Joseph Harcourt Tombs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph Harcourt Tombs
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| Born | 23 March 1887 Birmingham, England |
| Died | 28 June 1966 (aged 79) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Buried |
Pine Hills Cemetery, Toronto
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| Allegiance |  United Kingdom Canada |
| Service/ |
 British ArmyRoyal Canadian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1912−1920 (UK) 1939−1944 (Canada) |
| Rank | Corporal (UK) Sergeant (Canada) |
| Service number | 10073 |
| Unit | King's (Liverpool Regiment) The Royal Canadian Regiment |
| Battles/wars | First World War Second World War |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Cross of St George 4th Class (Russia) |
Sergeant Joseph Harcourt Tombs was a very brave soldier. He was born in Birmingham, England, on March 23, 1887. His birth name was Frederick Griffith Tombs, but he was known as Joseph Tombs. He later moved to Canada.
Joseph Tombs is famous because he received the Victoria Cross (VC). This is the highest award for bravery in the British military. It is given for amazing courage when facing the enemy.
A Heroic Act: The Victoria Cross
Joseph Tombs was 28 years old during the First World War. He was a Lance-Corporal in the King's (Liverpool Regiment). On May 16, 1915, something incredible happened. It was near Rue du Bois in France.
Joseph Tombs acted on his own. He crawled out many times under heavy enemy fire. There were shells exploding and machine guns firing all around him. He did this to rescue wounded soldiers. These men were lying about 100 yards in front of his own trenches.
He managed to rescue four men. One of them he pulled back using a rifle sling. He put the sling around his own neck and the wounded man's body. This showed incredible courage and selflessness. For this brave act, he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Life After the War
After his heroic deed, Joseph Tombs was promoted to Corporal on May 24, 1915. After the First World War ended, he moved to Canada. He spent the rest of his life there.
On May 25, 1920, Tombs joined the Canadian Army in Montréal. He served as a Private in The Royal Canadian Regiment. His military papers are kept at The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum in London, Ontario.
During the Second World War, Joseph Tombs joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. He served at the Flying School in Trenton, Ontario, Canada.
In 1952, he had an operation to remove some shrapnel from his stomach. Shrapnel is small pieces of metal from an explosion. The operation was not fully successful. In 1964, he suffered a stroke. Joseph Tombs passed away on June 28, 1966, at the age of 79.
His Victoria Cross medal is now kept by the Royal Regiment of Canada Foundation in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
