Frederick Birks | |
|---|---|
 Second Lieutenant Fredericks Birks VC, MM c.1916 | |
| Born | 16 August 1894 Buckley, Flintshire, Wales |
| Died | 21 September 1917 (aged 23) Menin Road Ridge, Passchendaele salient, Belgium |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom Australia |
| Service | British Army Australian Imperial Force |
| Years of service | 1910–1913 1914–1917 |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Unit | 6th Battalion |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Military Medal |
Frederick Birks, VC, MM (16 August 1894 – 21 September 1917) was a Welsh-born Australian First World War soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth forces.
Born in Buckley, Flintshire, Birks served in the Royal Artillery for three years before emigrating to Australia in 1913. After serving as a non-commissioned officer during the landing at Gallipoli and the Battle of the Somme, Birks was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 4 May 1917. On 20 September, during the Battle of Passchendaele, while advancing in Glencorse Wood, Ypres, Birks, alongside a corporal, forced a garrison to surrender and captured sixteen men in another attack. His actions were later recognised with the Victoria Cross. The following day, Birks was killed by a shell while attempting to save some of his men.