Francis John William Harvey

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Maj. Francis Harvey (1873-1916)

Francis John William Harvey (1873–31 May 1916) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Educated at Portsmouth Grammar School he was 43 years old, and a Major in the Royal Marine Light Infantry, Royal Marines during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 31 May 1916, at the Battle of Jutland, off Denmark, Major Harvey of HMS Lion, although mortally wounded and almost the only survivor after the explosion of an enemy shell in a gunhouse, ordered the magazine to be flooded. His presence of mind saved the ship, but he died shortly afterwards.

Major Harvey was in command of Q turret, the middle of the four twin 13.5 inch gun turrets ranged from bow to stern along the ship. The turret had just fired its twelfth shell at SMS Lützow, around 13,000 yards away, and the guns were being reloaded when a shell from that ship penetrated the turret and detonated. The explosion killed almost everyone in the gunhouse, peeled back the armoured roof and started a serious fire. Although he had lost both of his legs, Major Harvey used the voice pipe to order the doors of the magazine below the gunhouse to be closed and the cordite magazine flooded with seawater. British battlecruisers were particularly vulnerable to cordite magazine explosions caused by fires or explosive flash spreading to them and three others — Invincible, Indefatigable and Queen Mary — blew up in the same battle for exactly this reason. He then sent an NCO to the bridge to inform the captain that the turret was out of action. His badly burnt body was found during the evening and subsequently buried at sea. The medal was presented to his widow by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 29 November 1916.