Sergeant

Dickson Cornelius Savage

Victoria Cross, DCM, MM, MiD (WW1)
Served As: 
Richard Charles Travis

Awards

Conflict: 
WW1
Additional Information: 

(Served as TRAVIS). Croix de Guerre (Belgium). Son of the late James and Frances Theresa Savage, of Otara, Opotiki, New Zealand. Known as "Prince of Scouts," and "King of No Man's Land." Also served in Egypt and Gallipoli. Awarded Croix de Guerre (Belgium).

References:
  • CWGC
NZ WAR GRAVES

Biographical Notes:

The citation from the London Gazette dated 24 September 1918 reads:-

"For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. During "surprise" operations it was necessary to destroy an impassable block. Sergeant Travis, regardless of all personal danger, volunteered for this duty. Before zero hour, in broad daylight and in close proximity to enemy posts, he crawled out and successfully destroyed the blocks with bombs, thus enabling the attacking parties to pass through. A few minutes later a bombing party on the right of the attack was held up by two enemy machine guns, and the success of the whole operation was in danger. Perceiving this, Sergeant Travis, with great gallantry and disregard of danger, rushed the position, killed the crew and captured the guns. An enemy officer and three men immediately rushed at him from a bend in the trench and attempted to retake the guns. These four he killed single-handed, thus allowing the bombing party, on which so much depended, to advance. The success of the operation was almost entirely due to the heroic work of this gallant NCO and to the vigour with which he made and used opportunities for inflicting casualties on the enemy. He was killed 24 hours later when, under a most intense bombardment prior to an enemy counter-attack, he was going from post to post encouraging the men."

Public Contributions:

There are no public contributions written for this casualty

Personal Tributes:

My family and I visited the cemetery to find Richard Travis VC (aka Dickson Cornelius Savage) on 13th November 2016. The Karori Rifle club of NZ holds a memorial Shooting competition each year for .3... Read More

Casualty

Service Number: 
9/523
Name:
Dickson Cornelius Savage
Served as:
Richard Charles Travis
Rank: 
Sergeant
Date of Birth:
Not known
Next of Kin: 
Miss Lette Murry (friend), Roal Bush, Southland, New Zealand
Date of Enlistment:
Not known
Enlistment Address: 
Ryal Bush, Southland, New Zealand
Nationality of Force:
New Zealand
Unit:
NZEF, Otago Regiment, 2 Battalion

Casualty Details

Cause of Death:

Killed in action

Date of Death:
25 July 1918
Day of Death:
Thursday
Age at Death: 
34
Conflict: 
WW1

Embarkation Details

Embarkation Body:
Main Body
Embarkation Place:
Wellington, New Zealand
Embarkment Date:
16 October 1914
Transport:

HMNZT 5
HMNZT 9
Vessel:
Ruapehu or Hawkes Bay
Destination:
Suez, Egypt (3 December 1914)

Text in italics supplied by Cenotaph Online, Auckland War Memorial Museum

Cemetery

Cemetery Reference: 
G. 5.
Cemetery Location: 
France
Dickson Cornelius Savage
Images
More information
  • Files must be less than 100 MB.
  • Allowed file types: png gif jpg jpeg.
Files
More information
  • Files must be less than 100 MB.
  • Allowed file types: txt pdf doc.