Victoria Cross

Victoria Cross -- Conspicuous Gallantry Medal  --  Distinguished Service Medal  -- Mentioned in Despatches Commendation --  St. George's Cross 4th Class --  St. George's Medal 4th Class -- Medaille Militaire This list was last updated on Wednesday, 16 March 2022, 11:57 The London Gazette Victoria Cross {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important;; background-color:#ffffcc;" ! colspan="10" style="text-align:center; font-weight:bold; font-size:14px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important;; background-color:#f8a102;" | Victoria Cross ! style="font-weight:bold; font-size:14px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important;; background-color:#f8a102;"|Rank/Rating ! style="font-weight:bold; font-size:14px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important;; background-color:#f8a102;"|Name ! style="font-weight:bold; font-size:14px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important;; background-color:#f8a102;"|ON ! style="font-weight:bold; font-size:14px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important;; background-color:#f8a102;"|Narrative ! style="font-weight:bold; font-size:14px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important;; background-color:#f8a102;"|Ship ! style="font-weight:bold; font-size:14px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important;; background-color:#f8a102;"|Source
 * Commander the Hon. (prisoner of war in Germany).	||	Bingham, Edward Barry Stewart	||		||	For the extremely gallant way in which he led his division in their attack, first on enemy destroyers and then on their battlecruisers. He finally sighted the enemy battle-fleet, and, followed by the one remaining destroyer of his division (" Nicator "), with dauntless courage he closed to within 3,000 yards of the enemy in order to attain a favourable position for firing the torpedoes. While making this attack, "Nestor" and " Nicator" were under concentrated fire of the secondary batteries of the High Sea Fleet. " Nestor " was subsequently sunk.	||	Nestor	||	Page 9070 Page 9067
 * Major R.M.L.I, (killed in action).	||	Harvey, Francis John William	||		||	Whilst mortally wounded and almost the only survivor after the explosion of an enemy shell in "Q" gunhouse, with great presence of mind and devotion to duty ordered the magazine to be flooded, thereby saving the ship. He died shortly afterwards.	||	Lion	||	Page 9070 Page 9067
 * Boy, First Class (died 2nd June, 1916)	||	Cornwell, John Travers	||	J42563	||	Mortally wounded early in the action, Boy, First Class, John Travers Cornwell remained standing alone at a most exposed post, quietly awaiting orders, until the end of the action, with the gun's crew dead and wounded all round him. His age was under sixteen and a half years.	||	Chester	||	Page 9085
 * Commander (killed in action).	||	Loftus William Jones	||		||	On the afternoon of the 31st May, 1916, during the action, Commander Jones in H.M.S. Shark, Torpedo Boat Destroyer, led a division of Destroyers to attack the enemy Battle Cruiser Squadron. In the course of this attack a shell hit the Shark's bridge, putting the steering gear out of order, and very shortly afterwards another shell .disabled the main engines, leaving the vessel helpless. The Commanding Officer of another Destroyer, seeing the Shark's plight, came between her and the enemy and offered assistance, but was warned by Commander Jones not to run the risk of being almost certainly sunk in trying to help him. Commander Jones, though wounded in the leg, went aft to help connect and man the after wheel. Meanwhile the forecastle gun with its crew had been blown away, and the same fate soon afterwards befell the after gun and crew. Commander Jones then went to the midship and only remaining gun, and personally assisted in keeping it in action. All this, time the Shark was subjected to very heavy fire from enemy light cruisers and destroyers at short range. The gun's crew of the midship gun was reduced to three, of whom an Able Seaman was soon badly wounded in the leg. A few minutes later Commander Jones was hit by a shell, which took off his leg above the knee, but he continued to give orders to his gun's crew, while a Chief Stoker improvised a tourniquet round his thigh. Noticing that the Ensign was not properly hoisted, he gave orders for another to be hoisted. Soon afterwards, seeing that the ship could not survive much longer, and as a German Destroyer was closing, he gave orders for the surviving members of the crew to put on lifebelts. Almost immediately after this order had been given, the Shark was struck by a torpedo and sank. Commander Jones was unfortunately not amongst the few survivors from the Shark, who were picked up by a neutral vessel in the night.	||	Shark	||	Page 2254
 * Boy, First Class (died 2nd June, 1916)	||	Cornwell, John Travers	||	J42563	||	Mortally wounded early in the action, Boy, First Class, John Travers Cornwell remained standing alone at a most exposed post, quietly awaiting orders, until the end of the action, with the gun's crew dead and wounded all round him. His age was under sixteen and a half years.	||	Chester	||	Page 9085
