William Hackett
Encyclopedia
William Hackett VC
(11 June 1873 – 27 June 1916) 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.
Hackett was born 11 June 1873 to John and Harriet Hackett of Nottingham; he worked as a miner for 23 years in the Nottingham and Yorkshire coalfields, and was married to Alice. Hackett enlisted in the 254th Tunnelling Company
, Corps of Royal Engineers, in October 1915, after being rejected three times by the York and Lancaster Regiment
for being too old. He was 43 years old, and a Sapper
in British Army
during the First World War when he performed a deed for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross on 22 June/23 June 1916 at Shaftesbury Avenue Mine, near Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée
, France
in Berks Cemetery Extension
near Ploegsteert in Hainaut, Belgium. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Engineers Museum
(Chatham, England).
The Tunnellers Memorial, funded by private donation, is a war memorial
to all tunnellers on the Western Front
, revealed at the site of Shaftesbury Shaft, on the June 19th, 2010.
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....
(11 June 1873 – 27 June 1916) 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.
Hackett was born 11 June 1873 to John and Harriet Hackett of Nottingham; he worked as a miner for 23 years in the Nottingham and Yorkshire coalfields, and was married to Alice. Hackett enlisted in the 254th Tunnelling Company
Royal Engineer tunnelling companies
Royal Engineer tunnelling companies were specialist units of the Corps of Royal Engineers within the British Army, formed to dig attacking tunnels under enemy lines during the First World War....
, Corps of Royal Engineers, in October 1915, after being rejected three times by the York and Lancaster Regiment
York and Lancaster Regiment
-History:It was formed in 1881 through the amalgamation of two other regiments:*65th Regiment*84th RegimentThe title of the regiment was derived not from the cities of York and Lancaster, or from the counties...
for being too old. He was 43 years old, and a Sapper
Sapper
A sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
in 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 when he performed a deed for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross on 22 June/23 June 1916 at Shaftesbury Avenue Mine, near Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée
Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée
Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated some east of Béthune and southwest of Lille, at the junction of the D166 and the D167 roads...
, France
Citation
Memorial
Hackett's name is recorded on the Ploegsteert Memorial to the MissingPloegsteert Memorial to the Missing
The Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorial for the missing soldiers of World War I who fought in the immediate area of the Ypres Salient on the Western Front.The grounds were assigned to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by King Albert I of Belgium in...
in Berks Cemetery Extension
Berks Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery Extension
Berks Cemetery Extension is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of the First World War located in Ploegsteert in the Ypres Salient on the Western Front....
near Ploegsteert in Hainaut, Belgium. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Engineers Museum
Royal Engineers Museum
The Royal Engineers Museum, Library & Archive is a military engineering museum and library in Gillingham, Kent, England. It tells the story of the Corps of Royal Engineers and British military engineering in general.-History:The Library was founded in 1812...
(Chatham, England).
The Tunnellers Memorial, funded by private donation, is a war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
to all tunnellers on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, revealed at the site of Shaftesbury Shaft, on the June 19th, 2010.