VC ) ▁took ▁place . ▁His ▁pl ato on ▁was ▁attack ing ▁towards ▁V aire ▁Wood ▁when ▁a ▁neighbour ing ▁pl ato on ▁came ▁under ▁heavy ▁fire . ▁Ax ford ▁took ▁prompt ▁action ▁to ▁rem edy ▁the ▁situation . ▁The ▁c itation ▁for ▁his ▁V C ▁read : ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁being ▁awarded ▁the ▁V C , ▁Ax ford ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁corpor al ▁several ▁days ▁after ▁the ▁battle . ▁Short ly ▁before ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁Ax ford ▁returned ▁to ▁Australia ▁on ▁f url ough . ▁He ▁was ▁dis charg ed ▁from ▁the ▁A IF ▁on ▁ 2 ▁February ▁ 1 9 1 9 . ▁ ▁Later ▁life ▁Ax ford ▁returned ▁to ▁his ▁old ▁ ▁job ▁at ▁the ▁B ould er ▁Bre wer y , ▁then ▁went ▁to ▁learn ▁a ▁trade ▁at ▁Kal go or lie ▁Found ry , ▁but ▁was ▁not ▁el ig ible ▁under ▁the ▁Australian ▁Sold iers ' ▁Re pat ri ation ▁Act . ▁He ▁under to ok ▁various ▁labor ing ▁jobs ▁in ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Gold fields . ▁Later ▁on ▁he ▁worked ▁for ▁a ▁se wing ▁machine ▁company , ▁and ▁did ▁cas ual ▁work ▁wherever ▁he ▁could ▁get ▁it ▁until ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁when ▁he ▁worked ▁initially ▁as ▁a ▁commission aire , ▁then ▁as ▁a ▁records ▁cl erk ▁with ▁the ▁Western ▁Australian ▁Department ▁of ▁M ines ▁in ▁Per th . ▁ ▁He ▁had ▁married ▁L ily ▁Ma ud ▁F oster , ▁a ▁shop ▁assistant , ▁at ▁St ▁Mary ’ s