page_title: Richard Travis
section_title: First World War
hierarchical_section_title: Richard Travis / First World War
caption_attribution_description: English: Personnel file (1919 - 1958) of Richard Charles Travis (a.k.a. Dickson Cornelius Savage). Served during WWI in the New Zealand Army. Recipient of the Victora Cross (Gallantry Medal). Archives New Zealand Reference: AAAL 18806 W478 3 / 1
context_page_description: Richard Charles Travis, VC, DCM, MM was a New Zealand soldier who fought during the First World War and was posthumously decorated with the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to Commonwealth forces.
  Born in Opotiki, Travis worked as a farm hand and horse breaker and, as a young man, led a transient existence after leaving home at the age of 21. He volunteered for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force following the outbreak of the First World War and served briefly at Gallipoli. He was later sent to France where he fought in the trenches along the Western Front, earning a reputation as scout and sniper and receiving awards for his gallantry. On 24 July 1918, he carried out a reconnaissance into "no man's land" prior to an attack by his battalion, destroying a wire obstacle that may have slowed progress for the advancing troops. During the attack itself, he made a solo foray to deal with two weapons pits that were delaying the advance. He was killed by shellfire the next day but his exploits of 24 July led to him being awarded the VC posthumously.
context_section_description: Less than a month after the outbreak of the First World War, Richard Travis sought to join the 7th (Southland) Mounted Rifles, a squadron of the Otago Mounted Rifles Regiment. Giving his occupation as "horsebreaker", he enlisted in Invercargill. His stature of 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) and weight 133 pounds (60 kg), with "a fresh complexion, blue eyes and fair hair", belied his military potential. He was attested on 20 August 1914 and after a short period of basic training Travis departed New Zealand along with the first contingent—known as the "Main Body"—of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) bound for Egypt.
caption: Richard Charles Travis military personnel file (1919–1958)
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