1880 Spr. Adam Archibald VC.British Army 218th Field Coy. Royal Engineers from:Leith, Scotland Adam Archibald enlisted with the 7th Durham Light Infantry in 1915. He transferred to the 218th Field Company, Royal Engineers during the Second Battle of the Sambre. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for action while his unit was attempting to bridge the Sambre–Oise Canal, he was 39 years old. He received his medal from King George V at Buckingham Palace in May 1919. His citation reads:
"On 4 November 1918 near Ors, France, Sapper Archibald was with a party building a floating bridge across the canal. He was foremost in the work under a very heavy artillery barrage and machine-gun fire. The latter was directed at him from a few yards distance while he was working on the cork floats. Nevertheless he persevered in his task and his example and efforts were such that the bridge which was essential to the success of the operations was very quickly completed. Immediately afterwards Sapper Archibald collapsed from gas poisoning."
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