John Gough

Brigadier General Sir John Edmond Gough VC, KCB, CMG (25 October 1871- 22 February 1915), known as Johnnie Gough, was born in Muree, India and was a 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.

Background

Gough, known as "Johnnie," was the son of General Sir Charles John Stanley Gough VC, and nephew of General Sir Hugh Henry Gough VC, both of whom won their VCs during the Indian Mutiny in 1857. This gave the family the rare distinction of holding the VC simultaneously by father, brother and (father’s) son. He was also the younger brother of General Sir Hubert Gough (b. 1870), who led the British Fifth Army on the Western Front during the First World War.

Gough served in British Central Africa (1896); the Sudan (1898); Crete (1898-99), The Boer War (1899-1902); and in Somaliland (1903 and again in 1909). He attended the Army Staff College at Camberley in 1904-05, then returned to the College as a highly influential teacher from 1909-1913.

Victoria Cross Details

Gough was 31 years old, and a Brevet Major in The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own), British Army during the Third Somaliland Expedition when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 22 April 1903, Gough was in command of a column on the march which was attacked by an enemy force in superior numbers led by Mohammed Abdullah Hassan near Daratoleh, Somaliland (now Somalia). After conducting a successful defence, then a fighting withdrawal, Gough came back to help two captains (William George Walker and George Murray Rolland). The captains were helping a mortally wounded officer. They managed to get the wounded officer onto a camel, but then he was wounded again and died immediately. The two captains won the VC for their actions. However, Gough played down his own part in the event. It was not until late in the year that the true story came out indicating that Gough was equally deserving of recognition. He was subsequently awarded the VC in January 1904. The King presented the medal to him at Buckingham Palace on 29 February 1904. He was appointed Aide-de-Camp to the King in August 1907.

The medal

Gough’s Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Green Jackets Museum (Winchester, England).

First World War

Gough went to France as a Brigadier-General with the British Expeditionary Force, and Chief of Staff to Douglas Haig's I Corps. In early 1915 he continued as Haig’s principal staff officer when Haig was given command of the newly created British First Army. By February 1915 whilst working on planning for the forthcoming attack at Neuve Chapelle, Gough was chosen to command one of the New Army divisions. This appointment was due to commence sometime in March and would have meant his promotion to Major General.

Quotes from "Johnnie Gough, VC" by Ian F. W. Beckett (1989)

Gough was quoted as making a famous remark in November 1914 that was to be repeated as inspirational in the dark days of March 1918. ‘As he watched the enemy swarming over a low ridge one of his staff said the fight was decided. Gough turned with his eyes ablaze and exclaimed: “God will never let those devils win.”’ (p 194).

‘Through Johnnie’s death Haig lost a sounding board which was highly constructive yet far from uncritical. Had Johnnie gone on to command a division then it seems almost certain that, as predicted by so many contemporaries, he would have risen much further in the army. Johnnie was a convinced “westerner” in strategic terms and a “fighting general”. The army high command’s commitment to the Western Front and to strategic offensives on that front would not have changed had Johnnie lived, but as he had demonstrated in his Staff College days he was a supreme realist and the conduct of these offensives might well have been modified by his influence with and, especially, by his ability to relate to Douglas Haig’ (p 208).

Death

On 20 February 1915 Gough was visiting his old battalion (2nd Bn, The Rifle Brigade), at Fauquissart, about 3 km north of Neuve Chapelle on the front line, about 2 km west of Aubers. His mortal wounding by a sniper there was very unlucky since the single shot that struck him in the abdomen was thought to have been a ricochet fired from approximately 1000 yards distance. He was moved to the 25th Field Ambulance at nearby Estaires, about 7 km behind the front line, where he eventually succumbed to his wound and died in the early morning of 22 February. He was buried that afternoon in Estaires Communal Cemetery, France. 7 m SW of Armentieres. Plot II. Row A. Grave 7. Headstone. Gough was also posthumously knighted, being gazetted KCB on 22 April 1915. He is memorialised in Winchester cathedral.

References

*Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)
*Johnnie Gough, VC (Ian F.W. Beckett, 1989)
* [http://www.cwgc.org Commonwealth War Graves Commission]
*Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
*The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)