Jack White (VC)
Encyclopedia
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.
. Originally assigned to battalion destined for France, he missed the battalion's deployment while home on compassionate leave to attend the death of his father. Instead, he was transferred to the 6th King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster).
The 6th King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) was attached to the 13th (Western) Division. Originally ordered to Gallipoli, he was remained with the battalion through the Gallipoli campaign. Eventually, he and his unit were ordered to join the Tigris Corps, attempting to relieve the Siege of Kut
. After the failure of the relief effort, White's unit participated in the counter-offensive in 1917. It was during the 13th Division's crossing of the Diyala River that he earned the Victoria Cross.
in the 6th Battalion, The King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment, British Army
during the First World War
when, on 7/8 March 1917 on the Dialah River, Mesopotamia
, the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. This citation was gazetted
on 27 June 1917:
He was also awarded the Italian Bronze Medal of Military Valour.
Upon his return to Manchester, having received the Victoria Cross, he began an apprenticeship as a trainee pattern cutter and machinist at one of the many factories in the thriving Manchester raincoat industry of the early 20th century. Until his death in 1949, Jack White was General Manager and Owner of the Factory which under his stewardship established itself as one of the most technically skilled and innovative factories in the region. The Factory, now universally known as "Cooper & Stollbrand" continues to manufacture and remains under the family's ownership. It is currently managed by Jack White's great grandson.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(23 December 1896 – 27 November 1949) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Background
Jack White was born Jacob Weiss in Leeds, Yorkshire, on 23 December 1896. After finishing his education, he joined the family business, a waterproofing company. When the First World War broke out, he returned home from a business trip and volunteered for active service with the King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
The King's Own Royal Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, which served under various titles from 1680 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.-History:...
. Originally assigned to battalion destined for France, he missed the battalion's deployment while home on compassionate leave to attend the death of his father. Instead, he was transferred to the 6th King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster).
The 6th King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) was attached to the 13th (Western) Division. Originally ordered to Gallipoli, he was remained with the battalion through the Gallipoli campaign. Eventually, he and his unit were ordered to join the Tigris Corps, attempting to relieve the Siege of Kut
Siege of Kut
The siege of Kut Al Amara , was the besieging of 8,000 strong British-Indian garrison in the town of Kut, 100 miles south of Baghdad, by the Ottoman Army. Its known also as 1st Battle of Kut. In 1915, its population was around 6,500...
. After the failure of the relief effort, White's unit participated in the counter-offensive in 1917. It was during the 13th Division's crossing of the Diyala River that he earned the Victoria Cross.
Details
White was 20 years old, and a privatePrivate (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in the 6th Battalion, The King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment, British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
when, on 7/8 March 1917 on the Dialah River, Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
, the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. This citation was gazetted
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 27 June 1917:
He was also awarded the Italian Bronze Medal of Military Valour.
Further information
Jack White later achieved the rank of Lance-Corporal. Ironically, although he was a Victoria Cross holder, he was not permitted to join the Home Guard during the Second World War. He was denied this because it was claimed his parents had failed to be properly be naturalized as British Citizens, despite the fact he was born in Yorkshire.Upon his return to Manchester, having received the Victoria Cross, he began an apprenticeship as a trainee pattern cutter and machinist at one of the many factories in the thriving Manchester raincoat industry of the early 20th century. Until his death in 1949, Jack White was General Manager and Owner of the Factory which under his stewardship established itself as one of the most technically skilled and innovative factories in the region. The Factory, now universally known as "Cooper & Stollbrand" continues to manufacture and remains under the family's ownership. It is currently managed by Jack White's great grandson.
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Manchester)