LORD ASHCROFT'S "HERO OF THE MONTH" LORD ASHCROFT'S "HERO OF THE MONTH" Brigadier Manley Angell James VC, DSO, MBE, MC Brigadier Manley Angell James VC, DSO, MBE, MC VICTORIA CROSS HEROES II Brigadier Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC is a businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. His sixth book on gallantry, Victoria Cross Heroes Volume II was published in hardback in 2016 and in paperback on 9 November. For more information, please visit: www.victoriacrossheroes2.com Manley Lord Ashcroft’s VC and GC collection is on public display at Imperial War Museum, London. For more information visit: www. iwm.org.uk/heroes. For details about his VC collection, visit: www.lordashcroftmedals.com LORD ASHCROFT'S For more information on Lord Ashcroft’s work, visit: www. Angell James lordashcroft.com. Follow him on Twitter: @LordAshcroft "HERO OF THE MONTH" VC, DSO, MBE, MC ABOVE Between 1930 and 1931, James LEADERSHIP attended the Staff College, Camberley. AGGRESSION BOLDNESS His fellow students • included Miles INITIATIVE • SACRIFICE Dempsey, James Steele, George SKILL • ENDURANCE Symes, George The many Victoria Crosses and George Crosses in the Lord Hopkinson, William Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum in London are Gott, John Nichols displayed under one of seven different qualities of bravery. and Maurice Brigadier Manley Angell James’ VC medal group is part of Chilton, all of whom the collection, and Lord Ashcroft feels that it falls within the achieved general category of leadership: officer rank in the “Charismatic, strong, inspirational, the natural leader not Second World War. only takes command, but also infuses all those around them (COURTESY OF LEN with confidence and hope. They exude calm and resolve. WILLIAMS) They are a tower of strength.” LEFT Brigadier Manley James’ medal group TOP RIGHT ANLEY ANGELL James was In July 1915, the 8th Battalion formed forty-mile front, a total of 6,473 German ‘Two days later, although the enemy After the war, James found it hard to D-Day landings. From 1945 to 1948, spans service Between 1930 born in Odiham, Hampshire, part of the 57th Brigade of the 19th guns opened up for several weeks, firing had broken through on his right flank, gain a permanent Army commission. he commanded the British Air Force of and gallantry in and 1931, James on 12 July 1896. He was (Western) Division (also known as the both explosives and gas. In a letter to he refused to withdraw, and made a He was finally commissioned as a Occupation in Germany. In 1948, he was two world wars. attended the M (LORD ASHCROFT Staff College, the son of Dr John James and his wife ‘Butterfly’ Division) and James served as James’s father, the Commanding Officer most determined stand, inflicting very Lieutenant on 8 December 1920. appointed director of Ground Defence at COLLECTION) Camberley. His Emily. After leaving Bristol Grammar Temporary Lieutenant. Soon after, he of the 8th wrote: ‘The battalion fought heavy losses on the enemy and gaining During the inter-war years, he the Air Ministry. He retired in 1951 and fellow students School, aged eighteen, he had intended was invalided home after being severely most gallantly on the 21st and 22nd valuable time for the withdrawal of served abroad a great deal, including was made an MBE in 1958. BELOW included Miles to follow his father into the medical injured in the thigh at La Boisselle on and your son as usual was untiring. guns. He was ordered by the senior in Germany and Egypt. He married Brigadier Manley James, VC, DSO, British and Dempsey, James profession. However, after the outbreak the third day of the Battle of the Somme. “A” Coy. had lost 75% of their men and officer to hold on to the spot ‘to the Noreen Cooper, of Clifton, Bristol, MBE, MC, died at his home in American troops Steele, George of the Great War in August 1914, he For his handling of the battalion’s Lewis were overwhelmed by fresh masses of last’, in order to enable the brigade to in 1928 and the couple went on to Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, on 23 during the landings Symes, George on Red Beach Hopkinson, was commissioned on 1 December as guns, he was Mentioned in Despatches. the enemy. On the 23rd, only stragglers be extricated. He then led his company have a son. By 1942, three years into September 1975, aged seventy-nine. at Salerno on 9 William Gott, a Temporary Second Lieutenant to In December, he returned to France as a came out.’ forward in a local counter-attack on his the Second World War, James was a His gallantry and service medals September 1943. John Nichols and the 8th Battalion, The Gloucestershire member of Brigade HQ staff. The survivors were convinced that own initiative, and was again wounded. Brigadier in command of 128th Infantry were stolen in 1970 but recovered During the Allied Maurice Chilton, Regiment. However, he lobbied for a return to their Captain was dead, having seen He was last seen working a machine Brigade, which had prepared for desert after a reward of £100 was offered for invasion, James all of whom active duty and by early 1917 he was him fall in battle. On 25 April 1918, gun single-handed, after having been warfare. information leading to their safe return: commanded 128th achieved general Infantry Brigade, officer rank in the back with his regiment at the front. the British Red Cross wrote to James’s wounded a third time. In February that year, the 128th joined the thief was jailed for six years. 46th Division. After Second World After being promoted to Acting Captain mother, reporting that two eyewitnesses ‘No praise can be too high for the other Allied forces on the Algerian coast. I purchased James’ medals at a he was wounded on War. (COURTESY OF in February 1917, he was wounded by had seen him dead. ‘Capt. James was gallant stand made by this company, There followed fierce battles against Christie’s auction in 1991 and feel 20 September he LEN WILLIAMS) shrapnel later that month and was again shot in the head by a bullet and died and Capt. James, by his dauntless overwhelming odds, and James received privileged to be the custodian of this was evacuated to Mentioned in Despatches in April. instantly; I saw it,’ said one private, courage and magnificent example, the Distinguished Service Order. The wonderful soldier’s medal group. Egypt. (USNHHC) RIGHT The 8th Battalion saw further action and two other men reported him dead. undoubtedly enabled the battalion to London Gazette of 21 May 1942 reported Brigadier Manley Angell James VC. at Wytschaete and on Messines Ridge. However, on 24 May, a telegram was be withdrawn before being completely that James was ‘personally as brave as a (LORD ASHCROFT With James in command, ‘A’ Company sent to the War Office saying that James cut off.’ lion, he was at the same time careful and COLLECTION) played a key role in the capture of a vital was a PoW. On 28 June 1918, The In fact, after receiving his third injury, solicitous about how he committed his strongpoint at Druids Farm on 9/10 July London Gazette announced that he had James had been taken prisoner on 23 troops’. 1917. A week later, The London Gazette been awarded the VC: March. With wounds in his neck, Naturally, the press hailed James’s announced he had been awarded the ‘Capt. James led his company forward shoulder, jaw and stomach, James had remarkable double – a VC in the First Military Cross for his actions. with magnificent determination and been taken to hospital, and spent the World War and a DSO in the Second. On 21 March 1918, the first assault courage, inflicting severe losses on the rest of the war in various PoW camps. After the campaign in North Africa, of the German Spring Offensive was enemy and capturing twenty-seven After the Armistice, he was released, he fought in Italy. In September 1943, launched. During this attack – the prisoners and two machine guns. arriving home on Christmas Day 1918. he was wounded in the leg near Salerno ‘Kaiser Battle’ – the 8th Gloucesters were ‘He was wounded, but refused to leave He received his VC from George V at and was eventually evacuated in a subjected to one of the most intensive his company, and repulsed three hostile an investiture at Buckingham Palace on hospital ship to Egypt to recover. The bombardments of the war. Along a onslaughts the next day. 22 February 1919. next year, he trained troops for the 110 www.britainatwar.com www.britainatwar.com 111.