JOHN VEREKER

Captain (Brevet Major, Acting Lieutenant Colonel) John Standish Surtees Prendergast Vereker (6th Viscount Gort) VC DSO (+two bars) MC

It’s surprising that one of the most senior British Generals is now almost forgotten, plus due to Lord Gort’s early demise in 1946, he was the only senior WWII British Army Commander not to publish his memoirs. John Vereker was born in London in 1886, whose father was John Gage Prendergast Vereker, 5th Viscount Gort. John inherited the title of Viscount Gort upon the death of his father in 1902. Commissioned into the Grenadier Guards after graduating from the Royal Military Academy Woolwich in 1905, Gort reached his Captaincy on 5 August 1914. He went to France on the staff of the 2nd Division and fought on the Western Front, taking part in the retreat from Mons in August 1914.

After becoming a staff officer at First Army in December 1914, Gort was appointed Brigade Major of the 4th (Guards) Brigade in April 1915 and awarded the Military Cross two months later. Promoted to the brevet rank of Major in June 1916, he was selected to join the staff of Field Marshal Haig’s GHQ BEF as a General Staff Officer (GSO 2) and was involved with the Battles of the Somme throughout the autumn of 1916. Promoted to the acting rank of Lieutenant Colonel in April 1917 on appointment as Commanding Officer of 4th Battalion, Grenadier Guards and having been awarded the Distinguished Service

Order (DSO) in June 1917, Gort led his battalion at the Battle of Passchendaele, becoming wounded and earning a Bar to his DSO in September 1917, plus a second bar in January 1919. Wounded a second time during the Battle of Cambrai in December 1917, Gort was invalided home, but returned to France in March 1918 to command the Grenadier’s 1st Battalion.

On 27 November 1918, Gort was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 27 September 1918 at the Battle of the Canal du Nord. His citation explains that he became wounded under fire whilst leading his battalion and then severely wounded a second time by a shell when saving a tank crew, but was helped to safety by his Batman, Private Ransome. Notwithstanding considerable loss of blood and after lying on a stretcher for a while, he insisted on getting up to personally direct the ongoing attack with utter disregard for his personal safety.

Gort then organised the defence of the captured position until he collapsed, still refusing to leave the field. ‘Tiger Gort’ was also mentioned in despatches eight times during the war. Later career highlights include being the youngest Chief of the Imperial General Staff 1937-39 at age 51 and for being credited for the safe evacuation of the BEF to England in

June 1940. Gort was promoted to Field Marshall on 1 January 1943 and died on 31 March 1946. ■

Right: How the two bars to Major Viscount Gort’s Distinguished Service Order would look displayed on the full-sized medal ribbon Brevet Major John Standish Vereker (6th Viscount Gort) MC in 1917, aged 31 when on the staff of General Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force, France Below right: Lord Gort pictured in the full dress uniform of a General shortly before he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force in France. Note his VC medal group

A representation of Viscount Gort’s WWI gallantry medals (L-R) Military Cross, Distinguished Service Order (awarded three times by 1919) and the Victoria Cross (identifymedals.com).