William John English
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William John English VC (October 6, 1882 - July 4, 1941) born Cork, was an Irish 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 18 years old, and a lieutenant in the 2nd The Scottish Horse during the South African War (Boer War) when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 3 July 1901 at Vlakfontein, South Africa, Lieutenant English was holding a position under attack by the enemy. Two of his men were killed and two wounded, but the position was still held, largely owing to the lieutenant's personal pluck. When the ammunition ran short, he went over to the next party to get more, over 15 yards of open ground, under very heavy fire at a range of 20 to 30 yards.
English received the Victoria Cross in person from King Edward VII in July 1902. He later achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel. He saw action in three major wars (Boer War, World War One and World War Two) and died of natural causes, on board a ship near Egypt, on active service in 1941. He is buried in Maala Cemetery, Aden (now Yemen).
[edit] The medal
His medal group (including the VC) was bequeathed to his former school, Campbell College, Belfast. The medal is not publicly displayed.
[edit] References
Listed in order of publication year
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
- The Irish Sword (Brian Clarke 1986)
- Irelands VCs (Dept of Economic Development 1995)
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)
