John James Crowe
Encyclopedia
John James Crowe VC
(28 December 1876 - 27 February 1965) 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.
Crowe was 41 years old, and a second lieutenant
in the 2nd Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment, British Army
during the First World War
at the Battle of Lys. On 14 April 1918 at Neuve Eglise, Belgium
, when the enemy, having attacked a post in a village, broke past on the high ground and established a machine-gun and snipers, Second Lieutenant Crowe, with two NCOs and seven men twice engaged the enemy who on each occasion withdrew into the village, followed by the lieutenant firing on them. On the second occasion, taking only two men, he attacked two enemy machine-guns killing both gunners and several more of the enemy. The remainder withdrew, allowing him to capture the two guns. His actions during this incident resulted in Crowe being awarded the Victoria Cross. He later achieved the rank of captain.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Worcestershire Regiment Museum in the Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum
, Worcester
.
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....
(28 December 1876 - 27 February 1965) 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.
Crowe was 41 years old, and a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 2nd Battalion, The Worcestershire 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...
at the Battle of Lys. On 14 April 1918 at Neuve Eglise, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, when the enemy, having attacked a post in a village, broke past on the high ground and established a machine-gun and snipers, Second Lieutenant Crowe, with two NCOs and seven men twice engaged the enemy who on each occasion withdrew into the village, followed by the lieutenant firing on them. On the second occasion, taking only two men, he attacked two enemy machine-guns killing both gunners and several more of the enemy. The remainder withdrew, allowing him to capture the two guns. His actions during this incident resulted in Crowe being awarded the Victoria Cross. He later achieved the rank of captain.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Worcestershire Regiment Museum in the Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum
Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum
The Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum is an art gallery and local museum in Worcester, the county town of Worcestershire, England.The museum was originally founded in 1833 by members of the Worcestershire Natural History Society. It is located in a Victorian building in central Worcester, which...
, Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
.