John Williams (VC)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Williams VC (born John Fielding 24 May 1857, Abergavenny - died 25 November 1932), was a Welsh 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.
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[edit] Details
He was 21 years old, and a private in the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot[1](later The South Wales Borderers), British Army during the Zulu War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 22/23 January 1879 at Rorke's Drift, Natal, South Africa, Private Williams and two other men held a distant room of the hospital for more than an hour until they had no ammunition left, when the Zulus burst in and killed one of the men and two patients. Meanwhile Private Williams had succeeded in knocking a hole in the partition and took the two remaining patients through into the next ward. He was there joined by another man (Alfred Henry Hook), and working together (one holding the enemy at bayonet point while the other broke through three more partitions) they were able to bring eight patients into the inner line of defence.
[edit] Further information
Born John FIELDING but enlisted as WILLIAMS in the Monmouthshire Militia in 1877. Later achieved the rank of Sergeant in the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, South Wales Borderers. He was presented with his VC in Gibraltar by Major General Anderson, Governor of Gibraltar in 1880.
In 1914, he volunteered for service and served on the SWB Depot staff at Brecon throughout the Great War and served as a recruiting agent for them. He married Elizabeth Murphy and had 3 sons and 3 daughters; one son was killed while serving with 1/SWB during the Retreat from Mons in 1914.
He died in Cwmbran in 1932 and was the last surviving Rorke's Drift VC holder to die. The nursing home directly opposite his burial place in Llantarnam, Cwmbran was later named in his honour.
[edit] The medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the South Wales Borderers Museum (Brecon, Powys, Wales).
[edit] References
- John Williams VC: A Biography (W.G. Lloyd, 1993)
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
[edit] External links
- John Williams (Fielding) (biography, photos, memorial details)
- Location of grave and VC medal
- Rorke's Drift (information within Frederick Hitch site)
- Location of his grave, shown on Googlemaps.
