Charles Alfred Jarvis
Encyclopedia
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.
In civilian life, Jarvis was a metalworker and a member of the Walthamstow
Branch of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers
.
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.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(29 March 1881 - 19 November 1948) was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
In civilian life, Jarvis was a metalworker and a member of the Walthamstow
Walthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
Branch of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers
Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union
The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union was a British trade union. It merged with the MSF to form Amicus in 2001.The history of the union can be traced back to the formation of the "Old Mechanics" of 1826, which grew into the Amalgamated Society of Engineers in 1851...
.
He was 33 years old, and a lance-corporal in the 57th Field Company, Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
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
Jemappes
Jemappes is a Walloon town in south-western Belgium, province Hainaut. Since 1976, it is part of the city Mons...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, 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
Second Corporal
Second Corporal was a rank in the Royal Engineers and Army Ordnance Corps of the British Army. Second Corporals wore one rank chevron, but unlike Lance-Corporals they held full non-commissioned officer rank. They were thus equivalent to Bombardiers in the Royal Artillery. The rank was abolished in...
and corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
before being discharged from the Army in 1917. He went on to work at the Naval Dockyard at Portsmouth.
External links
- Royal Engineers Museum Sappers VCs
- Location of grave and VC medal (Fife)
- Charles Alfred Jarvis at Find-A-Grave
- Lance-Corporal Charles Jarvis (biography)