Willward Alexander Sandys-Clarke | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 8 June 1919 Southport, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 23 April 1943 (aged 23) Guiriat El Atach,French Tunisia |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1941–1943 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Service number | 86517 |
| Unit | Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) |
| Battles / wars | World War II † |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
| Relations | Peter Sandys-Clarke (grandson) |
LieutenantWillward Alexander Sandys-ClarkeVC (8 June 1919 – 23 April 1943) was aBritish Armyofficer and anEnglish recipient of theVictoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded toBritish andCommonwealth forces.
He was born inSouthport,[1] and was educated atUppingham School. He married Dorothy Irene Deakin at the United Reformed Church inBelmont, Lancashire in 1941,[2] and they lived inEgerton, nearBolton.
Sandys-Clarke was a 23-year-oldlieutenant in the 1st Battalion,Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire),British Army during theSecond World War when he was awarded the VC.
On 23 April 1943 atGuiriat El Atach,Tunisia, Lieutenant Clarke's company was counter-attacked and almost wiped out, he being the sole remaining officer. Although wounded in the head, he gathered a composite platoon together and advancing to attack the position again met heavy fire from a machine-gun post. He manoeuvred his men to give covering fire and then tackled the post single-handed, killing or capturing the crew and knocking out the gun. He dealt similarly with two other posts and then led his platoon to the objective, but was killed when he later went forward to tackle two sniper posts single-handed.[3]
Sandys-Clarke was related to four other recipients of the award:
The medal was retained by his family and was not on public display. However, on 6th July 2025, the Daily Telegraph reported that the medal had been put up for auction at Spink & Son with an estimate of £300,000 to £500,000.https://spink.com/lot/25002000167
