Frederick Jeremiah Edwards
Encyclopedia
Frederick Jeremiah Edwards (1894 – 1964) was a British soldier
, and recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest award of the British Commonwealth for gallantry "in the face of the enemy", during the First World War.
), County Cork
. He was 21 years old, and a private
in the 12th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own), British Army
during the First World War, and was awarded the VC for his deeds on 26 September 1916 at Thiepval
, France
:
part of the line was held up by machine-gun fire and all the officers had become casualties. There was confusion and indication of retirement. Private Edwards, grasping the situation and on his own initiative, dashed out towards the gun, which he knocked out with his bombs. This very gallant act, coupled with great presence of mind and disregard of personal danger, made further advance possible and cleared up a dangerous situation.
He was later promoted to corporal
and after leaving the army he was forced to sell his medal to make ends meet. He died at Richmond, Surrey on 9 March 1964.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National Army Museum
, Chelsea
, England.
docudrama
The Somme - From Defeat to Victory
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...
, and 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 award of the British Commonwealth for gallantry "in the face of the enemy", during the First World War.
Biography
Edwards was born on 3 October 1894 in Queenstown, (now named CobhCobh
Cobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...
), County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
. He was 21 years old, and a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in the 12th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own), 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, and was awarded the VC for his deeds on 26 September 1916 at Thiepval
Thiepval
The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme is a major war memorial to 72,191 missing British and South African men who died in the Battles of the Somme of the First World War between 1915 and 1918 who have no known grave...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
:
part of the line was held up by machine-gun fire and all the officers had become casualties. There was confusion and indication of retirement. Private Edwards, grasping the situation and on his own initiative, dashed out towards the gun, which he knocked out with his bombs. This very gallant act, coupled with great presence of mind and disregard of personal danger, made further advance possible and cleared up a dangerous situation.
He was later promoted to 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....
and after leaving the army he was forced to sell his medal to make ends meet. He died at Richmond, Surrey on 9 March 1964.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National Army Museum
National Army Museum
The National Army Museum is the British Army's central museum. It is located in the Chelsea district of central London, England adjacent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the "Chelsea Pensioners". The National Army Museum is open to the public every day of the year from 10.00am to 5.30pm,...
, Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
, England.
In popular culture
Edwards was portrayed by Adam Webb in the 2006 BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
docudrama
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
The Somme - From Defeat to Victory
The Somme - From Defeat to Victory
The Somme – From Defeat to Victory is a BBC documentary film made to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.-Production:...
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Surrey)
- The Middlesex Regiment 1755-1966 (detailed history of the original "Die Hards")