John Williams (VC)

For the Welsh soldier born in 1886, see Jack Williams (VC).

John Williams VC (born John Fielding; 24 May 1857 – 25 November 1932) was a Welsh 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.

John Williams VC
Birth name	John Fielding
Born	(1857-05-24)24 May 1857[1] Abergavenny, Wales
Died	25 November 1932(1932-11-25) (aged 75)[1] Llantarnam, Cwmbran, Wales
Buried	St Michael's Churchyard, Llantarnam
Branch	British Army
Years of service	1877–1883 1883-1889,1889-1893 1914–1919
Rank	Sergeant
Service number	25B/1395
Unit	Monmouthshire Militia 24th Regiment of Foot South Wales Borderers
Battles / wars	Anglo-Zulu War Rorke's Drift World War I
Awards	Victoria Cross South Africa Medal[2]

He was a native of Monmouthshire. He lived and died in that county. He was born to Irish Catholic parents. When serving in the military, he gave a false surname of Williams, rather than his more distinct family name of Fielding. It was during his six years of active service that he was decorated with the Victoria Cross for his bravery at Rorke's Drift in 1879. Upon completing active service, he was an army reservist for the next six years, and extended this by four years. When his time was expired, he enlisted in the Volunteer Battalion of the local regiment.

After he was discharged to civilian life, he married, and was a father to six children. In 1914 his wife died in the spring, and his eldest son, who had followed his father's footsteps to join the army, was killed in September. He had re-enlisted and served in the regimental depot at Brecon, as an instructor. He died in 1932.

Early life

John Fielding was the second eldest^[3] of ten children.^[4] John's parents were Michael and Margaret Godsil, who married in Abergavenny, Wales, in 1855.^[5][6] Both Michael (1831–1914) and Margaret (1835–1921) were from Cork, Ireland^[6] as documented in the 1911 census.^[4] Michael Fielding died at the age of 82^[3] and is buried in the Cwmbran cemetery. John was born^[7] at Merthyr Road, Abergavenny.^[3] The entire family were Catholic.^[3][8]

Military career

John was 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) tall.^[3] Born Fielding, he enlisted under the name of Williams in the Monmouthshire Militia in January 1877.^[9][a] More than three months later,^[7][3] he enlisted under regular terms of service in the British Army on 22 May 1877^[11] at Monmouth.^[12]

Williams was 21 years old, and a private in the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot (later The South Wales Borderers), British Army during the Anglo-Zulu War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 22–23 January 1879 at Rorke's Drift, Natal, South Africa, Private Williams and two other men held a distant room of the hospital for more than an hour until they had no ammunition left, when the Zulus burst in and killed one of the men and two patients. Meanwhile, Private Williams had succeeded in knocking a hole in the partition and took the two remaining patients through into the next ward. He was there joined by Alfred Henry Hook, and working together (one holding the enemy at bayonet point while the other broke through three more partitions) they were able to bring eight patients into the inner line of defence. His citation read:

Private John Williams was posted with Private Joseph Williams, and Private William Horrigan, 1st Battalion 24th Regiment, in a distant room of the hospital, which they held for more than an hour, so long as they had a round of ammunition left: as communication was for the time cut off, the Zulus were enabled to advance and burst open the door; they dragged out Private Joseph Williams and two of the patients, and assagaied them. Whilst the Zulus were occupied with the slaughter of these men a lull took place, during which Private John Williams, who, with two patients, were the only men now left alive in this ward, succeeded in knocking a hole in the partition, and in taking the two patients into the next ward, where he found Private Hook. These two men together, one man working whilst the other fought and held the enemy at bay with his bayonet, broke through three more partitions, and were thus enabled to bring eight patients through a small window into the inner line of defence.^[13]

Williams was presented with his VC in Gibraltar by Major-General Anderson, Governor of Gibraltar in 1880.^[14]

Later life

Fielding served with the battalion until 1883, after six years of service with the colours, when he returned to the UK from India aboard HMS Malabar^[15] and was transferred to the reserves.^[3][7][16] He extended his reserve service by four years, up to 1893.^[17][18] He was recorded in the 1891 census as living with his wife and five children at Llantarnam, and employed as a labourer.^[19] He later achieved the rank of Sergeant in the 3rd (Monmouthshire) Volunteer Battalion, South Wales Borderers,^[7] and had his portrait painted in 1895.^[20] In 1914, he re-enlisted for service and served on the SWB Depot staff at Brecon throughout World War I.^[21][22][17] He married Elizabeth Murphy in 1884 (deceased 1914)^[23] and they had three sons and three daughters. One son was killed while serving with the 1st Battalion SWB during the First Battle of the Aisne in 1914.^[24][7]

He died from heart failure in Cwmbran on 25 November 1932.^[1] The nursing home directly opposite his burial place in Llantarnam, Cwmbran,^[25] was later named in his honour, as was a local pub, the John Fielding, where a picture of him is displayed.^[26]

The medal

His Victoria Cross was donated to the SWB Museum by the Fielding family and is displayed at the Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh in Brecon, Powys, Wales.^[26][27][1]

Parade

The South Wales Argus reported in January 2019 that the annual parade to remember Fielding's heroism had been cancelled for "health and safety" reasons.^[28]