Albert Mountain was born on 19 th April 1895 in Leeds, he was the son of James Mountain born in Farnley 1860 and Mary Ann Cowling born in Ripon 1865 (possibly not her maiden name). James father was William Mountain born in Tong, 1734.
Early in the First World War the City of Leeds raised the 1st (Leeds Pals) and the 2nd (Leeds Bantams) Battalions, and handed them over to the Army as the 15th (Service) and 17th (Service) Battalions of The West Yorkshire Regiment, but they continued to wear the Leeds City coat of arms as their badge.
The citation states:
“For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty during an enemy attack, when his company was in an exposed position on a sunken road, having hastily dug themselves in. Owing to the intense artillery fire, they were obliged to vacate the road and fall back. The enemy in the meantime was advancing in mass, preceded by an advanced patrol about two hundred strong. The situation was critical and volunteers for a counter attack were called for. Sergeant Mountain immediately stepped forward, and his party of ten men followed him. He then advanced on the flank with a Lewis gun and brought enfilade fire to bear on the enemy patrol, killing about one hundred. In the meantime the remainder of the company frontal attack, and the entire enemy patrol was cut up and thirty prisoners were taken.
At this time the enemy main body appeared and the men, who were numerically many times weaker than the enemy, began to waver. Sergeant Mountain rallied and organised his party and formed a defensive position from which to cover the retirement of the rest of the company and the prisoners.
With this party of one non commissioned officer and four men, he successfully held at bay six hundred of the enemy for half an hour, eventually retiring and re-joining his company. He then took command of the flank post of the Battalion which was “in the air”, and held on there for twenty seven hours until finally surrounded by the enemy. Sergeant Mountain was one of the few who managed to fight their way back. His supreme fearlessness and initiative undoubtedly saved the whole situation”.
Bro. Albert Mountain was a member of the Order (initiation date not known) and was for a long time the Worthy Host to the Barkston Ash Lodge No.4097 in the Miners Arms, Garforth which operated under the Castleford and District Province.
If you wish to read the full storyplease click on this link No34 Victory Cross Winners Vol 2