Author: Ann Moore
Formerly SHP Fellow
SCHOOLS HISTORY PROJECT
BACKGROUND DETAIL FOR THE NOEL CHAVASSE PHOTO ALBUM SLIDES
SLIDE
NUMBER
1
2
3
4&5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS
Both Chavasse boys (twins Noel and Christopher) ran for their school, their local club
Liverpool Sefton Harriers and their university, Oxford.
In 1908 they were both selected to run the 400 metres for Great Britain. Noel came second
in his heat and Christopher third but they didn’t get any further
After Noel passed his final medical exams in January 1912, he became a doctor and worked
at the Royal Southern Hospital in Liverpool. He soon became a house surgeon
In early 1913 Noel joined the Royal Army Medical Corps and was attached to the Liverpool
Scottish, 10th Battalion of the Kings Liverpool Regiment. He became a surgeon Lieutenant
4th August 1914 Britain declared war on Germany. Noel was to die exactly three years later
on 4th August 1917. The poster needs no explanation
Being a Territorial Battalion, the 10th Kings Liverpool Scottish were not obliged to serve
overseas, but they all wanted to as can be seen by the cheering regiment on hearing the
news that they were being sent to France in November 1914
This is a photograph of the twins and their mother (their father was the Bishop of Liverpool)
just before they set off for war. Out of seven brothers and sisters, two, Noel and his
youngest brother Aiden were killed, but Christopher survived although he never quite
recovered from having to witness an execution. Three other cousins lost their lives too.
During the War Noel’s sister May worked as a nurse in a French hospital.
Noel was much loved by the men in his regiment. This is a ‘dream’ menu that they drew up
for him when news of him winning his first Victoria Cross came through. He had already
been awarded the Military Cross and been promoted to Captain
In the midst of battle, Noel didn’t forget the people at home. This letter is thanking the
‘Womens’ War Service’ Liverpool Branch, for the bandages that they have sent.
Photograph of a typical WW1 trench. It was from one like this that Noel crept into no man’s
land and rescued three wounded soldiers. Because of the age of children studying this
topic, there has been a deliberate decision not to include photographs of the dead or dying.
Public notice in the London Gazette of Noel’s first VC. It reads
“During an attack he tended the wounded in the open all day, under heavy fire,
frequently in view of the enemy. During the ensuing night he searched for wounded on
the ground in front of the enemy's lines for four hours. Next day he took one stretcherbearer to the advanced trenches, and, under heavy fire, carried an urgent case for 500
yards into safety, being wounded in the side by a shell splinter during the journey. The
same night he took up a party of trusty volunteers, rescued three wounded men from
a shell hole twenty five yards from the enemy's trench, buried the bodies of two
officers and collected many identity discs, although fired on by bombs and machine
guns. Altogether he saved the lives of some twenty badly wounded men, besides the
ordinary cases which passed through his hands. His courage and self-sacrifice were
beyond praise.”
A member of Noel’s battalion (it could possibly be him but is unproven) receiving the
Victoria Cross
Author: Ann Moore
Formerly SHP Fellow
SLIDE
NUMBER
14
SCHOOLS HISTORY PROJECT
BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS
Public notice in the London Gazette of Noel’s posthumous VC, 14th September 1917. He was
the only man to be awarded it twice during World War 1 and only two other men have had
the ward more than once. Less than 1,500 people have been awarded the VC since its
inception. The notice reads:
“Though severely wounded early in the action whilst carrying a wounded soldier to the
dressing station, he refused to leave his post, and for two days, not only continued to
perform his duties, but in addition, went out repeatedly under heavy fire to search for
and attend to the wounded who were lying out. During these searches, although
practically without food during this period, worn with fatigue and faint with his wound,
he assisted to carry a number of badly wounded men over heavy and difficult ground. By
his extraordinary energy and inspiring example was instrumental in rescuing many
wounded who would have otherwise undoubtedly succumbed under the bad weather
conditions. This devoted and gallant officer subsequently died of his wounds.”
15
16
17
18
19,20,21
22
Photograph of Captain Noel Chavasse VC Bar, alongside a photograph of his VC
A complete set of Noel Chavasse’s medals (note the two medals with bars). They are on
display in the Imperial War Museum in the Victoria and George Cross gallery
Possibly the family’s favourite photograph of Noel Chavasse?
Captain Noel Chavasse’s gravestone in Brandhoek’s New Military Cemetery (Plot 3, Grave
B15). His headstone is the only headstone in the world to have two Victoria crosses
engraved on it.
These are only three of a number of plaques and memorials to Captain Noel Chavasse, both
in Liverpool, at Trinity College Oxford and in Ypres.
On 21st September 2006, the Royal Mail commemorated the 150th Anniversary of the
Victoria Cross medal with a set of 6 stamps, a miniature sheet and a prestige book.
The recipients of the Victoria Cross shown on the stamps are:
1st class - Agansing Rai, a Gurkha who was awarded the VC in an action against the elite
Japanese 33rd Division in Burma in 1944;
1st class - Boy Seaman First Class, Jack Cornwell ('The Boy VC') who was mortally wounded
at his post at the Battle of Jutland;
64p - Midshipman Charles Lucas who won the very first VC for hurling a live shell over the
side of his ship, during the Crimean War;
64p - Captain Noel Chavasse, a Royal Army Medical Corps Doctor who won two VCs and
lost his life tending the wounded under fire on the Western Front in 1917;
72p - Captain Albert Ball of the Royal Flying Corps, an aviator who claimed 44 kills before his
untimely death in 1917;
72p - Captain Charles Upham, a New Zealander who was awarded his first VC fighting
German paratroopers in Crete and his second in the North African desert before being
captured and eventually confined to Colditz.
Author: Ann Moore
Formerly SHP Fellow
SCHOOLS HISTORY PROJECT
The detail and images for these background notes came from
a) Liverpool Central Library
b) A web based article written by Ian Jones. His website is as follows icj@chavasse.u-net.com