The other six were Bellenden Hutcheson, Arthur George Knight, William Henry Metcalf, Claude Joseph Patrick Nunney, Cyrus Wesley Peck and John Francis Young.

Rayfield was 37 years old, and a private in the 7th (1st British Columbia) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

These events took place from 2–4 September 1918 during the operations east of Arras, France:Ahead of his company, he rushed a trench occupied by a large party of the enemy, personally bayoneting two and taking ten prisoners.

Again, regardless of his personal safety, he left cover under heavy machine-gun fire and carried in a badly wounded comrade.

He died in 1949, and is buried at Prospect Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Soldier's Plot, Section 7, grave 4196).