View source for Victor Norman Chandler MM

{{infobox soldier
| image           = [[File:Chandler_Victor_Norman.jpg|border|400px]]
| caption         = The Drill of the Foot-Hills
| image2          =
| caption2        =
| dateofbirth	  = c1896
| placeofbirth	  = Corowa, New South Wales
| death	          = 16 Feb 1975
| placeofdeath	  = Wannanup, Western Australia
| enlistmentage	  = 19 years, 4 months
| description	  = 5'6½" (1.69m) tall; weight 139 lbs (63 kg); dark complexion, brown eyes, black hair
| height          = 5'6½" (1.69m)
| weight          = 139 lbs 
| complexion      = dark
| eyes            = brown 
| hair            = black
| descriptionnote = 
| occupation	  = Farmer
| religion	  = Church of England
| address	  = Armadale, Western Australia
| relation	  = Father
| nextofkin       = Mr Edwin Chandler
| regnumber	  = [https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3231028 2612]
| enlistmentdate  = 13 Aug 1915
| rank	          = Sergeant
| unit     	  = 28th Battalion, 6th Reinforcement, Transferred to [[51st Battalion]] D Company / 13th Brigade, 4th Division
| embarkationdatefrom = 2 Nov 1915 
| embarkationdateto = 26 Nov 1915
| shipembarked	  = [[HMAT A38 Ulysses]]
| embarkedshipnote =
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| shipembarked2	  = 
| embarkedshipnote2 =
| dateofreturnfrom = 28 Feb 1919 
| dateofreturnto  = 10 Apr 1919
| shipreturned    = [[HMAT A68 Anchises]]
| shipreturnednote =
| dateofreturnfrom2 = 
| dateofreturnto2  = 
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| shipreturnednote2 =
| fate1	          = Wounded in Action 2 Apr 1917 Noreuil
| fate2           = Wounded in Action 15 May 1918
| fate3           = Returned to Australia
| fate4           =
| monument1	  = [[Armadale War Memorial]] 
| monumentnote1   = (Bedfordale panel)
| monument2	  = [[Bedfordale Roll of Honour]]
| monumentnote2   =
| monument3	  = [[Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour]]
| monumentnote3   =
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| monumentawm     =
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| medal1	  = [[Military Medal]]
| medal2          = [[1914-15 Star]]
| medal3          = [[British War Medal]]
| medal4          = [[Victory Medal]]
}}



==Pre War==

==War Service==
Victor entered the Blackboy Hill camp on 13 Aug 1915 and was posted to the 22nd Depot Company. Two months later on 16 Oct 1918 he was allocated to the 6th reinforcement draft for the 28th Battalion and he travelled to Egypt with them.  

Following further training in Egypt, along with six officers and 473 other ranks from the [[7th Training Battalion]] at Zeitoun, he was transferred on 3 Mar 1916 to the newly raised [[51st Battalion]] as one of its original members. Soon after their formation they spent time by the Suez Canal as a defensive force should it be attacked by the Turks, and trained in preparation for their move to France.

This journey began on 4 Jun 1916 with a march across the desert to the rail head at Serapeum where they boarded two trains of open trucks for Alexandria Harbour. Early the next day they detrained and embarked on [[HMT Ivernia]] for Marseilles in southern France. Arriving there on 11 JUne, they boarded trains the next day for the journey to northern France and the battlefields.

On 26 Sep 1916 Victor was promoted to Temporary Corporal "in the field", and on 1 Nov 1916 he was confirmed in that rank, and made an Acting Sergeant (without pay) in lieu of a colleague who had been captured by the Germans.  

On 2 Apr 1917 during an attack on German positions near Noreuil he received a gun shot wound to his left leg.  Initially Victor was able to remain on duty, however, on the 6th  he sought treatment from the [[4th Field Ambulance]] who sent him on to the 6th General Hospital in Rouen for further treatment, before being released to the 2nd Convalescent Depot.  He had rejoined his unit by 25 Apr 1917 when he was promoted Sergeant.
  
At the start of September 1917 he was transferred to the [[13th Training Battalion]] near [[Codford]] in England.  While there he attended a course at the Southern Command Bombing School, qualifying as an instructor and therefore being retained by the training cadre at Codford.

