James Ockendon
| James Ockendon | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 10 December 1890 Portsmouth, Hampshire |
| Died | 29 August 1966 (aged 75) Southsea, Hampshire |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  British Army |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | The Royal Dublin Fusiliers |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Military Medal Croix de Guerre (Belgium) |
James Ockendon VC, MM (10 December 1890 – 29 August 1966) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
[edit] Details
On 4 October 1917 east of Langemarck, Belgium, Sergeant Ockendon was acting as company sergeant-major. Seeing the platoon on the right held up by an enemy machine-gun, he immediately rushed the gun and captured it, killing the crew. He then led a section to the attack on a farm, where under very heavy fire he rushed forward and called on the garrison to surrender. As the enemy continued to fire on him he opened fire, killing four, whereupon the remaining 16 surrendered. At the time, he was 26 years old and a sergeant in the 1st Battalion, The Royal Dublin Fusiliers, British Army.
[edit] References
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
- VCs of the First World War - Passchendaele 1917 (Stephen Snelling, 1998)
