Gordon Flowerdew
| Gordon Muriel Flowerdew | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
2 January 1885 Billingford, Norfolk |
| Died | 31 March 1918 (aged 33) Moreuil, France |
| Buried | Namps-au-Val Cemetery, France |
| Allegiance |
 Canada
|
| Service/branch | Canadian Expeditionary Force |
| Years of service | 1914 - 1918 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Lord Strathcona's Horse |
| Commands held | C Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse |
| Battles/wars | First World War † |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
Gordon Muriel Flowerdew VC (2 January 1885 – 31 March 1918) was a Canadian 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, received for his actions at the Battle of Moreuil Wood.
He was born in Billingford, Norfolk, England and educated at Framlingham College in Suffolk. He emigrated to British Columbia, where he took up ranching. He was homesteaded briefly in Queens Bay.
When the war broke out in September 1914, he enlisted as a private in Lord Strathcona's Horse. He rose quickly through the ranks and was commissioned as an officer in 1916. In January 1918 Flowerdew was given command of C Squadron of Lord Strathcona's Horse.
For most of the war, the Canadian Cavalry Brigade was not involved in much direct fighting, because of the static nature of the warfare. However, when the Germans launched Operation Michael and began a rapid advance in the spring of 1918, cavalry again became an important factor. In late March, as the Germans approached Moreuil and threatened to cross the L'Avre River, the last natural barrier before Amiens, the Canadian Cavalry Corps was assigned the task of stopping them. As the Germans began to enter Moreuil Wood from the east, Lieutenant Flowerdew's squadron rode around the wood and approached the Germans' flank from the north. Flowerdew ordered a cavalry charge.
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