A PLAQUE dedicated to the only Barnsley man to receive the Victoria Cross was unveiled in the town centre on Monday.
Rifleman Albert Shepherd, from Royston, received the medal for the bravery he showed saving the lives of fellow soldiers during the Battle of Cambrai in Villers Plouich, France, in November 1917 when he was aged just 20.
A special ceremony, led by Barnsley Mayor Coun Jeff Ennis and the Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire Andrew Coombe, was held in front of the war memorial at Barnsley Town Hall, when the Victoria Cross paving stone was unveiled to around 100 people, marking the centenary of Mr Shepherd’s heroic actions.
His granddaughter, Bev Oakley, said: “Most 20-year-olds have a paddy when their mobile phone battery is running out, it’s normal in 2017, but to Albert his normality was very different.
“It was very much about avoiding bullets, bombs and fighting to stay alive on a daily basis. He fought in other battles, including the Somme, and was shot twice in the arm.
“At Villers Plouich, he volunteered to rush a German machine gun and although he was ordered not to, he went forward and threw a Mills bomb killing two gunners and capturing the gun.
“The company, continuing its advance, came under heavy gunfire and when the last officer became a casualty, he took command of the company, ordered the men to lie down and went back some 70 yards to get the help of a tank.
“He then returned to his company and led them to their last objective. He received the award from King George V in February 1918 at Buckingham Palace.”
Following the war, Mr Shepherd returned home to the family home at Godley Street, Royston, where he went back to work at the pit.
“He was married to Gladys, who he had four children with, and no-one ever had a bad word to say about him,” Bev said. “He shunned fame, never liked to brag and was a family man.
“He died aged 69 of a stroke on October 23, 1966. Sixteen years later to the day, Gladys passed away. Both are buried in Royston.
“It’s thanks to people like Albert, young men who went to war, that we are have a life like we know today. They should always be remembered and it’s important to never forget his bravery.”
Coun Ennis said “This is a historic event for Barnsley as Albert was the only soldier from the town to have received the Victoria Cross. He was a quiet, unassuming man who at the age of 20 showed remarkable bravery.
“It’s particularly poignant for me also as my uncle, William Ennis, died in the same battle two months before Albert’s heroism.”
