SHELLS whizzed past, machine gun fire punctured the air relentlessly and a plane circled threateningly overhead but Birkdalian Private Richard George Masters knew the wounded must be evacuated.
Bethune, France April 1918 and the driver attached to the 141st Field Ambulance found himself cut off from base and stuck behind enemy lines.
His comrades lay injured and the only road back to safety was reported impassable, but Private Masters, who lived on Norwood Road until his death in 1965, volunteered to try and get through.
Thinking nothing of his own welfare he made repeated trips to clear the thoroughfare of debris.
Once this had been achieved, the real work began, and with the Sandgrounder’s vehicle the only available, it fell to Private Masters to deliver those trapped to sanctuary.
For his valiance, he was awarded the Victoria Cross, the transcript of which described his incredible bravery.
It reads: “He made journey after journey from 1pm until darkness set in, over a road consistantly shelled and swept by machine-gun fire and on one occasion bombed by an aeroplane.
“The greater part of the 200 wounded cleared from this area were evacuated by Pte Masters.
“In assisting in removing wounded from the cellars of a house he was gassed, from the effects of which he is still suffering.�
Private Masters was employed as a chaffeur for a Mr Pennington of Birkdale pre-war and had already achieved local fame for his success as a cyclist.
In his late 30s when hostilities began, he was one of England’s foremost cyclists between the years 1898-1900.
And his Victoria Cross was the second military honour bestowed on him.
A year earlier on March 7 1917 at the Somme, he volunteered to go forward with his ambulance to an advance dressing station and made four journeys clearing the wounded from a quarry, while under perpetual shell-fire.
For this he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre.
Today, Private Masters lives on in the Bootle Territorial Army barracks named in his honour.
Permanent staff administrative officer there, Captain Tony Ravera told LookBack: “He’s an icon of bravery, but also humility.
“We went to the area where he was operating last year and it was quite poignant to know he was there and did what he did in that location - it was a special experience.
“It’s an honour to work in a place named after such a brave man.�
Private Richard George Masters VC is buried in St Cuthbert’s churchyard, Churchtown
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