George Jarratt

George Jarratt VC

Born	(1891-07-20)20 July 1891 Kennington, London, England
Died	3 May 1917(1917-05-03) (aged 25) Pelves, France
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Corporal
Unit	The Royal Fusiliers
Battles/wars	World War I †
Awards	Victoria Cross

George Jarratt VC (20 July 1891 – 3 May 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.

World War I

Jarratt was awarded the VC for a deed which took place when he was 25 years old on 3 May 1917 near Pelves, France. He was a corporal in the 8th Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers,^[1] British Army during the First World War.

Citation

For most conspicuous bravery and devotion in deliberately sacrificing his life to save others. He had, together with some wounded men, been taken prisoner and placed under guard in a dug-out. The same evening the enemy were driven back by our troops, the leading infantrymen of which commenced to bomb the dug-outs. A grenade fell in the dugout, and without hesitation Cpl. Jarratt placed both feet on the grenade, the subsequent explosion blowing off both his legs. The wounded were later safely removed to our lines, but Cpl. Jarratt died before he could be removed. By this supreme act of self-sacrifice the lives of these wounded were saved.
— The London Gazette, 8 June 1917^[2]^[3]

Jarratt's wife Gertrude and their daughter Joyce received his medal from the King on 21 July 1917.^[4] His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Fusiliers Museum in the Tower of London.

References

↑ Kelleher, JP (2010). "The Royal Fusiliers Recipients of The Victoria Cross for Valour" (PDF).
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30122. p. 5705. 8 June 1917. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
↑ Jarratt, George, Commonwealth War Graves Commission
↑ Gertrude Jarratt, Victoria Cross Widow

Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)

External links

Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

Predecessors	Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (1674–1968) Royal Warwickshire Regiment (1685–1968) Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (1685–1968) Lancashire Fusiliers (1688–1968)

Victoria Cross	James Bulmer Johnson Patrick McHale Peter McManus Ernest Sykes Thomas Bryan Robert Henry Cain James Joseph Bernard Jackman Wilfred Wood John Scott Youll William Amey Robert Edwin Phillips Arthur Vickers Julian Royds Gribble Arthur Hutt Edward Elers Delaval Henderson Thomas Elsdon Ashford Maurice Dease Neville Elliott-Cooper Charles Fitzclarence Thomas Egerton Hale William Hope Mathew Hughes Henry Mitchell Jones Robert Gee Sidney Frank Godley George Jarratt John Molyneux William Norman Frederick William Palmer Samuel George Pearse Charles Graham Robertson Walter Napleton Stone Arthur Percy Sullivan Cuthbert Bromley Frank Edward Stubbs John Elisha Grimshaw Richard Raymond Willis Alfred Joseph Richards William Stephen Kenealy John Lynn James Hutchinson Bertram Best-Dunkley Joseph Lister Bernard Matthew Cassidy John Schofield Joel Halliwell Edward Benn Smith Harold John Colley Frank Lester James Clarke James Neville Marshall Francis Arthur Jefferson

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