Robert Quigg Robert Quigg VC ( 28 February 1885 – 14 May 1955 ) was an Irish 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 . He award was made for his service at the Battle of the Somme in the First World War . Youth . Robert Quigg was born on 28 February 1885 in the townland of Ardihannon . Ardihannon is located in the Parish of Billy , near the Giants Causeway , County Antrim . His father , Robert Quigg senior , worked as a boatman and tour guide at the Giants Causeway . Young Quigg attended the Giants Causeway National School . Like most young teenage boys from the rural areas of the time , he left school and sought work on local farms . He worked for a number of years on Forsyth ’ s farm at Turfahun and also on the MacNaghten Estate at Dunderave . Robert was a prominent member of the local Orange Lodge Aird LOL 1195 ; he played in the flute band . He was also a member of the Royal Black Institution and the William Johnston Memorial RBP 559 . Ulster Volunteer Force . In 1912 , because of calls for home rule , the Ulster crisis deepened . Unionists perceived Ulster ’ s constitutional position to be under threat . The constitutional position was a response to the growth of Irish Nationalism and the activities of British Liberal Party . It led to the formation of the Ulster Volunteer Force . At that time , the Ulster Volunteer Force was a legal force which had been empowered to carry out drilling and military preparations , with the proviso that it uphold the constitution . It had nine divisions , based on county . The divisions , in turn , were divided into battalions , companies and platoons . Robert Quigg joined the Ulster Volunteer Force in January 1913 , shortly after its formation . He became commander of the Bushmills Volunteers . At that time , the UVF membership numbered over 100 , 000 , with an estimated 40 , 000 bearing arms . As the European crisis , and war between Britain and Germany , became imminent , a halt was called to the Ulster Volunteer Force ' s preparations in Ulster . Sir Edward Carson , in turn , offered the services of the Ulster Volunteer Force to the British government against Germany . The Ulster Volunteer members , who volunteered to join the British Army , formed the bulk of the 36th ( Ulster ) Division . Thousands of its members volunteered for active service . One such volunteer was Robert Quigg . In September 1914 , he enlisted in the 12th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles ( Mid - Antrim Volunteers ) . His service number was 12 / 18645 . He held the rank of Rifleman . His Platoon Officer was Harry Macnaghten , the heir to the Macnaghten Estate . Sometime earlier , Robert had worked on Dunderave Estate ; he had first become familiar with Harry Macnaghten while employed there . Battle of the Somme and Victoria Cross Award . Robert Quigg was awarded the Victoria Cross for his " Most Conspicuous Bravery " at the Battle of the Somme , 1 July 1916 . Prior to the major offensive , his unit had been placed in the French village of Hamel , located on the north bank of the River Ancre . On 1 July , the Mid - Antrim Volunteers were ordered to advanced through the defenses towards the heavily defended German lines . During the advance , they encountered fierce resistance from heavy machine - gun and shell fire . Quigg ' s platoon made three advances during the day , only to be beaten back on each occasion by German fire . The final evening assault left many hundreds of the 12th Battalion lying dead and wounded in " no man ' s land " . In the early hours of the next morning , it was reported that Lieutenant Harry Macnaughten , the platoon commander was missing ; Robert Quigg volunteered to go out into " no man ' s land " to try and locate him . He went out seven times to search for the missing officer , without success . On each occasion , he came under machine gun fire , but he managed to return with a wounded colleague . It was reported that , on one of his forays , he crawled within yards of the German position in order to rescue a wounded soldier , whom he dragged back on a waterproof groundsheet . After seven hours of trying , exhaustion got the better of him ; Robert had to rest from his efforts . The body of Lieutenant Harry Macnaghten was never recovered . On 8 January 1917 , Robert received his Victoria Cross from King George V , at York Cottage , Sandringham . Queen Mary was also in attendance . Upon his return to Bushmills , the people of the town and district turned out in force to welcome him home , including the Macnaghten household . Lady Macnaghten presented him with a gold watch in recognition of his bravery in attempting to find and rescue her son , Lieutenant Harry Macnaghten . Robert reached the rank of sergeant before retiring from the army in 1926 ( after he was badly injured in an accident ) . Later , in 1953 , two years before he died , he met the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II . Robert Quigg died on 14 May 1955 at Ballycastle , County Antrim . He was buried in Billy Parish Churchyard , with full military honours . His statue now stands in Bushmills town centre . The Russians also presented Robert Quigg with the Medal of Order of St . George ( Fourth Class ) , the highest award of the Russian Empire . The First and Second classes were only given on the personal decree of the Emperor . The Third and Fourth classes were only awarded by the approval of the Georgevsky Council , a group of St George Knights . The Third Class was for senior officers , and the Fourth Class was the highest award of the Russian Empire for non - senior officers . His Victoria Cross and Order of St . George ( fourth class ) are on display at the Royal Ulster Rifles Museum in Belfast . References . Listed in order of publication year