   cyrus wesley peck vc dso and bar (26 april 1871 â 27 september 1956) 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. peck was one of the seven canadians to be awarded the victoria cross for their actions on one single day, 2 september 1918. the other six were bellenden hutcheson, arthur george knight, william metcalf, claude joseph patrick nunney, walter leigh rayfield and john francis young. == early life == peck was born in hopewell hill, new brunswick to a family that had emigrated from new england in 1763. peck was 16 years old when his father moved the family to new westminster, british columbia. peck took military training and crossed the atlantic to join the british army then changed his mind. he returned to canada and would volunteer for the boer war. he was not accepted for duty. he next moved to klondike, yukon. when first world war began he was in prince rupert, british columbia and working in a salmon cannery. == first world war == he went overseas in 1914 as a major in the 30th battalion. then in may 1915 peck joined as a lieutenant colonel in the 16th (canadian scottish) battalion, canadian expeditionary force. he was 47 years old. he became the commanding officer of the regiment during the battle of the somme (1916). peck was awarded the distinguished service order (dso) in the 1917 king's birthday honours; a bar to the dso, for which the citation in the london gazette read, "during an attack he showed fine courage and leadership. he led his battalion, under difficulties caused by heavy mist, to its final objective, nearly three miles, after severe fighting. he personally led his men in an attack on nests of machine guns protecting the enemy's guns, w
1871_births 1956_deaths British_Columbia_Conservative_Party_MLAs Canadian_Expeditionary_Force_officers Canadian_World_War_I_recipients_of_the_Victoria_Cross Companions_of_the_Distinguished_Service_Order_and_Bar Deaths_from_myocardial_infarction Members_of_the_House_of_Commons_of_Canada_from_British_Columbia People_from_Albert_County,_New_Brunswick Unionist_Party_(Canada)_MPs