b. 22/07/1891 Warren, New South Wales, Australia. d. 01/09/1918 Peronne, France.
Alexander Henry Buckley (1891-1918) was born on 22nd July 1891 at Warren, New South Wales, Australia. His father, James Buckley, was from New South Wales, and married Julia Falkinghagan in 1884 in Urana, New South Wales. James worked as a selector living in Homebush, via Armatree, Gulargambone, New South Wales. Alexander had three siblings: Alfred, William and Florence.
Alexander was educated at home by his parents and then worked in the farming industry alongside his father at their property near Gulargambone, New South Wales. Alexander never married but was engaged before he left Australia for war in 1916.
Alexander H Buckley VC
On 3rd February 1916 Buckley enlisted as a private in the Australian Imperial Force at Dubbo, New South Wales and embarked for England in June with reinforcements for the 54th Battalion. He arrived in Plymouth, Devon on 25th August. While aboard ship he contracted influenza and bronchitis and was in the ship’s hospital from 4th July until their arrival in England. He joined the battalion at Flers, France, on 17th November.
On 26th September 1917 he suffered a minor wound, and was appointed temporary corporal on 1st November and had a period of leave between 22nd January and 14th February 1918. On his return he was attached to HQ 14th Australian Brigade, and later to the 14th Australian Brigade School.
On 1st September 1918 Buckley’s battalion was involved in an operation aimed at clearing the area between Mont St Quentin and Péronne, a medieval walled town surrounded by a moat. The 54th’s task was to take the ground between Péronne and the River Somme, then move in on Péronne ‘if not too strongly opposed’. Advancing in drizzling rain and under heavy fire, it took the first line of enemy trenches but was held up by a nest of machine-gunners. Accompanied by Corporal A. C. Hall, Buckley stalked these gunners and rushed the post, shooting four men and taking twenty-two prisoners. The Germans retreated to Péronne, entering the city by a large bridge which they destroyed. The only remaining bridge on the battalion’s front was a foot-bridge defended by machine-guns. With three other members of his company, Buckley tried to force his way across under heavy fire but was killed in the attempt. He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross, the citation for which praised his ‘initiative, resource and courage’.
He was buried initially in an isolated grave at Ste Radegonde, about 400km west-southwest of Peronne. After the war his remains were reinterred at Peronne Communal Cemetery Extension, France. There was no recorded investiture for his Victoria Cross and it is assumed that it was either handed over informally to a relative or sent by post. He is commemorated on the VC recipients plaque in Campbell, ACT, on the VC Memorial in Sydney, New South Wales, on the VC Recipients Wall at North Bondi War Memorial, on the War Memorials at Gulargambone and Armatree, on a memorial plaque at Armatree, and with a VC commemorative stone at the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire.
In addition to the VC he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20 and Victory Medal 1914-19. The VC was presented to the Chairwoman of the Australian War Memorial Council, Dame Beryl Beaurepaire DBE, by Cedric and Neville Buckley, Alexander’s nephews, on 5th February 1991, following the instructions laid down by their late father in his will. The VC and Victory Medal are held at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, the location of the British War Medal is not known.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL, CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA.
BURIAL PLACE: PERONNE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, PERONNE, FRANCE.
PLOT II, ROW C, GRAVE 32
Acknowledgements:
Steve Lee www.memorialstovalour.co.uk – Images of Buckley’s Grave and his medals at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
Kevin Brazier – Cemetery Map.