 * Commander (killed in action).	||	Loftus William Jones	||		||	On the afternoon of the 31st May, 1916, during the action, Commander Jones in H.M.S. Shark, Torpedo Boat Destroyer, led a division of Destroyers to attack the enemy Battle Cruiser Squadron. In the course of this attack a shell hit the Shark's bridge, putting the steering gear out of order, and very shortly afterwards another shell .disabled the main engines, leaving the vessel helpless. The Commanding Officer of another Destroyer, seeing the Shark's plight, came between her and the enemy and offered assistance, but was warned by Commander Jones not to run the risk of being almost certainly sunk in trying to help him. Commander Jones, though wounded in the leg, went aft to help connect and man the after wheel. Meanwhile the forecastle gun with its crew had been blown away, and the same fate soon afterwards befell the after gun and crew. Commander Jones then went to the midship and only remaining gun, and personally assisted in keeping it in action. All this, time the Shark was subjected to very heavy fire from enemy light cruisers and destroyers at short range. The gun's crew of the midship gun was reduced to three, of whom an Able Seaman was soon badly wounded in the leg. A few minutes later Commander Jones was hit by a shell, which took off his leg above the knee, but he continued to give orders to his gun's crew, while a Chief Stoker improvised a tourniquet round his thigh. Noticing that the Ensign was not properly hoisted, he gave orders for another to be hoisted. Soon afterwards, seeing that the ship could not survive much longer, and as a German Destroyer was closing, he gave orders for the surviving members of the crew to put on lifebelts. Almost immediately after this order had been given, the Shark was struck by a torpedo and sank. Commander Jones was unfortunately not amongst the few survivors from the Shark, who were picked up by a neutral vessel in the night.	||	Shark	||	Page 2254
 * Commander (killed in action).	||	Loftus William Jones	||		||	On the afternoon of the 31st May, 1916, during the action, Commander Jones in H.M.S. Shark, Torpedo Boat Destroyer, led a division of Destroyers to attack the enemy Battle Cruiser Squadron. In the course of this attack a shell hit the Shark's bridge, putting the steering gear out of order, and very shortly afterwards another shell .disabled the main engines, leaving the vessel helpless. The Commanding Officer of another Destroyer, seeing the Shark's plight, came between her and the enemy and offered assistance, but was warned by Commander Jones not to run the risk of being almost certainly sunk in trying to help him. Commander Jones, though wounded in the leg, went aft to help connect and man the after wheel. Meanwhile the forecastle gun with its crew had been blown away, and the same fate soon afterwards befell the after gun and crew. Commander Jones then went to the midship and only remaining gun, and personally assisted in keeping it in action. All this, time the Shark was subjected to very heavy fire from enemy light cruisers and destroyers at short range. The gun's crew of the midship gun was reduced to three, of whom an Able Seaman was soon badly wounded in the leg. A few minutes later Commander Jones was hit by a shell, which took off his leg above the knee, but he continued to give orders to his gun's crew, while a Chief Stoker improvised a tourniquet round his thigh. Noticing that the Ensign was not properly hoisted, he gave orders for another to be hoisted. Soon afterwards, seeing that the ship could not survive much longer, and as a German Destroyer was closing, he gave orders for the surviving members of the crew to put on lifebelts. Almost immediately after this order had been given, the Shark was struck by a torpedo and sank. Commander Jones was unfortunately not amongst the few survivors from the Shark, who were picked up by a neutral vessel in the night.	||	Shark	||	Page 2254
 * Commander (killed in action).	||	Loftus William Jones	||		||	On the afternoon of the 31st May, 1916, during the action, Commander Jones in H.M.S. Shark, Torpedo Boat Destroyer, led a division of Destroyers to attack the enemy Battle Cruiser Squadron. In the course of this attack a shell hit the Shark's bridge, putting the steering gear out of order, and very shortly afterwards another shell .disabled the main engines, leaving the vessel helpless. The Commanding Officer of another Destroyer, seeing the Shark's plight, came between her and the enemy and offered assistance, but was warned by Commander Jones not to run the risk of being almost certainly sunk in trying to help him. Commander Jones, though wounded in the leg, went aft to help connect and man the after wheel. Meanwhile the forecastle gun with its crew had been blown away, and the same fate soon afterwards befell the after gun and crew. Commander Jones then went to the midship and only remaining gun, and personally assisted in keeping it in action. All this, time the Shark was subjected to very heavy fire from enemy light cruisers and destroyers at short range. The gun's crew of the midship gun was reduced to three, of whom an Able Seaman was soon badly wounded in the leg. A few minutes later Commander Jones was hit by a shell, which took off his leg above the knee, but he continued to give orders to his gun's crew, while a Chief Stoker improvised a tourniquet round his thigh. Noticing that the Ensign was not properly hoisted, he gave orders for another to be hoisted. Soon afterwards, seeing that the ship could not survive much longer, and as a German Destroyer was closing, he gave orders for the surviving members of the crew to put on lifebelts. Almost immediately after this order had been given, the Shark was struck by a torpedo and sank. Commander Jones was unfortunately not amongst the few survivors from the Shark, who were picked up by a neutral vessel in the night.	||	Shark	||	Page 2254