"Great love hath no man. Daddy's at rest"
Tubb enlisted on 24 August 1914, only 20 days after the proclamation of war, and was posted as a 2nd lieutenant to 7 Battalion AIF, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Harold 'Pompey' Elliott. On 19 October the battalion embarked at Melbourne on HMAT 'Hororata' bound for the Middle East with Tubb as Transport Officer. He was promoted lieutenant on 3 February 1915 and captain on 6 August, three days before the action for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery in the trenches at Lone Pine, Gallipoli.
Lieutenant Tubb held a newly captured trench which was being counter-attacked by the enemy, who blew in a sand-bag barricade, leaving only a foot of it standing. Tubb led his men back, repulsed the enemy and rebuilt the barricade. Twice more the enemy blew in the barricade, but on each occasion this officer, although wounded in the head and arm, held his ground and assisted by corporals Alexander Stewart Burton and William Dunstan, rebuilt it, and maintained the position under heavy bombardment..
He was awarded the Victoria Cross for action in the Lone Pine Trenches, Gallipoli on 9 August 1915. His citation read:
‘For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty at Lone Pine trenches, in the Gallipoli Peninsula, on 9th August, 1915. In the early morning the enemy made a determined counter attack on the centre of the newly captured trench held by Lieutenant Tubb. They advanced up a sap and blew in a sandbag barricade, leaving only one foot of it standing, but Lieutenant Tubb led his men back, repulsed the enemy, and rebuilt the barricade. Supported by strong bombing parties, the enemy succeeded in twice again blowing in the barricade, but on each occasion Lieutenant Tubb, although wounded in the head and arm, held his ground with the greatest coolness and rebuilt it, and finally succeeded in maintaining his position under very heavy bomb fire’.
Following the action, Tubb was invalided to England and took no further part in the Gallipoli campaign. While recuperating further surgery was required to remove his appendix on 27 December. Physically weak due to effects of the wounds and exacerbated by the surgery, Tubb was sent to Australia to convalesce in March 1916. When asked by reporters on his return to describe his action he replied 'I did not do a darned thing, when you consider what 6000 other fellows did but they did not survive that terrible four days and I did'. He left Australia in early October and rejoined his battalion, now in France, on 10 December.
Tubb was promoted to the rank of major in February 1917. In June he again became ill and was invalided to England, rejoining his unit on 7 August.
On the 20th of the following month the battalion took part in the fighting around Passchendaele. Near Polygon Wood Tubb's company seized nine pillboxes. In this action Major Tubb was serving with 7th Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st AIF when he was shot by a German Sniper. While being carried to the rear he was struck by British artillery shells whose barrage had fallen short of their target. He died at the dressing station at Lijssenthoek and was buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium and is buried at Lijessnthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinghe, Belgium.
Three of his brothers also served in the AIF: Lieutenant Arthur Oswald Tubb, Sapper Alfred Charles Tubb and Captain Frank Reid Tubb. Frank also served in 7 Battalion, gaining a Military Cross in fighting around Pozieres in August 1916.
Victoria's First Expeditionary Force to the Motherland page 16
Lieutenant Tubb held a newly captured trench which was being counter-attacked by the enemy, who blew in a sand-bag barricade, leaving only a foot of it standing. Tubb led his men back, repulsed the enemy and rebuilt the barricade. Twice more the enemy blew in the barricade, but on each occasion this officer, although wounded in the head and arm, held his ground and assisted by corporals Alexander Stewart Burton and William Dunstan, rebuilt it, and maintained the position under heavy bombardment..
He was awarded the Victoria Cross for action in the Lone Pine Trenches, Gallipoli on 9 August 1915. His citation read:
‘For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty at Lone Pine trenches, in the Gallipoli Peninsula, on 9th August, 1915. In the early morning the enemy made a determined counter attack on the centre of the newly captured trench held by Lieutenant Tubb. They advanced up a sap and blew in a sandbag barricade, leaving only one foot of it standing, but Lieutenant Tubb led his men back, repulsed the enemy, and rebuilt the barricade. Supported by strong bombing parties, the enemy succeeded in twice again blowing in the barricade, but on each occasion Lieutenant Tubb, although wounded in the head and arm, held his ground with the greatest coolness and rebuilt it, and finally succeeded in maintaining his position under very heavy bomb fire’.
Following the action, Tubb was invalided to England and took no further part in the Gallipoli campaign. While recuperating further surgery was required to remove his appendix on 27 December. Physically weak due to effects of the wounds and exacerbated by the surgery, Tubb was sent to Australia to convalesce in March 1916. When asked by reporters on his return to describe his action he replied 'I did not do a darned thing, when you consider what 6000 other fellows did but they did not survive that terrible four days and I did'. He left Australia in early October and rejoined his battalion, now in France, on 10 December.
Tubb was promoted to the rank of major in February 1917. In June he again became ill and was invalided to England, rejoining his unit on 7 August.
On the 20th of the following month the battalion took part in the fighting around Passchendaele. Near Polygon Wood Tubb's company seized nine pillboxes. In this action Major Tubb was serving with 7th Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st AIF when he was shot by a German Sniper. While being carried to the rear he was struck by British artillery shells whose barrage had fallen short of their target. He died at the dressing station at Lijssenthoek and was buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium and is buried at Lijessnthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinghe, Belgium.
Three of his brothers also served in the AIF: Lieutenant Arthur Oswald Tubb, Sapper Alfred Charles Tubb and Captain Frank Reid Tubb. Frank also served in 7 Battalion, gaining a Military Cross in fighting around Pozieres in August 1916.
Victoria's First Expeditionary Force to the Motherland page 16
TUCKER, Arthur Henry
TUCKER, Charles Samuel MMService no 1069
Private 22nd Battalion Born Perth, WA Son of Charles M TUCKER of 64 Brunning Street, East St. Kilda, Vic. Occupation prior to enlistment Bookbinder Enlisted 03 April 1915 Killed in action 26 August 1916 Aged 23 years Buried Pozieres British Cemetery, France www.awm.gov.au P00977.001 |