Corporal Joel Halliwell (29 December 1881 – 14 June 1958) was an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
recipient of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
and
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
forces.
Details
Halliwell was 37 years old, and a
lance-corporal
Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer (NCO), usually equiv ...
in the 11th Battalion,
The Lancashire Fusiliers
The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many years and wars, including the Second Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and had many different titles throughout its 280 ...
,
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
when he performed a deed on 27 May 1918 at
Muscourt, France, during the
Third Battle of the Aisne
The Third Battle of the Aisne (french: 3e Bataille de l'Aisne) was a battle of the German spring offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Forces arrived completely in ...
for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
The citation reads;
The medal and later history
For conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty, he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He died at age 76 in Greater Manchester, England. The medal is in
Middleton,
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority, combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: City of Manchester, Manchester, City of Salford, Salford ...
with his family, and Joel Halliwell is buried with distinction at nearby Boarshaw Cemetery, with the inscription on his stone which reads 'For Valour'...'These Are Deeds That Should Not Pass Away, And Names That Must Not Wither'.
In 2014, Joel Haliwell and his descendents (his daughter and other relatives) featured in one of the two special World War I episodes of the BBC programme ''
The Antiques Roadshow
''Antiques Roadshow'' is a British television programme broadcast by the BBC in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom (and occasionally in other countries) to appraise antiques brought in by local people (g ...
''. Haliwell's story was recounted, and the family visited the grave of Joel's brother Tom, who had been killed in 1916.
See also
*
Monuments to Courage
David Charles Harvey (29 July 1946 – 4 March 2004) was a historian and author. He is notable for his seminal work, ''Monuments To Courage'', which documents the graves of almost all recipients of the Victoria Cross, a task that took him over 36 ...
(David Harvey, 1999)
*
The Register of the Victoria Cross
''The Register of the Victoria Cross'' is a reference work that provides brief information on every Victoria Cross awarded until the publication date. Each entry provides a summary of the deed, along with a photograph of the recipient and the fol ...
(This England, 1997)
*
VCs of the First World War
''VCs of the First World War'' is a series of books that list the Victoria Cross recipients of the First World War. The series consists of 13 books written by four different authors, first published under the label Sutton Publishing Limited, part ...
(Gerald Gliddon, 1997)
References
External links
Middleton''(Lancashire)''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halliwell, Joel
1873 births
1956 deaths
Burials in Lancashire
People from Middleton, Greater Manchester
British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross
Lancashire Fusiliers soldiers
British Army personnel of World War I
British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross
Military personnel from Lancashire