John David Francis Shaul VC

Name: John David Francis Shaul

Conflict: Second Boer War

Gazetted: September 28, 1900

Service: Army

Place/ date of birth: King’s Lynn, Norfolk/September 11, 1873

Rank when awarded VC (and later highest rank): Corporal (later Bugle Major)

Date of bravery: December 11, 1899

London Gazette citation:

Highland Light Infantry. Corporal J. Shaul.

On the 11th December, 1899, during the Battle of Magersfontein, Corporal Shaul was observed (not only by the Officers of his own Battalion but by several Officers of other regiments) to perform several specific acts of bravery. Corporal Shaul was in charge of stretcher-bearers; but at one period of the battle he was seen encouraging men to advance across the open.

He was most conspicuous during the day in dressing men’s wounds, and in one case he came, under a heavy fire, to a man who was lying wounded in the back, and, with the utmost coolness and deliberation, sat down beside the wounded man and proceeded to dress his wound. Having done this, he got up and went quietly to another part of the field. This act of gallantry was performed under a continuous and heavy fire as coolly and quietly as if there had been no enemy near.

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Other decorations: N/A

Place/date of death: Boksburg, South Africa/September 14, 1953

Grave/memorials: Bulawayo Cemetery, Zimbabwe; Windsor Terrace, King’s Lynn, Norfolk

Origin of VC to the Lord Ashcroft collection: Purchased at auction, Dix Noonan Webb, London, 2006

Current location of VC: Displayed on rotation at The Lord Ashcroft Gallery: Extraordinary Heroes exhibition, Imperial War Museum