Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC has had his latest “hero of the month” article published in Britain at War, the country’s best-selling military history monthly magazine.
The May issue of the magazine has a two-page write-up on the life and bravery of Captain Percy Herbert Cherry, who was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) for outstanding bravery during the Great War.
Cherry was born in Murradoc, Drysdale, Victoria, Australia, and brought up in Tasmania from the age of seven. In March 1915, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, he enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force (AIF).
Captain Cherry was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for bravery in France in March 1917 when he charged two enemy machine-gun posts, capturing both of them.
For gallantry later that same month, also in France, he was awarded the VC. Cherry cleared the village of Lagnicourt of the enemy and, despite being wounded, he refused to leave his post and was eventually killed by an enemy shell. His posthumous award was announced on May 11 1917.
Lord Ashcroft’s articles for Britain at War over the past five years have been largely based on excerpts from four of his books on gallantry: Victoria Cross Heroes, Special Forces Heroes, George Cross Heroes and Heroes of the Skies. His sixth bravery book, Victoria Cross Heroes Volume II, was published in November last year.
For the foreseeable future, Lord Ashcroft’s “hero of the month” articles will concentrate on men who were awarded the VC during the First World War. Lord Ashcroft is a military historian who has lectured extensively on courage and his various medal collections.
- Lord Ashcroft’s latest article appears in the May issue of Britain at War which is on sale now.
