Charles Jarvis (VC)

Charles Alfred Jarvis
Born	(1881-03-29)29 March 1881 Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire
Died	19 November 1948(1948-11-19) (aged 67) Dundee, Scotland
Buried	Cupar Cemetery, Fife
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1899 - 1907, 1914 - 1917
Rank	Corporal
Unit	Royal Engineers
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Victoria Cross

Charles Alfred Jarvis VC (29 March 1881 – 19 November 1948) was a Scottish 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.

Jarvis was born in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire on 29 March 1881. He lived most of his early life in Carnoustie, Angus, where there is now a memorial to him. He joined the army in 1899 and was transferred to the reserve in 1907. In civilian life, Jarvis was a metalworker and a member of the Walthamstow Branch of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers.

At the outbreak of World War I he was recalled to service. He was 33 years old, and a lance-corporal in the 57th Field Company, Royal Engineers, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC (the first VC of the war).

Only three weeks into the war on 23 August 1914 at Jemappes, Belgium, Lance-Corporal Jarvis worked for 1½ hours under heavy fire, in full view of the enemy and finally succeeded in firing charges for the demolition of a bridge. He was wounded in the process.

In 1915 he returned to Britain and was presented with his medal at Buckingham Palace. He was later promoted to second corporal and corporal before being discharged from the Army in 1917. He went on to work at the Naval Dockyard at Portsmouth. He returned to Dundee in 1941.

Bibliography

• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• The Sapper VCs (Gerald Napier, 1998)
• Scotland's Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995)
• VCs of the First World War - 1914 (Gerald Gliddon, 1994)

External links

• Royal Engineers Museum Sappers VCs
• Location of grave and VC medal (Fife)
• Charles Jarvis at Find a Grave
• Lance-Corporal Charles Jarvis (biography)