Medal of Honor: Richmond Hobson Hilton, World War I, October 11, 1918
At Brancourt, France, Sergeant Richmond Hilton led from the front—charging through machinegun fire until his rifle was empty, his pistol smoking, and his arm shattered by shellfire.
October 11, 2025
Name: Richmond Hobson Hilton
Rank: Sergeant
War: World War I
Date of Action: October 11, 1918
Unit: Company M, 118th Infantry, 30th Division
Entered Service At: Westville, South Carolina
Born: October 8, 1898, Westville, South Carolina
Summary of Action
As the 30th “Old Hickory” Division pushed through the ruined streets of Brancourt during the final Allied offensives of 1918, Sergeant Richmond H. Hilton’s company was halted by fierce machinegun fire raking the narrow lanes from the edge of town. The men dove for cover—but Hilton rose and advanced.
With only a few soldiers following behind, he sprinted toward the gun pit, firing as he ran. When his rifle ran dry, he drew his pistol and kept firing until the weapon clicked empty. In a whirlwind of courage and close-quarters fighting, he killed six of the enemy and captured ten more.
Moments later, a shell exploded nearby, tearing through his arm and knocking him to the ground. Even as blood poured from the wound that would claim his limb, Hilton’s assault had broken the enemy’s resistance and cleared the way for his company’s advance. His defiance in the face of agony and fire became a rallying cry for the men of the 30th Division.
Medal of Honor Citation
HILTON, RICHMOND H.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company M, 118th Infantry, 30th Division. Place and date: At Brancourt, France, 11 October 1918. Entered service at: Westville, S.C. Born: 8 October 1898, Westville, S.C. G.O. No.: 16, W.D., 1919. Citation: While Sgt. Hilton’s company was advancing through the village of Brancourt it was held up by intense enfilading fire from a machinegun. Discovering that this fire came from a machinegun nest among shell holes at the edge of the town, Sgt. Hilton, accompanied by a few other soldiers, but well in advance of them, pressed on toward this position, firing with his rifle until his ammunition was exhausted, and then with his pistol, killing 6 of the enemy and capturing 10. In the course of this daring exploit he received a wound from a bursting shell, which resulted in the loss of his arm.
