John Grimshaw (VC) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Elisha Grimshaw
Born	20 January 1893 Abram, Lancashire, England
Died	20 July 1980 (age 87) Isleworth, Middlesex, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army British Indian Army
Years of service	1912 - 1934
Rank	Lieutenant-Colonel
Unit	The Lancashire Fusiliers
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Victoria Cross

Lieutenant-Colonel John Elisha Grimshaw (born January 20, 1893 – died July 20, 1980) was a brave English soldier. He received the Victoria Cross, which is the highest award for courage given to British and Commonwealth soldiers. It's given for amazing bravery when facing the enemy.

Early Life

John Elisha Grimshaw was born in 1893 in Abram, a town in Lancashire, England. Before he joined the army, he worked as a carpenter in coal mines near Wigan. In August 1912, he joined the Lancashire Fusiliers, a famous British Army regiment. He served with his battalion in India before World War I began.

Military Service

The Gallipoli Landing

When he was 22 years old, John Grimshaw was a lance-corporal in the 1st Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers. His job was to be a signaller, helping units communicate. On April 25, 1915, he took part in a very important event. This was the landing on W Beach in Gallipoli, Turkey. This landing was the start of the Battle of Gallipoli.

During the landing, the soldiers faced very heavy fire from Turkish troops defending the beach. Many soldiers were hurt or killed. But the brave survivors pushed forward. They cut through barbed wire in the water and fought their way to the cliffs. They managed to take control of the position.

Grimshaw himself described the landing. He said that boats got close to shore when the Turks started firing terribly. Sailors were shot at their oars. Soldiers struggled through barbed wire in the water. They fought their way to the cliffs, even though many men were dead or wounded. For his brave actions during this landing, Grimshaw was first given the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

The Victoria Cross Award

John Grimshaw was one of six soldiers from the Lancashire Fusiliers who were nominated for the Victoria Cross for their bravery at Gallipoli. At first, only three men received the award. However, Brigadier Owen Wolley-Dod, who was also a Lancashire Fusilier, kept pushing for the other three men to be recognized.

Eventually, John Grimshaw and two other soldiers were also awarded the Victoria Cross. This happened on March 13, 1917. His previous medal, the Distinguished Conduct Medal, was then replaced with the Victoria Cross. The courage of these six men was celebrated in newspapers, which called them "6 VCs before breakfast."

Later Military Career

After the Gallipoli campaign, Grimshaw was sent away because he suffered from frostbite. In 1916, he became a rifle instructor in Hull, England. While there, he married Margaret Stout, and they later had two children.

He then went to France with his battalion. In 1917, he became an officer, reaching the rank of Sergeant. In 1918, he was sent to India and promoted to Lieutenant. He rejoined the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1920 and retired from active service in 1921.

In 1934, he was appointed the Army's Chief Recruiting Officer for the Northumbrian area. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel for this role. He later held the same job in East Anglia. John Elisha Grimshaw died on July 20, 1980, in Isleworth, London, at the age of 87.