Richard William Leslie Wain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard William Leslie Wain
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| Born | 5 December 1896 Penarth, Glamorganshire, Wales |
| Died | 20 November 1917 (aged 20) Marcoing, Nord, France |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1915 - 1917 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Manchester Regiment Tank Corps |
| Battles/wars | World War I
* Capture of Montauban (WIA) |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
Richard William Leslie Wain was a brave soldier from Wales. He was given the Victoria Cross, which is the highest award for courage in battle for British and Commonwealth soldiers. He earned this special medal for his amazing bravery during World War I.
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Richard Wain's Early Life
Richard Wain was born in Penarth, a town near Cardiff, Wales, on December 5, 1896. His parents were Florence and Harris Wain. He went to school at The Cathedral School, Llandaff, then Penarth Grammar School, and later St Bees School. At St Bees, he was part of the Officers Training Corps, which helped prepare young people for military service.
Even though he won a scholarship to study at Oxford University, Richard chose to join the Territorial Army when World War I started. He officially became an officer in the Manchester Regiment on July 16, 1915. Soon after, he was sent to France to fight in the war.
Fighting in World War I
Richard Wain was an officer in the 17th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment. On July 1, 1916, he was wounded during the first day of the Battle of the Somme. His unit bravely captured the village of Montauban, but many soldiers were hurt. Richard, leading his men forward, was also badly wounded.
After recovering, he joined a new unit called the Heavy Section of the Machine Gun Corps. This unit was special because it used tanks! In June 1917, Richard's tank unit fought in the Battle of Messines. His tank reached its goal and successfully destroyed several German machine guns hidden in a strong concrete bunker.
Heroic Actions and the Victoria Cross
Richard Wain was only 20 years old when he showed incredible bravery on November 20, 1917. He was an acting captain in a tank unit during the Battle of Cambrai (1917) near Marcoing, France.
During the battle, his tank was hit directly by enemy fire. Everyone inside was killed except for Richard and one other crew member. Even though he was badly wounded, Richard didn't give up. He grabbed a Lewis gun (a type of machine gun) and bravely charged at an enemy strong point. A strong point is a heavily defended position.
Richard managed to capture the strong point and took about half of the enemy soldiers there as prisoners. His amazing actions allowed his fellow infantry soldiers, who had been stuck because of the enemy machine gun fire, to move forward. Sadly, Richard was killed shortly after while still firing at the retreating enemy.
Because of his extraordinary courage and self-sacrifice, Richard William Leslie Wain was awarded the Victoria Cross. This award was given to him posthumously, which means after he had died.
Remembering Richard Wain
Richard Wain does not have a known grave. However, his bravery is remembered in several places. He is honored at the Cambrai Memorial to the Missing in France, which remembers soldiers who died in the area and have no known grave. He is also remembered on war memorials at Llandaff Cathedral and in the chapel at St Bees School, where he once studied.
