Reginald Roy Inwood
Encyclopedia
Reginald Roy Inwood VC
(14 July 1890 – ) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth
forces.
He was 27 years old, and a Private
in the 10th Battalion (S.A.), Australian Imperial Force
during the First World War
when he performed an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
, the eldest son of Edward Henry Inwood and his wife Mary Anne (Minney). The family later moved to Broken Hill where, after leaving school, he began work in the local mines. Inwood enlisted in the 1st AIF, 10th Infantry Battalion on 24 August 1914 and on 20 October he embarked for Egypt where he took part in the Gallipoli Campaign landings. His battalion was in the first wave of the landing at Anzac Cove
.
, Belgium during the Battle of Menin Road:
He later achieved the rank of Sergeant
. Inwood's two younger brothers also served and saw action on the Western Front
. Pte Harold Ray Inwood, 43rd Bn, returned to Australia in 1917; while Sergeant Robert Minney Inwood, also of the 10th Bn, fought at Gallipoli and was killed in action on the second day of the Battle of Pozières
on 24 July 1916 at the age of twenty.
Rep Michael Considine
accused Inwood of trying "to incite trouble between returned soldiers and the working classes".
No longer welcome in Broken Hill Inwood moved to Adelaide
where he found difficulty finding work. Inwood married a 23 year old widow, Mabel Alice Collins Weber on 31 December 1918 but they divorced in 1921, whereupon he moved to Queenstown, Tasmania
to work in the mines. He later moved to Kangaroo Island
where he worked in a Eucalyptus distillery
. Inwood married Evelyn Owens in 1927 and following her death married Louise Elizabeth Gates in 1942. Returning to Adelaide in 1928 he was employed as a labourer by the Adelaide City Council
until 1955 when he retired. During World War II, Inwood served as a warrant officer with the Australian Militia Force
.
Inwood died on 23 October 1971, given a military funeral he was buried at the West Terrace AIF Cemetery
, Adelaide
, South Australia
.
In his will Roy Inwood bequeathed all his war medals to the 10th Battalion Club who, when informed, indicated they would donate the Victoria Cross itself to the Australian War Memorial
. Inwood objected and stated he wanted the medal to remain in Adelaide. In June 1971, with Inwood's consent, the VC was presented to the City of Adelaide. The VC was stored in the high security vault in the Council’s Archives while a replica
was put on display.
In 2005 Inwood's VC became the centre of considerable media and community debate with calls for it to be displayed in the Australian War Memorial's national Victoria Cross Collection. After consulting with the Inwood family and other interested parties, it was decided to honour Inwood’s dying wishes. In December 2005 funds were allocated to provide security so the original Victoria Cross could be displayed in the Adelaide Town Hall
instead of the replica. In 2007 the debate briefly reignited and the matter remains a "touchy" subject.
The Other Ranks Mess
at the Torrens Parade Ground
, Adelaide, is called the Roy Inwood Club. In 2008 it was debated whether to call the new tunnel under Anzac Highway
either "Inwood Underpass" or "Blackburn Underpass" after another South Australian who won a VC in 1916, Brigadier Arthur Seaforth Blackburn
. The Returned and Services League of Australia
objected to naming the tunnel after a specific veteran as inappropriate saying it should be named after a major World War I battle ground in line with the highways World War I memorial theme. On completion, the tunnel was named the Gallipoli
Underpass.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(14 July 1890 – ) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
He was 27 years old, and a Private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in the 10th Battalion (S.A.), Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
when he performed an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Early life
Born 14 July 1890 at North AdelaideNorth Adelaide
North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands.-History:...
, the eldest son of Edward Henry Inwood and his wife Mary Anne (Minney). The family later moved to Broken Hill where, after leaving school, he began work in the local mines. Inwood enlisted in the 1st AIF, 10th Infantry Battalion on 24 August 1914 and on 20 October he embarked for Egypt where he took part in the Gallipoli Campaign landings. His battalion was in the first wave of the landing at Anzac Cove
Landing at Anzac Cove
The landing at Anzac Cove was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by Australian and New Zealand forces on 25 April 1915. The landing, north of Gaba Tepe on the Aegean coast of the Peninsula, was made by soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and was the first...
.
World War I
Inwood was awarded the Victoria Cross for actions during the period 19–22 September 1917 in an attack at Polygon Wood, near YpresYpres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
, Belgium during the Battle of Menin Road:
He later achieved the rank of Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
. Inwood's two younger brothers also served and saw action on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. Pte Harold Ray Inwood, 43rd Bn, returned to Australia in 1917; while Sergeant Robert Minney Inwood, also of the 10th Bn, fought at Gallipoli and was killed in action on the second day of the Battle of Pozières
Battle of Pozières
The Battle of Pozières was a two week struggle for the French village of Pozières and the ridge on which it stands, during the middle stages of the 1916 Battle of the Somme. Though British divisions were involved in most phases of the fighting, Pozières is primarily remembered as an Australian battle...
on 24 July 1916 at the age of twenty.
