Person    | Male  Born 10/7/1886  Died 31/3/1946

Field Marshal, Viscount Gort, VC

Categories: Armed Forces

Countries: Israel/Palestine, Malta

War served, WW1 i

Commemorated on a memorial as having served in, and survived, WW1.

Army officer. Born John Standish Surtees Prendergast Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort at 24 Chesham Place, London. He served with the Grenadier Guards in World War I and was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1918. Appointed Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1938. Governor of Gibraltar and Malta and High Commissioner for Palestine and Transjordan. Commander in Chief at Dunkirk. Died in Guy's Hospital.

On the 27th September 1918, at the Canal du Nord, near Flesquieres, he was in command of the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, the leading battalion of the 3rd Guards Brigade. Under heavy artillery and machine-gun fire he led his troops encountering very severe fire from artillery and machine guns. Although wounded, he directed a platoon to proceed down a sunken road to make a flanking attack, and, under terrific fire, went across open ground to obtain the assistance of a tank, which he personally led. He was again severely wounded, but insisted on personally directing the further attack, which resulted in the capture of over 200 prisoners, two batteries of field guns and numerous machine guns.

Awarded the VC for his heroism on 27 September 1918, age 32, while serving in the Grenadier Guards. "The successful advance across the Canal du Nord was mainly due to the valour, skilful leading and devotion of this very gallant officer. (Flesquières, France)". Freemason at: №2614, Household Brigade Lodge.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Field Marshal, Viscount Gort, VC

Commemorated ati

Field Marshal Gort

Field Marshal Viscount Gort VC, 1886 - 1946, Commander in Chief at Dunkirk, l...

Read More

Freemason VCs - W3 - Gee, Gort, Gosling, Grimbaldeston

Robert Gee, 30 November 1917, Age 41, The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Reg...

Read More

Viscount Gort VC

{Beneath an image of a Victoria Cross medal:} Lieutenant Colonel Viscount Gor...

Read More

Other Subjects

Hugh John Moore

Hugh John Moore

Commander in the City of London police force. He oversaw the investigation into the death of Roberto Calvi, (dubbed 'God's Banker'), and was also involved with the investigations into the collapses...

Person, Armed Forces, Emergency Services, Tragedy

2 memorials
Lieutenant Austen Gardner Shaw

Lieutenant Austen Gardner Shaw

Austen Gardner Shaw was born on 26 January 1917, the younger of the two children of Herbert Shaw and May Shaw née Gardner. His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1917 in the Barnet Registra...

Person, Armed Forces, France, Indonesia

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
L. Lassman

L. Lassman

Resident of Hendon who served and died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
Wm. Skidmore

Wm. Skidmore

Resident of the West Ward, Hendon who served and died in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
firefighters who died in Britain fighting fires (in WW2)

firefighters who died in Britain fighting fires (in WW2)

The Firefighters Memorial Trust provides on-line access to the national list of names of firefighters who have lost their lives in the course of their duty, at any time.

Group, Armed Forces, Tragedy

1 memorial