User987delhi at 03:56, 29 April 2026

2026-04-29T03:56:36Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=Arthur Tisdall
|birth_date= {{Birth date|1890|7|21|df=yes}}
|death_date= {{Death date and age|1915|5|6|1890|7|21|df=yes}}
|birth_place= [[Bombay]], [[British India]]
|death_place= [[Achi Baba]], [[Gallipoli]], [[Ottoman Turkey]]
|burial_place= No known grave
|image= Arthur Walderne St. Clair Tisdall (1890–1915).png
|caption=
|nickname=
|allegiance={{UK}}
|service_years=1914–1915
|rank=[[Sub-Lieutenant]]
|branch={{navy|United Kingdom}}
|commands=
|unit=13 Platoon, D Company, Anson Battalion, [[Royal Naval Division]]<ref name="Gallipoli">{{cite book|last=Snelling|first=Stephen|title=Gallipoli (VCs of the First World War)|publisher=Sutton Publishing Ltd|date=23 February 1995|edition=First|pages=40|isbn=978-0-7509-0566-4}}</ref>
|battles= [[World War I]]
* [[Gallipoli campaign]]
** [[Landing at Cape Helles]]
*** [[Landing at Cape Helles#V Beach|Landing at V Beach]]
** [[Battle of Krithia|Krithia campaign]]
*** [[Second Battle of Krithia]] {{KIA}}
|awards= [[Victoria Cross]]
|other_work=
}}
'''Arthur Walderne St Clair Tisdall''' [[Victoria Cross|VC]] (21 July 1890 – 6 May 1915) was a British recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.

==Life==
Tisdall was born in [[Bombay]], [[British India]] in 1890, and after emigrating attended [[Bedford School]] from 1900 to 1909.<ref name="SymbolOfCourage" /> He went to university at [[Trinity College, Cambridge]], where he rowed and attended the [[Officer Training Corps]] in his spare time.<ref name="CambridgeLife" /> He attained a double first in classics.<ref name="CambridgeLife">{{cite news|url=http://www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/uploads/File/CAMArticles/Michalemas%202006/cambridge%20life.pdf |title=Cambridge VCs |last=Derringer |first=Michael |year=2006 |work=Cambridge Life |pages=33 |accessdate=25 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716064139/http://www.alumni.cam.ac.uk/uploads/File/CAMArticles/Michalemas%202006/cambridge%20life.pdf |archivedate=16 July 2011 }}</ref>

Tisdall joined the [[Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve]] when he was 24 years old, at the outbreak of the First World War.<ref name="CambridgeLife" /> He enlisted as an [[Able Seaman]] at [[HMS President (shore establishment)|HMS ''President'']], the home of the London Division of the [[Royal Naval Reserve]], but was soon promoted to [[sub-lieutenant|Sub Lieutenant]].<ref name="CambridgeLife" />

On the first day of the Gallipoli landings (25 April 1915) at [[Landing at Cape Helles|V Beach]], [[Gallipoli]], during the landing from [[SS River Clyde|SS ''River Clyde'']], Tisdall heard wounded men on the beach calling for help.<ref name="SymbolOfCourage" /> The men were under heavy machine gun fire from entrenched Turkish forces.<ref name="SymbolOfCourage" /> He jumped into the water, and pushing a boat in front of him, went to their rescue. He found, however, that he could not manage alone, but managed to enlist the help of first one, and then three more naval personnel.<ref name="SymbolOfCourage" /> They made five trips from the ship to the shore and were responsible for rescuing several wounded men under heavy and accurate fire, until darkness forced them to stop.<ref name="SymbolOfCourage" /><ref name="VC">{{London Gazette|issue=29530|date=31 March 1916|supp=y|pages=3515–3516}}</ref>

He was [[mortally wounded]] by a sniper during the [[Second Battle of Krithia]] at [[Achi Baba]] on 6 May 1915, and was buried where he fell, but today has no known grave.<ref name="SymbolOfCourage">{{cite book|last=Arthur|first=Max|title=Symbol of Courage: A Complete History of the Victoria Cross|publisher=Sidgwick & jackson|location=London|year=2004|edition=First|pages=221|chapter=The First World War/1915|isbn=0-283-07351-9}}</ref><ref name="CambridgeLife" /><ref name="CWGC">{{cite web|url=http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3055222|title=Casualty Details|work=Commonwealth War Graves Commission|accessdate=25 February 2011}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|last=Snelling|first=Stephen|title=Gallipoli|series=[[VCs of the First World War]]|orig-date=1995|year=2012|publisher=[[The History Press]]|isbn=978-0752456539}}
* ''[[VCs of the First World War - The Naval VCs]]'' (Stephen Snelling, 2002)

==External links==
* [http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/ggturkey.htm Burial location of Arthur Tisdall] "Turkey"
* [http://www.Victoriacross.org.uk/bbtisdal.htm News Item] "Arthur Tisdall's Victoria Cross sold privately"
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061004005514/http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/ConMediaFile.6743 Tisdall Memorial HMS President] VC and other decorations still on display at HMS President RNR London HQ (2006)

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tisdall, Arthur}}
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1915 deaths]]
[[Category:People educated at Bedford School]]
[[Category:British Gallipoli campaign recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:British military personnel killed in World War I]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Royal Navy recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Royal Navy officers of World War I]]
[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Military personnel of British India]]

Arthur Tisdall - Revision history

User987delhi at 03:56, 29 April 2026