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| Page revised: 1 October, 2006 |
Sapper William HACKETT VC |
| Born: | Nottingham - 11 June 1873 | 
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| Died: | Givenchy, France - 27 June 1916 | ||
| Burial details: | Ploegsteert Memorial, Belgium; Town Memorial, Mexborough (special plaque), Yorkshire, Manvers Colliery Memorial, Yorkshire | ||
| Corps service: | Enlisted in Royal Engineers tunnelling companies in October 1915, after being rejected three times by the York and Lancaster Regiment for being over age - he was 42 years old. Before joining up he had worked as a miner for 23 years in the Nottingham and Yorkshire coalfields. | ||
| VC awarded: | Won VC at Givenchy, France on 26 June 1916. (First World War 1914-18) | ||
| VC unit: | 254 Tunnelling Company. | ||
| VC presented: | VC presented by King George V to his widow (Alice) at Buckingham Palace on 29 November 1916. | ||
| VC citation: | For most conspicuous bravery when entombed with four
others in a gallery owing to the explosion of an enemy mine. After
working for twenty hours a hole was made through the fallen earth
and broken timber, and the outside party was met. Sapper Hackett helped
three of them through the hole and could easily have followed, but
refused to leave the fourth, who had been seriously injured, saying,
'I am a tunneller and must look after the others first'.
Meantime the hole was getting smaller, yet he still refused to leave
his injured comrade. Finally the gallery collapsed, and though the
rescue party worked desperately for four days, the attempt to reach
the two men failed. Sapper Hackett, well knowing the nature of sliding
earth, and the chances against him, deliberately gave his life for
his comrade. (London Gazette: 5 August 1916) Field-Marshall Sir Evelyn Wood VC later wrote that this was ‘The most divine-like act of self sacrifice.' |
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| VC location: | Royal Engineers Museum | ||
| Source:
Additional material: SC Fenwick, FoREM Links to further reading:
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Royal Engineers Museum main site
