John Harald Rhodes
Encyclopedia
John Harold Rhodes VC
DCM & Bar
(17 May 1891 – 27 November 1917) 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.
Rhodes was born in Packmoor, Stoke On Trent, Staffordshire
, son of ex-soldier and miner Ernie Rhodes. He was educated in Newchapel and later became a miner at the Chatterly Whitfield Colliery. Around 1910, however, he joined the Grenadier Guards and served for three years, after which he returned to the colliery. On the outbreak of World War I
John was recalled to the forces as a reservist. Now 26 years old, and a Lance-Sergeant in the 3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards
, British Army
during the First World War
John won the Distinguished Conduct Medal on 17 May 1915 and three months later was awarded a bar to this medal. While back in England recovering from his wounds, John married but was not destined to live to see the resulting child.
Back on the front-line, the following deed took place at the Battle of Poelcapelle for which John was awarded the VC and also the Croix De Guerre:
He was killed in action, Fontaine Notre Dame, France
, on 27 November 1917 and buried at Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery
, Manancourt.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Guards Regimental Headquarters (Grenadier Guards RHQ) in London, England.
A memorial plaque was unveiled at Chatterley Whitfield Mining Museum on 20 April 1984.There is also a road named in honour of John at nearby Tunstall
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....
DCM & Bar
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was an extremely high level award for bravery. It was a second level military decoration awarded to other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries.The medal was instituted in 1854, during the Crimean...
(17 May 1891 – 27 November 1917) 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.
Rhodes was born in Packmoor, Stoke On Trent, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, son of ex-soldier and miner Ernie Rhodes. He was educated in Newchapel and later became a miner at the Chatterly Whitfield Colliery. Around 1910, however, he joined the Grenadier Guards and served for three years, after which he returned to the colliery. On the outbreak of World War I
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...
John was recalled to the forces as a reservist. Now 26 years old, and a Lance-Sergeant in the 3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
, 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...
John won the Distinguished Conduct Medal on 17 May 1915 and three months later was awarded a bar to this medal. While back in England recovering from his wounds, John married but was not destined to live to see the resulting child.
Back on the front-line, the following deed took place at the Battle of Poelcapelle for which John was awarded the VC and also the Croix De Guerre:
He was killed in action, Fontaine Notre Dame, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, on 27 November 1917 and buried at Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery
Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery
Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery is a war grave for mainly Commonwealth soldiers who died in the The First World War. It was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield in the 1920s and contains the bodies of 2,022 people . It lies in countryside east of Amiens in the Somme region of France at...
, Manancourt.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Guards Regimental Headquarters (Grenadier Guards RHQ) in London, England.
A memorial plaque was unveiled at Chatterley Whitfield Mining Museum on 20 April 1984.There is also a road named in honour of John at nearby Tunstall