Jack White (VC)

Jack White VC (23 December 1896 – 27 November 1949) was an English 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.

Details

He was 20 years old, and a private in the 6th Battalion, The King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 7/8 March 1917 on the Dialah River, Mesopotamia, Private White, a signaller, during an attempt to cross the river, saw the two pontoons ahead of him come under very heavy fire with disastrous results. When his own pontoon had reached mid-stream, with every man except himself either dead or wounded, and not being able, by himself, to control the boat the private tied a telephone wire to the pontoon, jumped overboard and towed it to the shore, thereby saving an officer's life and bringing to land the wounded and also the rifles and equipment of all the men in the boat.

Further information

He later achieved the rank of Lance-Corporal.

References

*Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
*The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)

External links

* [http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/manchest.htm Location of grave and VC medal] "(Manchester)"