- James Welch
James Welch VC (
7 July 1889 –28 June 1978 ) was an English recipient of theVictoria Cross , the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.James Welch was born at
Stratfield Saye . He was 27 years old, and aLance-Corporal in the 1st Battalion,The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) ,British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.On
29 April 1917 nearOppy ,France , Lance-Corporal Welch entered an enemy trench and killed one man after a severe hand-to-hand struggle. Then, armed only with an empty revolver, he chased four of the enemy across the open and captured them single-handed. He handled his machine-gun with the utmost fearlessness, and more than once went into the open, exposed to heavy fire, to search for and collect ammunition and spare parts in order to keep his guns in action, which he succeeded in doing for over five hours, until wounded by a shell.He later achieved the rank of
Sergeant . He died on28 June 1978 atBournemouth and was cremated. His Victoria Cross is displayed atThe Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment (Salisbury) Museum ,Salisbury ,Wiltshire ,England .ee also
*
Monuments to Courage
*The Register of the Victoria Cross References
*cite book | year=1997 | title=The Register of the Victoria Cross | chapter= | author=Buzzell, Nora (ed.) | others= | pages= | location=Cheltenham | publisher=This England Alma House | id=ISBN 0-906324-27-0 | url= | authorlink=
*cite book | first=David | last=Harvey | year=1999 | title=Monuments to Courage | chapter= | editor= | others= | pages= | publisher= | id= | url= | authorlink=
*cite web | title=James Welch[1889-1978] | work=The Dorset Page | url=http://www.thedorsetpage.com/history/vc/james_welch.htm | accessdaymonth=14 January | accessyear=2006External links
* [http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/dorset.htm Location of grave and VC medal] "(Dorset)"
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
