VC Action: Edward Bamford VC, DSO (28 May 1887 – 30 September 1928) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross and was also awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). He was 30 years old, and a Captain in the Royal Marine Light Infantry, Royal Marines during the First World War when he was awarded the VC by ballot.

Edward Bamford entered the Royal Marines on 1 September 1905 as Second Lieutenant and attended the Royal Naval College at Greenwich before joining the Portsmouth Division RMLI on 1 July 1907.

In 1916 he was promoted to temporary Captain, and embarked in the cruiser HMS Chester in which, 29 days later, he was involved in the Battle of Jutland. Engaged by four German Cruisers, HMS Chester suffered seventeen hits in five minutes, one of which destroyed Captain Bamford’s action station towards the aft of the ship. Although wounded, he extinguished a fire and kept two guns in action. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

In 1918, Captain Bamford was assigned to 4th Royal Marine Battalion, being raised for the raid on Zeebrugge on the Belgian coast. The operation was to block the entrance to the Bruges ship canal being used by German U-boats, and as a diversion, the Royal Marines were to land from HMS Vindictive and engage the defences on the protecting mole in the harbour.

On the night of 22nd/23rd April 1918 at Zeebrugge, Belgium, along with the ferryboats Iris and Daffodil, HMS Vindictive steamed through a barrage of fire to land the survivors of the Battalion to attack their objectives. Captain Bamford landed on the Mole from HMS vindictive with numbers 5, 7, and 8 platoons of the marine storming force in the face of great difficulties. When on the Mole and under heavy fire, he displayed the greatest initiative in the command of his company, and by his total disregard of danger showed a magnificent example to his men. He first established a strong point on the right of the disembarkation, and, when satisfied that that was safe, led an assault on a battery to the left.

As with several World War I actions where so many officers and ranks distinguished themselves, such as "The Six VCs Before Breakfast" won by the Lancashire Fusiliers at Gallipoli, the Royal Marines Zeebrugge VCs were awarded by ballot, whereby those involved in the action voted for whom they deemed to merit the award.

Bamford was promoted to Major but shortly after was taken ill in Wei Hai and died, aged 41, on 30th September 1928, whilst still serving, and on the way to hospital in Hong Kong on board HMS Cumberland.

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