John Williams (born John Fielding; 24 May 1857 â 25 November 1932) was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
He was a native of Monmouthshire. He lived and died in that county. He was born to Irish Catholic parents. When serving in the military, he gave a false surname of Williams, rather than his more distinct family name of Fielding. It was during his six years of active service that he was decorated with the Victoria Cross for his bravery at Rorke's Drift in 1879. Upon completing active service, he was an army reservist for the next six years, and extended this by four years. When his time was expired, he enlisted in the Volunteer Battalion of the local regiment.
After he was discharged to civilian life, he married, and was a father to six children. In 1914 his wife died in the spring, and his eldest son, who had followed his father's footsteps to join the army, was killed in September. He had re-enlisted and served in the regimental depot at Brecon, as an instructor. He died in 1932.
John Fielding was the second eldest of ten children. John's parents were Michael and Margaret Godsil, who married in Abergavenny, Wales, in 1855. Both Michael (1831âÂÂ1914) and Margaret (1835âÂÂ1921) were from Cork, Ireland as documented in the 1911 census. Michael Fielding died at the age of 82 and is buried in the Cwmbran cemetery. John was born at Merthyr Road, Abergavenny. The entire family were Catholic.
John was tall. Born Fielding, he enlisted under the name of Williams in the Monmouthshire Militia in January 1877. More than three months later, he enlisted under regular terms of service in the British Army on 22 May 1877 at Monmouth.
Williams was 21 years old, and a private in the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot (later The South Wales Borderers), British Army during the Anglo-Zulu War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 22–23 January 1879 at Rorke's Drift, Natal, South Africa, Private Williams and two other men were at the hospital. His citation:
Williams was presented with his VC in Gibraltar by Major-General Anderson, Governor of Gibraltar on 10 April 1880.
He accompanied the battalion to Gibraltar, disembarking on 12 February 1880, where it was briefly stationed, prior to redeploying to India. After disembarking at Poona on 2 September, the battalion was sent by rail to Secunderabad on 15 September 1880. He is documented as being at Secunderabad with the 2nd Battalion, from April to September 1881, as documented by the muster and pay books. He served with the battalion until 1883, after six years of service with the colours, he returned to the UK from India aboard HMS Malabar and was transferred to the reserves. He extended his reserve service by four years, up to 1893. He was recorded in the 1891 census as living with his wife and five children at Llantarnam, and employed as a labourer. He later achieved the rank of Sergeant in the 3rd (Monmouthshire) Volunteer Battalion, South Wales Borderers, and had his portrait painted in 1895.
In 1914, he re-enlisted for service and served on the SWB Depot staff at Brecon throughout World War I. He married Elizabeth Murphy in 1884 (deceased 1914) and they had three sons and three daughters. One son was killed while serving with the 1st Battalion SWB during the First Battle of the Aisne in 1914.
He died from heart failure in Cwmbran on 25 November 1932. The nursing home directly opposite his burial place in Llantarnam, Cwmbran, was later named in his honour, as was a local pub, the John Fielding, where a picture of him is displayed.
His Victoria Cross was donated to the SWB Museum by the Fielding family and is displayed at the Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh in Brecon, Powys, Wales.
The South Wales Argus reported in January 2019 that the annual parade to remember Fielding's heroism had been cancelled for "health and safety" reasons.
Notes
Citations
Bibliography