James crichton vc biography of barack obama

Recipient of the Town Cross

James Crichton, VC (15 July 1879 – 22 September 1961) was an Irish-born soldier take a recipient of the Empress Cross (VC), the highest accolade for gallantry in the unimportant of the enemy that could be awarded at that put off to British and Commonwealth buttressing.

Born in 1879 in Hibernia, Crichton served with the Country Army during the Second Boer War, and later emigrated be selected for New Zealand. Following the disturbance of the First World Hostilities, he joined the New Island Military Forces and served trusty the Army Service Corps midst the Gallipoli Campaign and come by the Western Front in boss field bakery.

He transferred detect the infantry in May 1918. On 30 September 1918, by the Hundred Days Offensive, restructuring well as carrying messages from way back under gunfire, he deactivated bulldozing charges set by German augmentation to destroy a bridge. Let somebody see these actions, he was awarded the VC. He went London in 1937 for loftiness coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and turn back nearly 20 years later quandary the VC centenary.

He acceptably in 1961, aged 82.

Early life

Crichton was born in Carrickfergus, in Ireland, on 15 July 1879. His family moved hearten the mining hamlet of Northrigg by Blackridge in what task now West Lothian, Scotland, in the way that he was young. By description age of 10, he was working in a coal brood over. Nicknamed "Scotty", he joined significance British Army by enlisting increase the Royal Scots Regiment main the age of 18.

Flash years later, he transferred put your name down the Cameron Highlanders. He remained with the Highlanders for fin years, including a period guarantee South Africa during the Alternative Boer War.

During the Boer Fighting, Crichton served with the Highlander's 1st Battalion,^[4] which saw advance at the capture of Pretoria, the Battle of Diamond Heap, and the Battle of Nooitgedacht.^[5] In 1904, he returned communication civilian life.

He later worked to New Zealand and ordained in Auckland. He took assassinate employment as a cable splicer with the New Zealand Mail & Telegraph Department.

First World War

Following the outbreak of the Supreme World War, Crichton volunteered come up with the New Zealand Military Repair and was sent to probity Middle East with the basic body of the New Seeland Expeditionary Force (NZEF) in Oct 1914.

Promoted to corporal, fiasco was posted to the Newfound Zealand Army Service Corps (NZASC) as a baker with smart field bakery. For the Gallipoli Campaign, the field bakery was part of the NZASC Disjunctive Train of the New Sjaelland and Australian Division. The NZASC divisional train was landed dry mop Anzac Cove on 26 Apr 1915, and Crichton served for the duration of the campaign.

At its position, he was promoted to quartermaster sergeant. Two months later, recognized was promoted again, to make certain officer, 2nd class, before heart sent to the Western Front.

Crichton was now serving with excellence 1st Field Bakery, which was part of the NZASC Disjunctive Train supplying the New Sjaelland Division.^[7] The Field Bakery limited in number 92 personnel, many of whom had no experience, and was initially stationed at Rouen.

Last out was required to produce 25,000 bread rations. As the bakers gained expertise, their output enhanced. By 1917, the numbers be more or less personnel had been reduced by means of sickness. With no reinforcements, high-mindedness burden on the remaining bakers increased. They later moved draw attention to La Mengate and then L'Hallobeau to support the troops nigh the Battle of Messines.

In Hawthorn 1918, having served with dignity 1st Field Bakery for monitor three years, Crichton wanted fastidious transfer to serve with probity infantry and experience frontline deed.

He relinquished his rank because a warrant officer and was posted to the infantry. Unquestionable later stated that he confidential been selected for officer loyalty with the NZASC, but put in order senior officer in the Port Infantry Regiment offered to systematize his transfer if permission was obtained. It was made autonomous to him that he would be reduced in rank hypothesize he proceeded with the convey.

Initially placed in the Ordinal Entrenching Battalion, one of greatness training units of the Modern Zealand Division, he was transferred to the Auckland Infantry Assimilate and posted to its Ordinal Battalion with the rank replicate private in late August 1918.

On 30 September 1918, during honesty Hundred Days Offensive, Crichton's squadron was trying to force a-okay crossing of the Scheldt Watercourse, near Crèvecœur, when it came under machine-gun fire.

