By Students from George Dixon Academy
Background Information
Walter Herbert James was born on the 13th November 1888 and died on the 15th August 1958; he died at the age of 69. He was born in Ladywood, Birmingham and died at St Mary Abbot’s Hospital, Kensington, London. He served in the First World War, in the Worcestershire Regiment, 4th Battalion; he was a second lieutenant. Walter James spent the last months of his, life living as a recluse.
Along with the Victoria Cross, Water had also won the Military Cross, the Medal of La Solidaridad (which he was awarded in Panama), and the Croix de Guerre (which he was awarded in France).
The Military Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers (and since 1993) other ranks in recognition of ‘’ an act or acts of exemplary gallantry during active operations against enemy on land to all members of any rank in our Armed Forces’’. The Medal of La Solidaridad, was a military decoration, bestowed to members of allied countries. It was awarded to members of Allied forces during Panama’s participation in World War 1. It also has 3 grades: Gold, for Commanders-in-Chief of the allied forces, Silver, for senior officers and Bronze, for other ranks.
The Croix de Guerre, in English means Cross of War, and is a military decoration of France. The Croix de Guerre was commonly bestowed on foreign military forces allied to France. It’s awarded for individuals who distinguish themselves by acts of heroism involving combat with enemy forces, and it was given out during World War 1, World War 2 and other conflicts.
Walter Herbert James also received other awards:
- 1914-15 Star
- British War Medal (1914-1920)
- Victory Medal (1914-1919) and MiD Oakleaf
- King George VI Coronation Medal (1937)
- Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (1953)
What school did he go to and where did he teach?
Walter Herbert James attended a school called Smethwick Central School. In 1670 Harborne was entitled to send two boys to the Old Hospital School. By 1834 it was customary to choose them alternately from Harborne and Smethwick. Smethwick was later given three places at the school and is still entitled to send boys to it. In 1730 Smethwick children were attending a recently founded charity school at Harborne. In 1734 a charity school was established in Smethwick and by 1819 there were also two Sunday schools. Fifty-four children then attended the three schools, and the minister of Smethwick chapel considered that there was insufficient provision for the education of the poor.
Walter Herbert James had taught at Brasshouse Lane School within Smethwick. At that time, when Herbert was teaching there, the school was a mixed boarding school.
Brasshouse Lane Infants’ School was opened in 1876 as a mixed and infants’ boarding school. In 1878 the mixed department was divided into separate boys’ and girls’ departments. The buildings were later enlarged several times. From 1923, after another building had been added, Brasshouse Lane was a five-department school (senior boys, senior girls, junior boys, junior girls, and infants). It became a junior mixed and infants’ school in 1935 (and an infants’ school in 1962).
Where did he win the VC?
James was sent to Gallipoli in the Dardanelles in March 1915 and was injured shortly after and treated in a hospital in Malta. He returned to the area to fight again in June 1915.
Why was he awarded the VC?
Walter Herbert James was part of the Worcester Regiment and was fighting in the trenches alongside the 5th Royal Scots. All of the high commanding Scots had fallen, so Walter Herbert James took charge and by organising the disorganised soldiers around him, he was able to establish a strong defence. He then went back and brought forward reinforcements, but an unexpected enemy attack shattered the defence. They then fought until darkness fell. On the second of July they attacked a salient into which they had forced the enemy. On the 3rd the enemy fell.
He displayed his act of bravery on the 28th June 1915. Part of a Regiment had been killed, or wounded already, including all of the officers in charge. Completely on his own initiative, Lieutenant James gathered up a group of soldiers and led them into an intense and deadly rifle fire. Then he again, rounded up another group of troops and charged into the fire as well.
On July 3rd, James led another group in the same kind of situation. He headed the party of bomb throwers up in a Turkish communication trench. When nearly all of his bomb throwers had been killed or wounded, he went alone in the head of the trench and kept back the enemy until the trench was secured. Throughout the whole thing, James was exposed to a murderous fire.
James was awarded the Victoria Cross by the King, George V at Buckingham Palace on 15th January 1916.