Post-war life
Inwood returned to a hero's welcome in Broken Hill in October 1918 but at an event organised in his honour gave a controversial public speech. He claimed he had "been stoned by mongrels at the train" when he had departed to fight and with his return "those mongrels were the first to shake me by the hand". He told the crowd "I would like to be at one end of the street with a machine-gun and have them at the other end". In the House of RepresentativesAustralian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
Rep Michael Considine
Michael Considine
Michael Patrick Considine was an Irish-born Australian politician and unionist. He represented the seat of Barrier in the House of Representatives from 1917 to 1922. A controversial figure, Considine was pressured to resign from the Australian Labor Party...
accused Inwood of trying "to incite trouble between returned soldiers and the working classes".
No longer welcome in Broken Hill Inwood moved to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
where he found difficulty finding work. Inwood married a 23 year old widow, Mabel Alice Collins Weber on 31 December 1918 but they divorced in 1921, whereupon he moved to Queenstown, Tasmania
Queenstown, Tasmania
Queenstown is a town in the West Coast region of the island of Tasmania. It is located in a valley on western slopes of Mount Owen on the West Coast Range.It had a population of 5,119 people . At the 2006 census, Queenstown had a population of 2,117....
to work in the mines. He later moved to Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island is Australia's third-largest island after Tasmania and Melville Island. It is southwest of Adelaide at the entrance of Gulf St Vincent. Its closest point to the mainland is off Cape Jervis, on the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula in the state of South Australia. The island is long...
where he worked in a Eucalyptus distillery
Eucalyptus oil
Eucalyptus oil is the generic name for distilled oil from the leaf of Eucalyptus, a genus of the plant family Myrtaceae native to Australia and cultivated worldwide. Eucalyptus oil has a history of wide application, as a pharmaceutical, antiseptic, repellent, flavouring, fragrance and industrial uses...
. Inwood married Evelyn Owens in 1927 and following her death married Louise Elizabeth Gates in 1942. Returning to Adelaide in 1928 he was employed as a labourer by the Adelaide City Council
City of Adelaide
The City of Adelaide is a local government area in the metropolitan area of Adelaide, South Australia. It covers the original Adelaide city centre settlement, , North Adelaide, and the Adelaide Park Lands which surround North Adelaide and the city centre.Established in 1840, the organisation now...
until 1955 when he retired. During World War II, Inwood served as a warrant officer with the Australian Militia Force
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
.
Inwood died on 23 October 1971, given a military funeral he was buried at the West Terrace AIF Cemetery
West Terrace Cemetery
The West Terrace Cemetery is South Australia’s oldest cemetery, first appearing on Colonel William Light’s 1837 plan of Adelaide. The 27.6 hectare site is located in the south-west corner of the Adelaide central business district, between West Terrace, Anzac Highway, Sir Donald Bradman Drive and...
, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
Memorial controversies
Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia...
. Inwood objected and stated he wanted the medal to remain in Adelaide. In June 1971, with Inwood's consent, the VC was presented to the City of Adelaide. The VC was stored in the high security vault in the Council’s Archives while a replica
Replica
A replica is a copy closely resembling the original concerning its shape and appearance. An inverted replica complements the original by filling its gaps. It can be a copy used for historical purposes, such as being placed in a museum. Sometimes the original never existed. For example, Difference...
was put on display.
In 2005 Inwood's VC became the centre of considerable media and community debate with calls for it to be displayed in the Australian War Memorial's national Victoria Cross Collection. After consulting with the Inwood family and other interested parties, it was decided to honour Inwood’s dying wishes. In December 2005 funds were allocated to provide security so the original Victoria Cross could be displayed in the Adelaide Town Hall
Adelaide Town Hall
Adelaide Town Hall is a landmark building on King William Street in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.-Description and history:Adelaide Town Hall was designed by Edmund Wright and Edward Woods, with construction commencing in 1863 and completed in 1866...
instead of the replica. In 2007 the debate briefly reignited and the matter remains a "touchy" subject.
The Other Ranks Mess
Mess
A mess is the place where military personnel socialise, eat, and live. In some societies this military usage has extended to other disciplined services eateries such as civilian fire fighting and police forces. The root of mess is the Old French mes, "portion of food" A mess (also called a...
at the Torrens Parade Ground
Torrens Parade Ground
Torrens Parade Ground is situated by the River Torrens in Adelaide, South Australia.It is the location of South Australia's Vietnam War Memorial.-External links:*...
, Adelaide, is called the Roy Inwood Club. In 2008 it was debated whether to call the new tunnel under Anzac Highway
Anzac Highway, Adelaide
The Anzac Highway is an 11 kilometre main arterial road heading southwest from the city of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, to the beachside suburb of Glenelg....
either "Inwood Underpass" or "Blackburn Underpass" after another South Australian who won a VC in 1916, Brigadier Arthur Seaforth Blackburn
Arthur Seaforth Blackburn
Brigadier Arthur Seaforth Blackburn VC, CMG, CBE, ED was an Australian 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....
. The Returned and Services League of Australia
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
objected to naming the tunnel after a specific veteran as inappropriate saying it should be named after a major World War I battle ground in line with the highways World War I memorial theme. On completion, the tunnel was named the Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
Underpass.