Summary

Victory Medal 1914-1919 with ring mount and ribbon awarded to Pte. William Armstrong Heintz, service number 3011, 6th Battalion, A.I.F.

Private Heintz was born in Hamilton and was a labourer before he joined on 22 September 1915, aged 23 years and 8 months. His Mother, Josephine Andrews, resided at Port Melbourne and in 1919 was located at Austral Ave, Brunswick. Heintz embarked from Melbourne on 29 September 1915 on HMAT Osterley. In 1916 he was in Egypt, then in August 1916 h e was in France where he suffered from shingles and herpes. He had trench fever and scabies. On 15 December 1917 he was awarded the Military Medal for an operation east of Zonnezbeke on 28-30 October 1917 where he carried messages through heavy barrages, guided relieving troops to their positions through heavy artillery, and retrieved 2 missing platoons. On 9 August 1918 Private Heintz was killed in action in France. He is buried at Rosieres near Amiens, France.

The Victory Medal was authorised in 1919 and was awarded to army, navy and air force personnel who served in a theatre of war between midnight 4th-5th August 1914 and midnight 11th-12th November 1918. The Allies resolved that, if they wished to issue a Victory Medal, it would share a common feature of a depiction of Victory on the obverse and a ribbon of red, yellow, green, blue and violet merged into a rainbow pattern. This medal, that of Great Britain, was awarded to personnel from countries in the British Empire (some 5,725,000 were issued). The other Allied countries that issued Victory medals were: Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Romania, Thailand, Union of South Africa and the United States of America.

Obverse Description

Figure of Victory facing three-quarters right with wings spread; in her right hand she holds a palm branch, her left hand is extended and open. The artist's initials, W.McM. (W. McMillan) are above the ground line on the right.

Reverse Description

The words, 'THE GREAT . WAR FOR . CIVILISATION 1914-1919' within a circular wreath of laurel.

Edge Description

Text; '3011 PTE. W.A. HEINTZ 6 BN. A.I.F.'.

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