Victoria Cross awarded to widdrington Man!

[leslie]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bulmer_Johnson.

James Bulmer Johnson VC (31 December 1889 – 23 March 1943) Born 31 December 1889 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.

He was a Second Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, The Northumberland Fusiliers, British Army, attached to 36th Battalion during the First World War and 28 years old when on 14 October 1918 south west of Wez Macquart, France, he performed the act for which he was awarded the VC.

During operations by strong patrols, Second Lieutenant Johnson repelled frequent counter-attacks and for six hours, under heavy fire, he held back the enemy. When at length he was ordered to retire he was the last to leave the advanced position carrying a wounded man. Three times subsequently this officer returned and brought in badly wounded men under intense enemy machine-gun fire.

After World War I, Johnson served in the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary.[1]

He died in Plymouth, Devon, in 1943 aged fifty-three, and was cremated at Efford Crematorium, Plymouth.

[hollydog]

Great find Leslie, can we get Janwhin onto some family research......

[Coquet]

I saw the article on a commemoration for this guy in the Gazette published today, couldn't work out where he was from! Embarrassed to say this is new to me!

[janwhin]

Did I hear my name mentioned in vain somewhere? Since it's you asking, Hollydog, I'll see what I can find

[janwhin]

In the meantime, here's a photograph of the man himself to be going on with. Courtesy of Ancestry.

[janwhin]

Well, it's a mystery. I can't find anything to match when and where he was supposed to be born. The Sunderland newspaper refers to him being the first Newcastle man to be awarded the VC. No mention of Widdrington.
I notice that his normal occupation was police officer, I wonder if he belonged to a fairly mobile family.