaided efforts, by his splendid example and utter disregard of personal danger, he encouraged the stretcher-bearers to go forward under heavy fire and collect the wounded.

After the war Addison continued as an army chaplain and served at Malta, Khartoum and Shanghai and at army bases in England. He was Senior Chaplain to the Forces from 1934 to 1938 when he left the army and became a parish priest. He was Rector of Coltishall with Great Hautbois in Norfolk from 1938 to 1958. However, on the outbreak of World War II he returned to the army and again served as Senior Chaplain to the Forces.

A replica set of Addison's medals is on display at the Museum of Army Chaplaincy.

References

• ADDISON, Rev. William Robert Fountaine, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007, accessed 19 Nov 2012

External links

• Grave refurbished
• Burial location of William Addison (Brookwood Cemetery)
• The Brookwood Cemetery Society (Holders of the Victoria Cross Commemorated in Brookwood Cemetery)
• William Addison at Find-A-Grave