Jack Foreman Mantle, VC (12 April 1917 – 4 July 1940) was a sailor in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

and a 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 award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early life

Born in

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its nam ...

, London, on 12 April 1917, Mantle was educated at Taunton's School in

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

.Daily Echo
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Victoria Cross

Mantle was 23 years old, and an acting

leading seaman Leading seaman is a junior non-commissioned rank or rate in navies, particularly those of the Commonwealth. When it is used by NATO nations, leading seaman has the rank code of OR-4. It is often equivalent to the army and air force rank of c ...

in the

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the

. On 4 July 1940, during an air raid on Portland, England, Leading Seaman Mantle of , who was manning the starboard 20mm pom-pom gun, had his left leg shattered by the blast from a bomb early in the action. Although wounded again many times, he remained at his gun, training and firing by hand when ''Foylebanks electric power failed, until he collapsed and died. His citation in the '' London Gazette'' reads: This was only the second occasion that the Victoria Cross has been awarded for action in the United Kingdom.

Legacy

The

Yeovil Yeovil ( ) is a town and civil parish in the district of South Somerset, England. The population of Yeovil at the last census (2011) was 45,784. More recent estimates show a population of 48,564. It is close to Somerset's southern border with ...

Sea Cadet unit carries the name T. S. Mantle V. C. in his honour. A brass memorial detailing the incident and honouring Mantle can be found in Southampton Maritime Museum. It is placed to the left of the main entrance doors. This memorial was originally situated in 'Jack's Corner' at the City's Central Sports Centre – the name remains as a children's play area. Mantle's VC and other medals are on loan to the

Royal Naval Museum The National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth, formerly known as the Royal Naval Museum, is a museum of the history of the Royal Navy located in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard section of HMNB Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The ...

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

. In 2021, Mantle was remembered in the form of a new, permanent Portland stone memorial plinth, plaque and bench, overlooking Chesil Beach. This is situated opposite the Heights Hotel, Portland, Dorset.

References

External links

CWGC entry
in ''The Art of War'' exhibition at the

UK National Archives , type = Non-ministerial department , seal = , nativename = , logo = Logo_of_The_National_Archives_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg , logo_width = 150px , logo_caption = , formed = , preceding1 = , dissolved = , superseding = , juris ...

Location of grave and VC medal
''(Dorset)''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mantle, Jack Foreman 1917 births 1940 deaths People from Wandsworth Royal Navy sailors Royal Navy personnel killed in World War II Royal Navy recipients of the Victoria Cross British World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross Deaths by airstrike during World War II Military personnel from London