Walter Leigh Rayfield

Walter Leigh Rayfield
File:VCWalterLeighRayfieldGrave.jpg Walter Rayfield's grave marker
Born	(1881-10-07)7 October 1881 Richmond, London, England
Died	Toronto, Canada
Buried	Prospect Cemetery, Toronto
Allegiance	Canada
Service/branch	Canadian Expeditionary Force
Rank	Captain
Unit	7th Battalion (1st British Columbia), CEF
Battles/wars	First World War
Awards	Victoria Cross Order of the Crown (Belgium)
Other work	Prison Governor Sergeant-at-Arms

Walter Leigh Rayfield VC (7 October 1881 – 19 February 1949) was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Rayfield was one of the seven Canadians to be awarded the Victoria Cross for their actions on one single day, 2 September 1918, for actions across the 30 km long Drocourt-Quéant Line near Arras, France. The other six were Bellenden Hutcheson, Arthur George Knight, William Henry Metcalf, Claude Joseph Patrick Nunney, Cyrus Wesley Peck and John Francis Young.

Details

Rayfield was 36 years old, and a private in the 7th (1st British Columbia) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

From 2–4 September 1918 during the operations east of Arras, France, Private Rayfield, ahead of his company, rushed a trench occupied by a large party of the enemy, bayoneting two and taking 10 prisoners. Later, after engaging with great skill an enemy sniper, he rushed the section of the trench from which the sniper had been operating and so demoralised the enemy that 30 others surrendered to him. Subsequently, regardless of personal safety, he left cover under heavy machine-gun fire and carried in a badly wounded comrade.

Rayfield was the Progressive Party of Canada "Soldier candidate" in the federal election of 1921 for Toronto East. Liberal nominee Mrs. Philip G. Kiely (Elizabeth Bethune Kiely) stood aside for Rayfield, so that her votes could go to him, but the Conservative candidate won. He was Sergeant-at-Arms of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and governor of Toronto Jail.

He died in 1949, and is buried at Prospect Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Soldier's Plot, Section 7, grave 4196).

The Medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Canada.

External links

• Legion Magazine-The Magnificent Seven
• Rayfield's Medals at the Canadian War Museum
• Walter Leigh Rayfield at Find a Grave

• The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31067. p. 14779. 13 December 1918. Retrieved 7 April 2015.