John Molyneux (VC): Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|English Victoria Cross recipient (1890–1972)}}

:''For the 1950s footballer, see [[John Molyneux (footballer)]]''

{{Use British English|date=August 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Infobox military person

|name=John Molyneux

|birth_date=22 November 1890

|death_date= 25 March 1972 (aged 81)

|birth_place= [[St Helens, Merseyside|St Helens]], [[Lancashire]]

|death_place= St Helens

|placeofburial=

|image= John Molyneux VC.jpg

|caption=

|nickname=

|allegiance={{UK}}

|serviceyears=1914 - 1918

|rank=[[Sergeant]]

|branch=[[File:Flag of the British Army.svg|23px]] [[British Army]]

|commands=

|unit=[[The Royal Fusiliers]]

|battles= [[World War I]]

|awards= [[File:UK Victoria Cross ribbon bar.svg|30px]] [[Victoria Cross]]<br>[[War Cross (Belgium)|Croix de Guerre]] (Belgium)

|laterwork=

}}

'''John Molyneux''' ([[Victoria Cross|VC, Croix de Guere]] (Belgium)) ([[22 November]] [[1890]] -&ndash; [[25 March]] [[1972]]) was an [[England|English]] recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.

==Early life==

'''John Molyneux''' (VC, Croix de Guere (Belgium)) ([[22 November]] [[1890]] - [[25 March]] [[1972]]) was an [[England|English]] recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.

John Molyneux was born on 22 November 1890 to mother Minnie Jane and coal miner father, Joseph, who worked as a hewer at Sherdley Colliery. Young John, who was always known as Jack, was educated at Holy Trinity school in [[Parr, St Helens|Parr]]. He left school at twelve to work in the mines.<ref name="Sutton">{{cite web | url=http://www.suttonbeauty.org.uk/suttonhistory/suttonwar.html | title=Sutton at War | access-date=16 January 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315120443/http://www.suttonbeauty.org.uk/suttonhistory/suttonwar.html | archive-date=15 March 2011 }}</ref>

==Details==

He was 26 years old, and a [[sergeant]] in the 2nd Battalion, [[The Royal Fusiliers]],<ref name="RFus">{{cite journal | url=http://rrflondon.2day.ws/siteFiles/files/RRFLondon_ElegantExtractsVCJan2011_1294324105.pdf | title=The Royal Fusiliers Recipients of The Victoria Cross for Valour | author=Kelleher, JP | year=2010}}</ref> [[British Army]] during the [[First World War]] when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On [[9 October]] [[1917]] east of [[Langemarck]], [[Belgium]], during an attack which was held up by machine-gun fire and causing many casualties, Sergeant Molyneux organised a bombing party to clear the trench in front of a house. Many of the enemy were killed and a machine-gun captured. The sergeant then called for someone to follow him and rushed for the house. By the time the extra men arrived he was in the thick of a hand-to-hand fight which only lasted a short time and the enemy surrendered. In addition to the dead and wounded between 20 or 30 prisoners were taken.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=30400 |supp=y |page=12328|date=23 November 1917 }}</ref>

He also won the [[War Cross (Belgium)|Croix de Guerre]] ([[Belgium]]).

John Molyneux is also an 18 year old from Shrewsbury in Shropshire, he enjoys playing with his friends, but dislikes replica train sets as he thinks they are far from the beauty that actual trains give onlookers.

John used to play football for the [[Harmer Hill]] allstars before a terrible injury tainted his footballing career, but with his best foot forward John will continue to live his life to the full.

==The medal==

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the [[Royal Fusiliers Museum]], ''([[Tower of London]], England)''.

i loving memory of john molyneux

==References==

{{reflist}}

*[["Elegant Extracts" - The Royal Fusiliers Recipients of the VC]] (J.P. Kelleher, 2001)

*[[Monuments to Courage]] (David Harvey, 1999)

*[[The Register of the Victoria Cross]] (This England, 1997)

*[[VCs of the First World War - Passchendaele 1917]] (Stephen Snelling, 1998)

==ExternalFurther linksreading==

*[http://rrflondon.2day.ws/siteFiles/files/RRFLondon_ElegantExtractsVCJan2011_1294324105.pdf Royal Fusiliers Recipients of the Victoria Cross]

*[http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/lancashi.htm Location of grave and VC medal] ''(Lancashire)''

*{{cite book|last=Snelling|first=Stephen|title=Passchendaele 1917|series=[[VCs of the First World War]]|year=2012|orig-date=1998|publisher=[[The History Press]]|isbn=978-0752476667}}

{{Royal Regiment of Fusiliers}}

This page has been [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Victoria Cross Reference Migration|migrated]] from the [http://www.victoriacross.net Victoria Cross Reference] '''with permission.'''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Molyneux, John}}

[[Category:British World War I Victoria Cross recipients|Molyneux, John]]

[[Category:British ArmyWorld soldiers|Molyneux,War JohnI recipients of the Victoria Cross]]

[[Category:1890Royal births|Molyneux,Fusiliers Johnsoldiers]]

[[Category:1972British deaths|Molyneux,Army Johnpersonnel of World War I]]

[[Category:People from St Helens, Merseyside]]

[[Category:1890 births]]

[[Category:1972 deaths]]

[[Category:British recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium)]]

[[Category:British WorldArmy Warrecipients Iof the Victoria Cross recipients|Molyneux, John]]

[[Category:Military personnel from Merseyside]]