John Williams (VC) explained

John Williams
Birth Name:John Fielding
Birth Date:1857 5, df=y
Birth Place:Abergavenny, Wales
Death Place:Llantarnam, Cwmbran, Wales
Placeofburial:St Michael's Churchyard, Llantarnam
Servicenumber:25B/1395
Rank:Sergeant
Branch:British Army
Unit:
Battles:
Awards:Victoria Cross
South Africa Medal[1]

John Williams (born John Fielding; 24 May 1857 – 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.

Early life

John Fielding was the second eldest of ten children. John's parents were Michael and Margaret Godsil, who married in Abergavenny, Wales, in 1855.[2] Both Michael (1831-1914) and Margaret (1835-1921) were from Cork, Ireland[3] as documented on the 1911 census.[4] Michael Fielding died at the age of 82 and is buried in the Cwmbran cemetery. John was born[5] at Merthyr Road, Abergavenny. The entire family were Catholic.[6]

Military career

John was 5inchesft8inchesin (ftin) tall. Born Fielding, he enlisted under the name of Williams in the Monmouthshire Militia in January 1877.[7] More than three months later,[5] he enlisted under regular terms of service in the British Army on 22 May 1877.[8]

Williams was 21 years old, and a private in the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot (later The South Wales Borderers), British Army during the Anglo-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 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. His citation read:

Williams was presented with his VC in Gibraltar by Major-General Anderson, Governor of Gibraltar in 1880.[9]

Later life

Fielding served with the battalion until 1883, after six years of service with the colours, when he returned from India to the UK and was transferred to the reserves.[10] [5] He extended his reserve service by 4 years, up to 1893.[11] He appeared on the 1891 census, living with his wife and 5 children at Llantarnam, he was employed as a labourer.[12] He later achieved the rank of Sergeant in the 3rd (Monmouthshire) Volunteer Battalion, South Wales Borderers,[5] and had his portrait painted in 1895.[13] In 1914, he reenlisted for service and served on the SWB Depot staff at Brecon throughout World War I.[14] [11] He married Elizabeth Murphy in 1884 (deceased 1914) and they had 3 sons and 3 daughters. One son was killed while serving with 1st Battalion SWB during the First Battle of the Aisne in 1914.[5]

He died from heart failure in Cwmbran on 24 November 1932. The nursing home directly opposite his burial place in Llantarnam, Cwmbran,[15] was later named in his honour, as was a local pub, the John Fielding, where a picture of him is displayed.[16]

The medal

His Victoria Cross was donated to the SWB Museum by the Fielding family and is displayed at the Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh in Brecon, Powys, Wales.[16] [17]

Parade

The South Wales Argus revealed in January 2019 that the annual parade, to remember Fielding's heroism, had been cancelled for "health and safety" reasons.[18]

Notes and citations

NotesCitations

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The South Africa Medal Roll, 1877 . subscription . Fold3 . transcriptions of 26,472 campaign veterans, including those of the 24th Foot, from WO 100/46 and other ledgers . 1 October 2024.
  2. Web site: England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 . subscription . Ancestry . SEARCH where name=Godsil AND Married: 1855 AND In: Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales AND Volume: 11a AND Page: 93 . 29 October 2024.
  3. Web site: Michael Fielding: Birth 1831 • Cork, Ireland, Death 1914 • Monmouthshire, Wales . subscription . family tree . Ancestry . 28 October 2024.
  4. Web site: 1911 Wales Census . subscription . Ancestry . SEARCH where name=Fielding AND Born: Cork, Ireland AND Street address: 49 Grange Road AND Piece: 32025 AND Registration District Number: 587 . 28 October 2024.
  5. News: The Oldest V.C. in Britain. - Death at Cwmbran of Rorke's Drift hero . subscription . South Wales Argus. 25 November 1932. 7 . Newspapers.com Archive. 29 October 2024 . He was born on May 24, 1857, at Abergavenny. His father was a gardener who moved to Cwmbran when John was five... He was an adventurous spirit, and he joined the Monmouthshire Militia in 1877, when 20 years of age. After three months with the Militia, he joined the 24th Foot, and to do so ran away from home and gave the name of Williams. He served in the Kaffir and Zulu Wars of 1877-8-9 and later in India until 1883, when, time expired he returned to his home at Cwmbran. But he did not give up his military associations, and joined the 3rd Volunteer Battalion of the South Wales Borderers, in which he held the rank of Sergeant. His eldest son, Tom Fielding, was also a soldier... He was killed on September 26, 1914..
  6. News: Private John Fielding. Last V.C. Hero of Rorke's Drift Defence. . subscription . Nottingham and Midland Catholic News. 3 December 1932. 10 . obituary . British Newspaper Archive. 22 November 2024 . The deceased, who was a parishioner of Our Lady's, was born at Abergavenny..
  7. News: Stirring Tale of Pte. J. Williams, V.C. . subscription . Western Mail. 22 January 1929. 8 . Cardiff . British Newspaper Archive. 22 November 2024 . "I was born at Abergavenny in 1858," he said, "and enlisted on January 22, 1877-two years to the day before the first fight at Rorke's Drift. We got to South Africa in the beginning of 1878.".
  8. News: South Wales Argus . Cwmbran's VC hero of Rorke’s Drift is still remembered . 20 January 2017 . Martin . Wade .
  9. News: Gibraltar Chronicle . Gibraltar and the Victoria Cross . features . 24 October 2024 . The recent visit to Gibraltar of Warrant Officer Johnson Beharry, recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), provides the perfect opportunity to re-discover the long and close association between the Rock and those who have been awarded the highest accolade for bravery that can be bestowed by Britain and the Commonwealth.
    By Lt Col (retd) Francis Brancato, Chairman of the Gibraltar Branch of the Royal British Legion.
  10. Web site: John Williams (Fielding) VC . victoriacrossonline.co.uk . 1 October 2024.
  11. News: Obituary - hero of Rorke's Drift defence . subscription . The Daily Telegraph. 26 November 1932. 13 . Newspapers.com Archive. 28 October 2024 . Williams's real name was Fielding, but he assumed the name Williams when he ran away and enlisted in the South Wales Borderers in 1877.... Pte. Williams was discharged fron the Army Reserve [Section D] in 1893, but rejoined for the duration of the [Great] war, and served at the depot at Brecon..
  12. Web site: 1891 Wales Census . subscription . Ancestry . SEARCH where name=John Fielding AND lived in Llantarnam . 1 October 2024.
  13. Web site: John (Fielding) Williams (1857–1932), VC unknown artist . Art UK . 1 October 2024.
  14. Web site: UK, WWI, Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 . subscription . Fold3 . Index Card for John Williams VC, Service Numbers 15277, 1395 within series 242/0914/WIL-WIL . 15 October 2024.
  15. Web site: Grave of John Fielding VC at Llanfihangel Llantarnam Church. People's Collection Wales. 16 February 2020.
  16. Web site: The John Fielding, Cwmbrân . Place Names . 1 November 2018 . HistoryPoints.org delivers Welsh history to your mobile, on the spot!.
  17. Web site: Memorial for Rorke's Drift Cwmbran hero John Fielding. 21 March 2012. BBC news . 29 October 2024. Speaking on the 130th anniversary of the battle [in 2009], John Fielding's great-grandson, Robert Cousins told BBC Wales: "The VC itself of course is in the South Wales Borderers' museum in Brecon, but we still have a few mementos..
  18. News: South Wales Argus. Parade to commemorate military hero has been cancelled due to 'health and safety concerns'. 15 January 2019 .

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