John
Ormsby (10th January 1881 to 20th July 1952)
On a run up to
Scarborough for a long weekend I veered off the motorway to find Dewsbury Cemetery
and hover over the brave bones of John Orsmby.
He was a seasoned
soldier by the age of 36 when he was fighting in Fayet in France in the First
World War. On 14th April 1917 his troop were trying to clear a village to capture
an important strategic position. Bullets poured in on them from a hidden
machine gun and some of the troop were shot dead before they hit the soil. By
sheer luck John survived and continued to eliminate some snipers. When he saw the
only surviving officer was wounded he took command of the troop and led them
safely across 400 yards of heavy gunfire to a new position (which they held
until help arrived.) Many were prevented from being shot to death.
He was invested with his
Victoria Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace on the 30th June 1917
He died at his home in
Dewsbury in July 1952 aged 71. At his funeral the Requiem Mass was held at St
Paulinus Church. Army trucks escorted the coffin to the grave when I’m stood.
He’d been a well-respected citizen around the town and about six hundred people
lined the route to see his last journey. He was given a full military funeral
with the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry firing three volleys over the
grave before the Last Post and Reveille were played.
There was nobody in the
cemetery (alive anyway) except one man. All those thousands of graves and he
just happened to be tending to a grave nearby. While he was bending over
weeding I took a few photos. The man turned round three times to catch me doing
a few hearty salutes and his brow wrinkled a little. If you can’t do a salute
over a person who’s been awarded a Victoria Cross when can you? Back at the car
I saw the man walk over to read the gravestone. I hope he tells his family
about the brave dude lying there and they go to see him (and do a heart
salute.)
Think I’ll grow a moustache like that…
Here he is…
Touching the “VC” and there’s the medal with
John’s grandson and his family who went to view it.
With some others who died fighting…
