David Ridgus Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 Excellent Ghazala, Jacka VC it is David PS VC winners was one of our most popular sub-themes. Perhaps we could revisit it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 As an aside, Private to Captain in just 18 months, is there any other soldier that has achieved such a climb through the ranks? John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 So who is this VC winner? (and a bonus point for the nurse's name!) David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle George Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 As an aside, Private to Captain in just 18 months, is there any other soldier that has achieved such a climb through the ranks? John Petain springs to mind: a Colonel at the start of the war, CinC in April 1917, Marshal of France in November 1918. EDIT: I see that Petain became CinC in May 1917. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 Frederick William Dobson VC 2nd Batt. Coldstream Guards awarded for the action on 28/9/1914 for bringing in 2 wounded men whilst under heavy fire at Chavonne, Aisne(the easy bit) and Nurse Grace Mitchell (bit more difficult to find). He died in 1935 and his grave was unattended for 50 years John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 Hi UG Petain springs to mind: a Colonel at the start of the war, CinC in April 1917, Marshal of France in November 1918.Forgot about Petain, as I was thinking more along the lines of the squaddy upwards as opposed to officersJohn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 Petain springs to mind: a Colonel at the start of the war, CinC in April 1917, Marshal of France in November 1918. Antony Eden - Brigade Major at 20 is another. David (PS I know it's not in our remit but I always thought Mark Clark's move from lieutenant colonel in July 1941 to 3 star general by November 1942 takes some beating) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 Frederick William Dobson VC 2nd Batt. Coldstream Guards awarded for the action on 28/9/1914 for bringing in 2 wounded men whilst under heavy fire at Chavonne, Aisne(the easy bit) and Nurse Grace Mitchell (bit more difficult to find). He died in 1935 and his grave was unattended for 50 years John Bang on as always John. Quite a sad story. Haig did not want him to have the VC but was overruled by the King. When he sought work after the war he found himself unpopular as his fellow miners felt he received preferential treatment. Dead at 45 his VC was pawned by his relatives the following year. The picture came to light curtesy of Grace Mitchell's great, great nephew around 2013 Here's another. He has a unique double to his name: David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 One lucky naval chap here. No one seems to know who the other lucky one was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 Evening David Didn't realise his VC was pawned, not going down that route already started the thread on Bent VC. Somewhere I have a nice picture of his newish gravestone, regulation CWCG shape and size but in black "marble" with gold lettering . I will start looking. John NF Aussie submariner??? :-):-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 One lucky naval chap here. No one seems to know who the other lucky one was. 20160416_193805.jpg Carpenter of Vindictive (VC under Rule 13.) Was there another similar ratings award for Zeebrugge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 Sorry David. I seem to be suffering from simultaneous posting syndrome at the moment. I didn`t recognise your V.C. winner or nurse, but good post, and a great picture. I don`t recognise your other chap either, if he is a V.C. winner. V.C.s is one of my only strong point too. EDIT> Actually I`m doubly miffed that this one slipped under my radar, and was so quickly picked up by John`s, as Dobbs was in my Great grandad`s battalion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 Evening David Didn't realise his VC was pawned, not going down that route already started the thread on Bent VC. Somewhere I have a nice picture of his newish gravestone, regulation CWCG shape and size but in black "marble" with gold lettering . I will start looking. John NF Aussie submariner??? :-):-) Not an Aussie submariner. Carpenter of Vindictive (VC under Rule 13.) Was there another similar ratings award for Zeebrugge? Not Carpenter either. He isn`t a V.C. winner, though he was commended for his service in battle. Had a namesake cricketer who was K.I.A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 Sorry David. I seem to be suffering from simultaneous posting syndrome at the moment. I didn`t recognise your V.C. winner or nurse, but good post, and a great picture. I don`t recognise your other chap either, if he is a V.C. winner. V.C.s is one of my only strong point too. No problem NF. Yes he is a VC winner. Was the namesake cricketer of yours English? David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 Still can`t believe I missed Dobbs, being 2nd Coldstream and all that, as per my comments above. Great post David. Both my naval officer and his cricketer namesake were English. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 David, is your chap the harrowing case of Martin O'Meara? http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-26/historian-debunks-myths-around-mentally-ill-war-hero/5833428 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 David would your double be Corporal Charles Ernest Garforth VC, one of the first group of VC's awarded,citation starts 23/8/1914, and also the first to recieve a commemorative paving stone. Up until 2008 he had no headstone/monument/memorial having passed away in 1973,he was cremated and had his ashes scattered. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 David, is your chap the harrowing case of Martin O'Meara? http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-26/historian-debunks-myths-around-mentally-ill-war-hero/5833428 David would your double be Corporal Charles Ernest Garforth VC, one of the first group of VC's awarded,citation starts 23/8/1914, and also the first to recieve a commemorative paving stone. Up until 2008 he had no headstone/monument/memorial having passed away in 1973,he was cremated and had his ashes scattered. John Both fascinating stories but neither are my chap David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 Both fascinating stories but neither are my chap David Another clue for mine, which I lightly hinted at in the original post, was that he was the only known survivor when his ship went down. Another fellow was apparently rescued, but has never been positively identified as far as I can tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 16 April , 2016 Share Posted 16 April , 2016 Hmm! I wondered if it might be a survivor of Jutland - as the Indefatigable only had two survivors I think. However they were both Able seaman and your chap appears to be an officer. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 17 April , 2016 Share Posted 17 April , 2016 Hmm! I wondered if it might be a survivor of Jutland - as the Indefatigable only had two survivors I think. However they were both Able seaman and your chap appears to be an officer.David Jutland is correct, but not Indefatigable. You're also right to think he was an officer. In later life he turned to politics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 17 April , 2016 Share Posted 17 April , 2016 (edited) Bang on as always John. Quite a sad story. Haig did not want him to have the VC but was overruled by the King. When he sought work after the war he found himself unpopular as his fellow miners felt he received preferential treatment. Dead at 45 his VC was pawned by his relatives the following year. The picture came to light curtesy of Grace Mitchell's great, great nephew around 2013 Here's another. He has a unique double to his name: wit 23.jpg David Another long and profitable search has led me to Phillip Neames,who won gold at the 1920 Olympics. Edit> Sorry. I meant 1924. Edited 17 April , 2016 by neverforget Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 17 April , 2016 Share Posted 17 April , 2016 One lucky naval chap here. No one seems to know who the other lucky one was. 20160416_193805.jpg Is it Herbert Edward Dannreuther, Gunnery Officer of the Invincible ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 17 April , 2016 Share Posted 17 April , 2016 Is it Herbert Edward Dannreuther, Gunnery Officer of the Invincible ? Sorry. Not Dannreuther or the Invincible either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 17 April , 2016 Share Posted 17 April , 2016 Another long and profitable search has led me to Phillip Neames,who won gold at the 1920 Olympics. Edit> Sorry. I meant 1924. Excellent detective work NF. I was surprised we hadn't had this chap before or that I had never heard about this unique double before Struggling with your Jutland survivor. All the cruisers had more than two survivors (although depressingly not many more) so will need to look at smaller ships David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now