VC PRIEST ONCE PLAYED FOR BURTON
HEROIC FORMER BURTON UNITED PLAYER INSPIRED HIS MEN TO FIGHT IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR
FORMER Burton footballer and Ashby teacher Bernard Vann’s bravery earned him a unique military honour.
He remains the only priest of the First World War to be awarded the Victoria Cross.
Vann, whose brother served as a vicar in Burntwood, Staffordshire, was no ordinary priest.
He was also an outstanding footballer and played for league sides Burton United, Derby and Leicester Fosse.
Bernard gained his VC for outstanding bravery on September 29, 1918, at the Battle of St Quentin Canal in the First World War.
He was the only Church of England cleric in a combat role to receive the medal during the bloody conflict.
Commanding the 1/6th battalion of the Sherwood Foresters, he led an advance in blanket fog across the canal.
Thirty men died and 100 were wounded in the charge.
Yet just days later, on October 3, Vann again led troops across the Beaurevoir-bonsomme Line, near Ramicourt.
This time, he had taken one risk too many. He was shot and killed by a sniper.
Tragically, his wife was pregnant with their son when the sniper struck.
Vann was born on July 9, 1887, in Rushden, Northamptonshire, where his parents, Alfred and Hannah, were teachers. He attended Chichele College, Higham Ferrers, where his father was headmaster.
From 1907 to 1910, Vann was a student at Jesus College, Cambridge, reading history.
While at the university, Vann served in the Officers’ Training Corps as a sergeant and was a hockey blue.
After graduating, he taught at Ashby-de-la-zouch Grammar School, but then decided on a church career.
He was ordained a deacon in the Church of England in October, 1910, and, in December, 1911, was ordained as a priest.
Vann was licensed as a curate at St Barnabas’ Church in the New Humberstone suburb of Leicester and then at St Saviour’s Church in the same city.
In January, 1913, he became chaplain and assistant master at Wellingborough School.
When war broke out, Vann volunteered as a military chaplain but craved action and enlisted in the infantry.
He initially joined the 28th (County of London) Battalion of The London Regiment and was commissioned into the 1/8th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) on September 1, 1914.
Vann was in the thick of it from the start and showed near unbelievable courage.
At Kemmel on April 24, 1915, a trench he was in was bombed. Although wounded, he organised the defence and rescued buried men.
Vann refused to leave his post until ordered by his superiors. He was promoted to lieutenant only two days later. Two months later, he was
made a temporary captain. More honours followed.
At Hooge in late July, Vann assisting another officer in holding the line and leading intelligence gathering patrols to the German trenches. For his actions he was awarded the Military Cross (MC).
On September 25, 1915, his brother Arthur was killed at the Battle of Loos. The following month, Vann was wounded during fighting at Hohenzollern Redoubt and sent to England for treatment. He returned to the front in June, 1916, and was soon promoted to acting major. Two months later Vann received a bar to his Military Cross. The citation read: “For conspicuous
gallantry in action. He led a daring raid against the enemy’s trenches, himself taking five prisoners and displaying great courage and determination. He has on many previous occasions done fine work.”
Another period of convalescence beckoned back home after Vann suffered neuritis in his neck, but the fighting cleric was declared fit in March, 1917.
He returned to the front six months later as commander of 2/6th Battalion Sherwood Foresters. During this time, he was awarded French medal the Croix de Guerre and promoted to acting lieutenant colonel.
On December 27, 1917, at St Paul’s
Church, Knightsbridge, he married Doris Victoria Strange-beck, a Canadian nurse working at an English hospital.
Vann’s service was further punctuated by hospital stays, but in June, 1918, he took over command of 1/6th Battalion Sherwood Foresters. His Victoria Cross was only three months away.
The London Gazette of December 14, 1918, reported: “He led his battalion with great skill across the Canal de Saint-quentin through a very thick fog and under heavy fire from field and machine guns.
“On reaching the high ground above Bellenglise the whole attack was held up by fire of all descriptions from the front and right flank. Realising that everything depended on the advance going forward with the barrage, Col. Vann rushed up to the firing line and with the greatest gallantry led the line forward.
“By his prompt action and absolute contempt for danger, the whole situation was changed, the men were encouraged and the line swept forward. Later, he rushed a field-gun single-handed and knocked out three of the detachment. The success of the day was in no small degree due to the splendid gallantry and fine leadership displayed by this officer.”
News of Vann’s death was carried in a letter to The Times.
“A.H” stated: “One knows that his wonderful influence over men and boys whom he worked as a clergyman will live long in the memory of those with whom he came in contact.
“He had no hesitation at the outbreak of war in deciding to join as a combatant. I can think of him only as a fighter, not merely against the enemy in the field, but a fighter against everything and everybody that was not an influence for good to his men.
“It was his extraordinary courage and tenacity which will be remembered by all who knew him.
“Where danger was, Bernard Vann must inevitably be. Buried and badly bruised by a trench mortar in May, 1915, he just dug himself out and set to work to organise the defence and help to dig out others.
“He was in bed for days afterwards. When, shortly afterward, a neighbouring unit recently arrived in France was temporarily confused and out of hand under a first experience of liquid fire, it was Vann who saved a serious situation, and, by pure personal example, restored confidence at a critical moment.
“Wounded severely at the Hohenzollern Redoubt in October, 1915, he continued to carry on an incessant bombing fight for several hours until ordered by the Brigadier to come away.
“In September, 1916, although suffering continuous agony for days beforehand from neuritis caused by one of his many wounds, he insisted on leading his company on a raid and he himself killed or captured several Germans.
“He was so bad that the next day he had to be taken away and was ill in England for several months. His physical strength and his prowess at football, at which he almost invariably led his battalion team to victory, were a byword in his brigade.
“He had no use for ‘slackers’, whether in games or in the line. But slackers in his platoon, his company or his battalion were few, for he inspired all by his courage and energy.
“His death was typical of his life. A difficult operation had to be carried out at a few hours’ notice in the face of strong opposition. Heavy machine-gun fire held up a portion of the line and there, as a matter of course, was Bernard Vann, leading and encouraging his men – to be killed instantaneously by a sniper’s bullet at the moment of victory.
“He had been wounded seven or eight times and had been awarded the Military Cross and Bar and the Croix de Guerre with Palm. His many friends will rejoice with his young Canadian widow that the constant gallantry and magnificent example of this fine Christian gentleman have been recognised by the highest award the country can bestow.”
On October 21, 1929, the Sheffield Daily Telegraph revealed a memorial to hero Vann had been unveiled:
“Newark Parish Church was crowded yesterday morning when the Battalion Sherwood Foresters’ annual commemoration service was held, and during which General Sir Horace L. Smith-dorrien unveiled memorial tablets to Lieut.-colonel G. H. Fowler, who fell when leading the battalion in the attack on the Hohenzollern redoubts on October 15th, 1915, and to Lieut.-colonel B. W. Vann, V.C., M.C., of the 1st/8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, who was killed at the Battle of Ramicourt on October 3rd, 1918, when commanding: the 6th Battalion.
“The tablets were dedicated by the Archdeacon of Newark, the Ven. E. Hacking. The Major (Councillor C. H. Dale) and members of the Corporation attended the service, and the band of the 8th Battalion accompanied the hymns, and placed a fanfare leading up to the National Anthem, which was most impressive.”