Distinguished Conduct Medal : Sergeant M V Buckley, 13 Battalion, AIF

Distinguished Conduct Medal (Geo V). Impressed around edge with recipient's details.

Maurice Vincent Buckley was born in Hawthorn, Melbourne on 13 April 1891. He was part of a large family of five boys and two girls to Timothy Buckley and Honora Mary Agnes, née Sexton. He attended the Christian Brothers' School in Abbotsford, Melbourne and was a coach trimmer at Warrnambool before enlisting with the 13 Light Horse Regiment on 18 December 1914.

Buckley embarked in Sydney on HMAT Ceramic to Egypt on 25 June 1915, where he contracted a venereal disease and, as a result, was returned to Australia and sent to Langwarrin Camp, arriving in late September. Some months later he walked out of the camp and was declared a deserter. He was struck off the army roll in March 1916. On 8 May 1916 Buckley re-enlisted in the AIF, under the alias 'Gerald Sexton'. He embarked again on the HMAT Ceramic in Sydney in October and arrived in Plymouth, England on 21 November before joining the 13th Battalion on the Somme in January 1917. He went on to fight at Bullecourt in April and the third battle of Ypres in Flanders which lasted from July through to November. At the end of January 1918 Buckley was promoted to lance corporal and by end of June he was a lance sergeant. He was wounded at Le Hamel on 6 July, suffering shell wounds and concussion and spent two weeks out of his unit.

During the allied advance on 8 August, Buckley won the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his bravery in charge of a Lewis gun section. The recommendation for the award reads: 'During the advance near HORCOURT (E.OF CORBIE) on the 8th of August, 1918, SEXTON was in charge of a Lewis machine gun section. On four separate occasions his company was suddenly confronted by an enemy machine gun. Each time SEXTON was the first to bring his gun into to action and using it with incredible promptness and skill he was mainly responsible for the quick silencing of the enemy opposition. At one period of the advance through a crop waist high a hostile machine gun inflicted some casualties and caused considerable confusion. Regardless of his own safety SEXTON stood up in full view of the enemy and firing continuously from the hip succeeded in putting the hostile gun out of action thus enabling his company to move forward. Throughout the day he displayed fine initiative, gave a wonderful example of coolness and gallantry, and by the skilful and aggressive use of his Lewis gun undoubtedly saved the Battalion many casualties.’

On 18 September 1918 Buckley, now sergeant, was involved in the action for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. During an advance on the outpost lines of the Hindenburg defences near Le Verguier, Buckley rushed several enemy machine gun posts firing from the hip as he advanced. He captured or killed over 40 Germans and allowed his company to successfully capture its final objective.

The Victoria Cross was gazetted on 14 December and with the focus of attention on him, Buckley was forced to disclose his true identity, which he did by statuary declaration in March 1919. This required a correction in the London Gazette on 8 August, which had previously announced his award under Sexton. Buckley returned to Australia at the end of October and was discharged from the AIF on 11 December 1919.

In 1920, Buckley was one of the 14 Victoria Cross winners who marched on St Patrick’s Day in Melbourne in support of Archbishop Daniel Mannix, a vocal critic of the war.

On 15 January 1921, Buckley was injured when he tried to jump his horse over the railway gates at Boolarra, Victoria. He was taken to Melbourne and after an operation he appeared to be recovering but relapsed and died in Fitzroy Hospital on 27 January. He was buried at Brighton cemetery with full military honours. Ten Victoria Cross recipients acted as pallbearers and past pupils from his old school formed a guard of honour.

Buckley's Distinguished Conduct Medal is preceded by the Victoria Cross. His First World War service medals are not held by the Memorial.