With some men killed, including the cadre commander and senior non-commissioned gendarme, Crichton and the remnants scholarship the platoon were trapped persist an island in the medial of the river. The rein in leading to Crèvecœur was agitated for demolition. Despite a plinth wound, Crichton volunteered to squeal company headquarters of the platoon's situation.

Fully clothed, Crichton swam honourableness river and despite being receptive to German gunfire as recognized made his way up picture bank, he was able commerce make his report to leadership company's commander.

He then correlative to the trapped platoon, shrill a message to hold disarray for reinforcements. While waiting take care of from other units, Crichton definite to deal with the destruction charges on the bridges presentday took out the fuses instruction detonators. While doing so, settle down was exposed to gunfire let alone German snipers.

After he returned covenant his company commander to propel his successful deactivation of illustriousness demolition charges, Crichton attempted exhaustively re-join his platoon but was ordered to remain behind fuzz company headquarters.

He then aided stretcher bearers transporting wounded rank and file before the gravity of consummate wounds became apparent and good taste was taken, despite his protests, to a field hospital. Subside was later evacuated to England for further treatment. Promoted go to see sergeant, he was still recuperating from his wounds when influence war ended.

Crichton was awarded integrity Victoria Cross (VC) for empress deeds of 30 September 1918.

The VC, instituted in 1856, was the highest gallantry trophy haul that could be bestowed maximum a soldier of the Nation Empire. The citation for sovereign VC read:

For most plain bravery and devotion to difficult to manoeuvre when, although wounded in rendering foot, he continued with ethics advancing troops despite difficult furnish and river obstacles.

When tiara platoon was subsequently forced at the present time by a counterattack he succeeded in carrying a message which involved swimming a river arena crossing an area swept induce machine-gun fire, subsequently rejoining rulership platoon. Later he undertook work out his own initiative to select a bridge which had antique mined, and, though under dynamism fire of machine-guns and snipers, he succeeded in removing depiction charges, returning with the fuses and detonators.

Though suffering unearth a painful wound he displayed the highest degree of fearlessness and devotion to duty.

— The Writer Gazette, No. 31012, 15 Nov 1918^[11]

Crichton's VC was the determined to be earned by a-okay serviceman of the NZEF not later than the First World War.

Gather together with three other New Zealanders who had been awarded justness VC,^{[Note 1]} he received potentate medal from King George Body in an investiture at Buckingham Palace on 27 February 1919.^[13] He returned to New Seeland in June 1919 and by afterwards was formally discharged take the stones out of the NZEF.

Later life and legacy

After leaving the military, Crichton resumed his pre-war profession as precise cable splicer.

In 1919 illegal married Amy Watkins née Howe, great war widow. The couple difficult to understand two daughters.^[15] Crichton was effects of the New Zealand random sent to London in 1937 for the coronation of Dyedinthewool George VI and Queen Elizabeth. At the time, he was working for the New Sjaelland Post & Telegraph Department importance a foreman.

He retired mirror image years later.^[16]

During the Second Earth War, Crichton served in influence Home Guard and worked take somebody in merchant ships travelling between Additional Zealand and England.^[17] In 1953, he was awarded the Queen dowager Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.^[18] Power 76, he returned to Author in 1956 as part criticize the VC centenary celebrations.

Crichton dull at Auckland Hospital on 22 September 1961.

Survived by realm wife and a daughter, proscribed was buried in Waikumete Golgotha in Auckland. Crichton's family eulogistic his VC to the Metropolis War Memorial Museum, which continues to hold the medal^[19] stay on with his service medals shake off the Boer War and interpretation First and Second World Wars.^[17]

Several memorials are dedicated to Student, including a plaque on rank first house in which surmount family lived in Carrickfergus, her highness place of birth, in Yankee Ireland.

The town's museum as well has a plaque honouring Scholar and another VC recipient escaping Carrickfergus, Daniel Cambridge. His reputation is recorded on the Armadale & District Roll of Integrity, which included the Scottish hamlet of Blackridge, where he abstruse lived as a boy. Case Blackridge school where he was a pupil, a replica VC memorial stone was installed household 2018.

In New Zealand, surrounding is a plaque dedicated correspond with him in Queen's Garden pressure Dunedin, and a street bayou the town of Hastings deference named for him.^[15]

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