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enabled to advance and burst open the door; they dragged out
Private Joseph Williams and two of the patients, and assagaied them. Whilst the Zulus were occupied with the slaughter of these men a lull took place, during which Private John Williams, who, with two patients, were the only men now left alive in this ward, succeeded in knocking a hole in the partition, and in taking the two patients into the next ward, where he found Private Hook. These two men together, one man working whilst the other fought and held the enemy at bay with his bayonet, broke through three more partitions, and were thus enabled to bring eight patients through a small window into the inner line of defence.
48:
274:, Private Williams and two other men held a distant room of the hospital for more than an hour until they had no ammunition left, when the Zulus burst in and killed one of the men and two patients. Meanwhile, Private Williams had succeeded in knocking a hole in the partition and took the two remaining patients through into the next ward. He was there joined by
282:
Private John
Williams was posted with Private Joseph Williams, and Private William Horrigan, 1st Battalion 24th Regiment, in a distant room of the hospital, which they held for more than an hour, so long as they had a round of ammunition left: as communication was for the time cut off, the Zulus were
238:
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 and Margaret were from Cork, Ireland. Michael Fielding died at the age of 82 and is buried in the Cwmbran cemetery. John was born at Merthyr
262:
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. It is known neither why he chose to join the army, nor why he enlisted in a name other than his own. (It may possibly have been to avoid being traced after running away from home).
278:, and working together (one holding the enemy at bayonet point while the other broke through three more partitions) they were able to bring eight patients into the inner line of defence. His citation read:
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and served as a recruiting agent for them. He married
Elizabeth Murphy in 1884 and they had 3 sons and 3 daughters; one son was killed while serving with 1/SWB during the
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243:. John was 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) tall. Born Fielding, he enlisted under the name of Williams in the Monmouthshire Militia in 1877.
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revealed in
January 2019 that the annual parade, to remember Fielding's heroism, had been cancelled for "health and safety" reasons.
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Victoria Cross was donated to the SWB Museum by the Fielding family and is displayed at the
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on 24 November 1932. The nursing home directly opposite his burial place in
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445:"Grave of John Fielding VC at Llanfihangel Llantarnam Church"
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239:Road, Abergavenny. The entire family were
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1002:British recipients of the Victoria Cross
214:; 24 May 1857 – 25 November 1932) was a
19:For the Welsh soldier born in 1886, see
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1042:Welsh recipients of the Victoria Cross
1007:British Army personnel of World War I
992:Military personnel from Monmouthshire
519:(biography, photos, memorial details)
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352:Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh
307:Fielding later achieved the rank of
111:St Michael's Churchyard, Llantarnam
502:The Register of the Victoria Cross
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246:Williams was 21 years old, and a
311:in the 3rd Volunteer Battalion,
287:Williams was presented with his
266:On 22–23 January 1879 at
16:Recipient of the Victoria Cross
1022:South Wales Borderers soldiers
966:1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
915:William Henry Thomas Sylvester
860:Edward William Derrington Bell
524:Location of grave and VC medal
330:He died from heart failure in
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639:41st (Welch) Regiment of Foot
495:John Williams VC: A Biography
433:Lives of the First World War
418:Lives of the First World War
403:. 2 May 1879. p. 3177.
295:by Major-General Anderson,
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941:Prince of Wales's feathers
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956:Prince of Wales' Division
449:People's Collection Wales
354:in Brecon, Powys, Wales.
252:The South Wales Borderers
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1017:British Militia soldiers
548:51.6329472°N 3.0033167°W
516:John Williams (Fielding)
1027:People from Abergavenny
936:Battle of Rorke's Drift
795:Campbell Mellis Douglas
725:Edward Stevenson Browne
685:Royal Regiment of Wales
920:William Herbert Waring
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553:51.6329472; -3.0033167
491:Harvey, David. (1999).
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880:Charles Doughty-Wylie
755:Dudley Graham Johnson
631:South Wales Borderers
623:Royal Welch Fusiliers
313:South Wales Borderers
297:Governor of Gibraltar
152:South Wales Borderers
147:24th Regiment of Foot
143:Monmouthshire Militia
840:Hubert William Lewis
710:William Wilson Allan
505:This England. (1997)
488:Monuments to Courage
780:John Henry Williams
559:John Williams grave
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303:Further information
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765:Teignmouth Melvill
497:Lloyd, W.G. (1993)
472:. 15 January 2019.
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845:Edgar Myles
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602:Royal Welsh
551: /
538:3°0′11.94″W
454:16 February
395:"No. 24717"
384:Lloyd 1993.
321:World War I
319:throughout
258:during the
181:World War I
76:Abergavenny
73:24 May 1857
981:Categories
800:James Fynn
715:David Bell
557: (
481:References
336:Llantarnam
96:Llantarnam
69:1857-05-24
55:Birth name
770:Ivor Rees
346:The medal
327:in 1914.
299:in 1880.
293:Gibraltar
270:, Natal,
929:See also
309:Sergeant
241:Catholic
230:forces.
132:Sergeant
117:Service/
340:Cwmbran
332:Cwmbran
248:private
234:Details
224:British
102:, Wales
100:Cwmbran
358:Parade
317:Brecon
210:(born
191:Awards
119:branch
107:Buried
372:Notes
216:Welsh
80:Wales
456:2020
362:The
226:and
137:Unit
129:Rank
86:Died
63:Born
431:on
416:on
291:in
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289:VC
207:VC
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