Description
A VC Action Casualty group – Kings Shropshire Light Infantry.
1914-15 Star, 15072 Pte J. Richards, Shrops. L.I.; British War and Victory medals, 15072 Pte J. Richards. K.S.L.I.
John Richards was born in Stokesay, Shropshire in 1881.
He served in the 1st and 10th Battalions Kings Shropshire Light Infantry. His MIC shows he landed in France on the 8th April 1915, and confirms he also served with both 15072 and 231037 as his service number.
John Richards was Killed in Action on the 10th March 1918 at Birj-el-Lisaneh (Tel Asur battle) when the regiment won its only Victoria Cross for the First World War, awarded to Private Harold Whitfield. Richards was originally buried on the battlefield, but later relocated to the Jerusalem War Cemetery.
This was not an easy campaign – albeit now somewhat neglected by World War One historians. The Turks proved to be formidable fighters (as they had at Gallipoli and in Mesopotamia) and the desert climate was equally demanding. After being engaged in the Second and Third battles of Gaza in April and August 1917, the Shropshire Yeomanry (by then designated 10th KSLI) took part in the advance on Jerusalem – which fell in December 1917, to become the “Christmas present” Allenby had promised to Lloyd George.
By March 1918, the Shropshire Yeomanry was part of the famous 74th Yeomanry (“Broken Spur”) Division and was engaged in the advance towards Nablus, north of Jerusalem. On 7th March, the 10th KSLI were directed to attack Turkish positions at Selwad, as part of the larger battle of Tel Asur. After taking the Turkish positions there by the 9th, the 10th KSLI was ordered on the next day to seize the hill of Birj-el-Lisaneh to their north. Attacking Turkish defences soon after midnight, the 10th carried the position but were then subjected to fierce counter-attacks and faced very severe fighting, which was to last nearly three hours.
At one stage, the Turks appeared to be just about to turn the left flank of the British position when Pte. Whitfield launched himself into the action. Alone and on his own initiative, he attacked a Turkish machine-gun post which was doing great damage. Killing or bayonetting the entire crew, he turned the gun on the advancing Turks, driving them back single-handedly.
He then led grenade attacks against another nearby Turkish machine-gun position and destroyed it, holding the advanced post until reinforced. This individual initiative materially helped to break up the Turkish attack, though two others had to be defeated before the enemy was finally driven off and Birj-el-Lisaneh secured. Coincidentally, this was to be just about the last real action the 10th KSLI saw in Palestine; shortly afterwards they were dispatched to France – and a completely new set of circumstances. The award of the VC was announced in the London Gazette of May 8th, 1918.
Whitfield’s V.C. Citation:-
“For most conspicuous bravery, initiative, and absolute disregard of personal safety. During the first and heaviest of three counter-attacks made by the enemy on the position which had just been captured by his battalion, Pte. Whitfield, single-handed, charged and captured a Lewis gun which was harassing his company at short range. He bayonetted or shot the whole gun team, and, turning the gun on the enemy, drove them back with heavy casualties, thereby completely restoring the whole situation in his part of the line. Later, he organised and led a bombing attack on the enemy who had established themselves in an advanced position close to our line, and from which they were enfilading his company. He drove the enemy back with great loss, and by establishing his party in their position, saved many lives, and materially assisted in the defeat of the counter-attack”
With an original copy of a photograph showing the grave markers of the 9 men Killed in the Whitfield Victoria Cross Action.
Richards is commemorated on Market drayton’s Town War memorial, and on a Brass Roll of honour
Condition – NEF
