Frederick Birks, VC, MM (16 August 1894 – 21 September 1917) was a Welsh-born Australian First World War soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth forces.

On 20 September, during the Battle of Passchendaele, while advancing in Glencorse Wood, Ypres, Birks, alongside a corporal, forced a garrison to surrender and captured sixteen men in another attack.

[1] He went on to work in Tasmania where he stayed with a Herbert Jones (a friend of his brother), South Australia and Victoria as a labourer and later, a waiter.

[3] In late March 1914, at the age of nineteen he started a relationship with sixteen-year-old Susan Gelven who lived in Largs Bay.

[5] Birks' unit was incorporated into the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and was sent into action at the landing at Anzac Cove, providing medical support for the 2nd Infantry Brigade.

[6] During the battle, Birks was carrying wounded under heavy shell and rifle fire, in areas where stretchers were unable to reach.

Throughout the day, Birks "continually led his squad of stretcher bearers" through the village and Pozières Wood to the frontline, all the while being "exposed to heavy shell fire".

[8][9][10] The announcement of the decoration was promulgated in a supplement to the London Gazette on 14 November 1916, and he was later presented with his Military Medal by Lieutenant General Sir William Birdwood.

[3] Passchendaele was characterised by the mud of the battlefield and has been widely used as an example of attrition warfare; both the Commonwealth and German forces were suffering heavy casualties.

[12] When the Fifth Army was failing to make any appreciable headway, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig put General Herbert Plumer in command of the offensive.

[13] Birks' battalion were ordered to attack and capture the German line parallel to them with the objective to also blow them up, and the men moved towards their positions from Zillebeke on the night of 18 September, coming under some fire from gas shells.

[14] The first resistance was met by Birks and a corporal, taking two machine-gun positions as another group of officers rushed a strong post.

[2][3] Birks then led an attack a series of dugouts and pillboxes on the edge of Glencorse Wood, and fought against machine gun and bombs.

[3] The next day, 21 September, enemy shelling in response to the movement of Allied artillery had buried some men in Birks' platoon.

The corporal was wounded by a bomb, but 2nd Lt. Birks went on by himself killed the remainder of the enemy occupying the position, and captured a machine gun.

Shortly afterwards he organised a small party and attacked another strong point which was occupied by about twenty-five of the enemy, of whom many were killed and an officer and fifteen men captured.