On 30 Jan 1918 he returned to France via Southampton to rejoin his battalion, doing so on 10 Feb 1918 near Ypres as they began an 18 day stint in the front lines in cold weather.  

<blockquote>"Sergeant V.N. Chandler crawled forward despite intensive machine gun fire from an enemy post and succeeded in outflanking the post.  Chandler attacked the post from the rear, shot one of the gunners and captured two other Germans with three light machine guns.  Chandler was subsequently awarded the Military Medal."<ref>For King and Cobbers N Browning p. 315</ref></blockquote>

On 15 May 1918 he was affected by Mustard Gas shelling, and required treatment from the [[13th Field Ambulance]] and then the 41st Stationary Hospital before again rejoining his unit a fortnight later.  He spent two brief periods in hospital resulting from the gas exposure while his unit was holding the line just to the south east of Villers-Bretonneux.
   
On 16 Jun 1918 he reported ill with influenza, and soon after his recovery, was granted some leave in Paris.  Victor was also granted leave in England in December 1918.  He returned to England in late January 1919, and then onto Australia in early April, landing at Albany.

<blockquote>"...sailed to Egypt where he belonged to the force that guarded the Suez Canal.  He went to France with the 51st Battalion, and has been promoted to Corporal.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b1756512_394.pdf |title=The Drill of the Foot-Hills |issue=1917 |location=Western Australia |date=Mar 1917 |accessdate=16 May 2017 |page=9 |via=State Library of Western Australia}}</ref></blockquote>
  
292nd Casualty List reports A/Sgt V.N. Chandler of Armadale as being wounded, but remained on duty.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27297809 |title=WESTERN AUSTRALIA. |newspaper=[[The West Australian]] |volume=XXXIII, |issue=4,708 |location=Western Australia |date=5 May 1917 |accessdate=30 May 2017 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}} </ref> 
  
The unit's war diary records this as having happened in the front line south of Noreuil where they were attacking elements of the Hindenberg line south of the major attack on Bullecourt 1-2 days later.  The 51st Battalion casualties for the action were 47 Killed and 192 WIA, some of whom died subsequently.<ref>[https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/items/ACCNUM_LARGE/RCDIG1005751/RCDIG1005751--4-.JPG]</ref>
  
409th Official List.. WOUNDED.. Sergeant Victor Norman Chandler. Armadale, second occasion, gas.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article81360617 |title=WOUNDED. |newspaper=[[The Daily News]] |volume=XXXVII, |issue=13,513 |location=Western Australia |date=15 June 1918 |accessdate=30 May 2017 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}} </ref>

==Award Commentary==
Military Medal:		   
<blockquote>"On 15th September, 1918 during an attack on enemy position near VERMAND North West of ST. QUENTIN, this N.C.O. showed splendid courage.  When his platoon was held up by heavy machine gun fire he, at great personal risk, crawled forward under machine gun fire and succeeded in working his way to the rear of enemy post, killing 1 and capturing 2 others together with 3 machine guns.  His gallant conduct was an example to all."<ref>'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 115 page 1498, position 66, Date: 10 October 1919</ref><ref>London Gazette 17 June 1919, page 7694, position 67</ref></blockquote>

==Post War==
Electoral roll entries - 1922 - 44 Orchardist at "Springvale" Armadale living with mother (and wife Hazel from 1925 - 1937).  Mother Katrina lived with him until her death on 18 Oct 1944.
  
1949 - 1958 by himself at Springvale. 1968 - 72 at Wannanup Park, Mandurah with sisters Kathleen Mary and Irene Laurence [1968 only].  Remained there until his death in 1975, and Kathleen until her death in 1998 aged 83.  Irene died in Armadale in 2009 aged 91.


==Notes==
<references />

==External Links==
*[https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=50241 AIF Project]
*[https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/294279 RSL Memorial]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandler , Victor Norman MM}}

[[Category:Soldier]]
[[Category:Born Australia]]
[[Category:Born NSW]]
[[Category:1917 WIA]]
[[Category:1918 WIA]]
[[Category:Returned to Australia]]
[[Category:Farmer]]
[[Category:Church of England]]
[[Category:Armadale-Kelmscott]]