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John Williams (VC)

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For the Welsh soldier born in 1886, see Jack Williams (VC).

John Williams

VC
Birth nameJohn Fielding
Born(1857-05-24)24 May 1857
Abergavenny, Wales
Died25 November 1932(1932-11-25) (aged 75)
Llantarnam, Cwmbran, Wales
Buried
St Michael's Churchyard, Llantarnam
Service / branchBritish Army
RankSergeant
Service number25B/1395
Unit
Battles / wars
AwardsVictoria Cross
South Africa Medal[1]

John Williams VC (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

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John Fielding was the second eldest[2] of ten children.[3] John's parents were Michael and Margaret Godsil, who married in Abergavenny, Wales, in 1855.[4][5] Both Michael (1831-1914) and Margaret (1835-1921) were from Cork, Ireland[5] as documented on the 1911 census.[3] Michael Fielding died at the age of 82[2] and is buried in the Cwmbran cemetery. John was born[6] at Merthyr Road, Abergavenny.[2] The entire family were Catholic.[2][7]

Military career

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John was 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) tall.[2] Born Fielding, he enlisted under the name of Williams in the Monmouthshire Militia in January 1877.[8] More than three months later,[6][2] he enlisted under regular terms of service in the British Army on 22 May 1877.[9]

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:

Private John Williams was posted with Private Joseph Williams, and Private William Horrigan, 1st Battalion 24th Regiment, in a distant room of the hospital, which they held for more than an hour, so long as they had a round of ammunition left: as communication was for the time cut off, the Zulus were enabled to advance and burst open the door; they dragged out Private Joseph Williams and two of the patients, and assagaied them. Whilst the Zulus were occupied with the slaughter of these men a lull took place, during which Private John Williams, who, with two patients, were the only men now left alive in this ward, succeeded in knocking a hole in the partition, and in taking the two patients into the next ward, where he found Private Hook. These two men together, one man working whilst the other fought and held the enemy at bay with his bayonet, broke through three more partitions, and were thus enabled to bring eight patients through a small window into the inner line of defence.[10]

Williams was presented with his VC in Gibraltar by Major-General Anderson, Governor of Gibraltar in 1880.[11]

Later life

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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.[2][6] He extended his reserve service by 4 years, up to 1893.[12] He appeared on the 1891 census, living with his wife and 5 children at Llantarnam, he was employed as a labourer.[13] He later achieved the rank of Sergeant in the 3rd (Monmouthshire) Volunteer Battalion, South Wales Borderers,[6] and had his portrait painted in 1895.[14] In 1914, he reenlisted for service and served on the SWB Depot staff at Brecon throughout World War I.[15][16][12] 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.[17][6]

He died from heart failure in Cwmbran on 24 November 1932. The nursing home directly opposite his burial place in Llantarnam, Cwmbran,[18] was later named in his honour, as was a local pub, the John Fielding, where a picture of him is displayed.[19]

The medal

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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.[19][20]

Parade

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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.[21]

Notes

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  1. ^ "The South Africa Medal Roll, 1877". Retrieved 1 October 2024 – via Fold3. transcriptions of 26,472 campaign veterans, including those of the 24th Foot, from WO 100/46 and other ledgers
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "John Williams (Fielding) VC". victoriacrossonline.co.uk. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b "1911 Wales Census". Retrieved 28 October 2024 – via Ancestry. SEARCH where name=Fielding AND Born: Cork, Ireland AND Street address: 49 Grange Road AND Piece: 32025 AND Registration District Number: 587
  4. ^ "England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915". Retrieved 29 October 2024 – via Ancestry. SEARCH where name=Godsil AND Married: 1855 AND In: Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales AND Volume: 11a AND Page: 93
  5. ^ a b "Michael Fielding: Birth 1831 • Cork, Ireland, Death 1914 • Monmouthshire, Wales". family tree. Retrieved 28 October 2024 – via Ancestry.
  6. ^ a b c d e "The Oldest V.C. in Britain. - Death at Cwmbran of Rorke's Drift hero". South Wales Argus. 25 November 1932. p. 7. Retrieved 29 October 2024 – via Newspapers.com Archive. 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.
  7. ^ "Private John Fielding. Last V.C. Hero of Rorke's Drift Defence". Nottingham and Midland Catholic News. obituary. 3 December 1932. p. 10. Retrieved 22 November 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive. The deceased, who was a parishioner of Our Lady's, was born at Abergavenny.
  8. ^ "Stirring Tale of Pte. J. Williams, V.C.". Western Mail. Cardiff. 22 January 1929. p. 8. Retrieved 22 November 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive. 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.
  9. ^ Wade, Martin (20 January 2017). "Cwmbran's VC hero of Rorke's Drift is still remembered". South Wales Argus.
  10. ^ "No. 24717". The London Gazette. 2 May 1879. p. 3177.
  11. ^ "Gibraltar and the Victoria Cross". Gibraltar Chronicle. 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
  12. ^ a b "Obituary - hero of Rorke's Drift defence". The Daily Telegraph. 26 November 1932. p. 13. Retrieved 28 October 2024 – via Newspapers.com Archive. 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.
  13. ^ "1891 Wales Census". Retrieved 1 October 2024 – via Ancestry. SEARCH where name=John Fielding AND lived in Llantarnam
  14. ^ "John (Fielding) Williams (1857–1932), VC unknown artist". Art UK. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  15. ^ John Fielding on Lives of the First World War
  16. ^ "UK, WWI, Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923". Retrieved 15 October 2024 – via Fold3. Index Card for John Williams VC, Service Numbers 15277, 1395 within series 242/0914/WIL-WIL
  17. ^ Thomas Fielding on Lives of the First World War
  18. ^ "Grave of John Fielding VC at Llanfihangel Llantarnam Church". People's Collection Wales. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  19. ^ a b "The John Fielding, Cwmbrân". HistoryPoints.org delivers Welsh history to your mobile, on the spot!. Place Names. 1 November 2018.
  20. ^ "Memorial for Rorke's Drift Cwmbran hero John Fielding". BBC news. 21 March 2012. Retrieved 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.
  21. ^ "Parade to commemorate military hero has been cancelled due to 'health and safety concerns'". South Wales Argus. 15 January 2019.

Further reading

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