Sergeant James Firth V.C. (1874 - 1921)

 

Name James  FIRTH
Rank Sergeant
Force 1st batallion The Duke of Wellington's Regiment
VC won Boer War, 24 February 1900
London Gazette 11 June 1901
Born Jarrow Durham 15 January 1874 (see notes)
Died 29 May 1921, Sheffield
Grave Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield
Location
of VC		 The Ashcroft Collection

On 24th February, 1900 at Plewman's Farm, near Arundel, Cape Colony, South Africa, Sergeant Firth picked up and carried to cover a Lance-Corporal who was lying wounded and exposed to heavy fire. Later in the day, when the enemy had advanced to within a short distance of the firing line, Sergeant Firth rescued a second lieutenant who was dangerously wounded, and carried him over the crest of a ridge to safety. He himself was shot through the nose and eye while doing so.

The actual citation reads, "At Plewmans Farm near Arundel, Cape Colony February 24th 1900, Sergeant Firth gained the Victoria Cross for two acts of bravery and devotion" "Lance Corporal Blackman had been wounded, and was lying not more than one hundred yards from the enemy, who were keeping up a severe hail of fire on all around" "Sergeant Firth scorning the bullets aimed at him and his brigade, advanced to the stricken corporal and carried him to the cover of their own lines". Shortly afterwards, second Lieutenant T H B Wilson fell dangerously wounded, in spite of the proximity of the Boers who had advanced quite close to the firing line, Firth carried the Officer over the crest of the ridge to shelter, receiving a bullet through the eye and nose, whilst engaged in this humane act".

The information in the above table was obtained from the Victoria Cross web-site

Fortunately Lieutenant Umpreville who recommended James for the award added some more details to the days events

"On the 24th February, 1900 in the vicinity of Plewman's Farm, six miles NW of Arundel, Cape Colony, the 1st West Riding Mounted Infantry Company had driven the Boers out of one range of koppies (low hills) and followed them up to another - but arriving at the crest of the second ranges they found themselves under very heavy fire from higher koppe's (sic) to their direct front and also their right and left fronts from a vastly superior force. No 4673 Lance Corporal Blackman was hit just over the crest and lay exposed to the enemy's fire (at a range of 4 to 500 yards). Sergeant Firth picked him up and carried him under the shelter of the rocks.

Shortly afterwards the enemy attempted to rush our position, covered by the fire from the dominating koppe's (sic), they reached the ridge and 2nd Lieutenant (now Lieutenant) was shot through the head in a most exposed place. Sergeant Firth carried over the crest to shelter but was himself shot thro' the nose and eye and fell beside his Officer - the remains of his eye to be subsequently removed."

Apart from this, there is very little information on James available. He joined the regiment in July 1889.  In 1900, after the injuries he sustained in the war, James was discharged as medically unfit from the services. He applied for service again in 1914 at the outbreak of World War One, but he was turned down on medical grounds. After a long period of disability he died of tuberculosis in May 1921.

His last will and testament gave the following information

WILLS AND BEQUESTS 1921.

V.C.s GIFT TO HIS SON.

Mr James Frith, V.C.of Douglas Road,Parkwood Springs, Sheffield, and formerly of Swalwell Durham, formerly sergeant,Duke of Wellington's ( West Riding ) Regiment, who was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1900 for conspicuous bravery in the Boer War and who died on May 29 last, left estate valued for probate at £359. The testator left:-
To his son Alleyne Gatehouse Firth, on attaining majority, his Victoria Cross and his South African Medals, the silver watch, No.34188, presented to him by the people of Salwell, his Queen Victoria chocolate box, the card bidding him to the investiture at St. James Palace to receive the Victoria Cross and his gold snake ring, and further on the decease of his ( testators ) widow or earlier at her discretion the black marble clock and two bronze horses presented to him by Messrs. Vickers Son and Maxim, Limited, and the enlarged photograph of himself in his red tunic.

An article in the Sheffield Star on Tuesday 16th March 2004 that brings the story up to date

Final resting place: Alan Johnson, Albert Jackson and Christine Stevens at the site of James Firth VC's grave at Burngreave Cemetery

Family is reunited with 'lost' grave of VC hero

THE descendants of Sheffield's first-ever recipient of the Victoria Cross have been reunited with his 'lost' grave.

Alan Johnson, a Barnsley market trader, did not even know he was related to Sgt James Firth, a hero of the Boer War, until he found a letter among his late father's personal effects. It said Sgt Firth was Alan's great uncle, had fought in South Africa in the 1st Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment, and had been awarded the VC in June 1901 for gallantry.
The medal – the most prestigious military award available in this country – has been granted only 1,354 times to 1,351 men and once to the American Unknown Soldier.
Sgt Firth was chosen for the VC in June 1901, 16 months after rescuing and carrying to safety two of his battalion during action.
Aged 26, while fighting at Plowman's Farm near Arundel, Cape Colony, Sgt Firth picked up and carried to cover a Lance Corporal who was lying wounded and exposed to heavy fire. Later in the day, when the enemy had advanced to within a short distance of the firing line, Sgt Firth rescued a second lieutenant who was dangerously wounded. He carried him over the crest of a ridge to safety – and survived being shot through the nose and in the eye while doing so. 
After the end of the Boer War Sgt Firth, who was born in Jarrow, County Durham, in 1874, lived in Neepsend, Sheffield*.  James died aged 47 in 1921 and was buried with military honours at Burngreave Cemetery off Scott Road. His wife Mary Florence and two of their sons were later buried alongside him.
In the 85 years that followed, his grave, in the north eastern section of the cemetery close to the War Memorial, became lost and forgotten and the inscriptions on the ornate stone headstone were eaten away by years of pollution. But Mr Johnson was helped to find the grave by local historian Albert Jackson and Christine Stevens of the Friends of Burngreave Cemetery. Alan, aged 54, of Manor Way, Hoyland, said: "I had only ever vaguely heard of Sgt Firth before I found the letter which said he was my father's uncle. It's intriguing really.
"My eldest aunt says she remembers him visiting the house – apparently he was very tall and used to run his hand along the top of doors to see if there was any dust!"
Mr Johnson is now trying to trace any other relatives of Sgt Firth. A Victoria Cross database lists a great nephew, a great niece, and a great great grandson who still live in County Durham.
 

James was born in Sheffield which means that James is the first holder of the decoration to have been "born and bred" in Sheffield. The first holder from Sheffield was George Lambert, but he was born in Northern Ireland

* James is thought to have lived in Wallace Road, Neepsend, sheffield and after leaving the Army became a  foreman in a local steelworks. His wife Mary is shown as living in 1925 at 193 Douglas Road Neepsend Sheffield.

The grave in the cemetery is like many of that era deteriorating with age

 

Sources

The Sheffield Star

The London Gazette

Victoria Cross Research

Victoria Cross Reference

Victoria Cross

Victoria Cross Heroes - Michael Ashcroft

Notes:

"During the action at Plewton’s Farm, near Arundel, Cape Colony, on the 24th February, 1900. Lance Corporal Blackman having been wounded and lying exposed to a hot fire at a range of 400 – 500 yards, Sergeant Firth picked him up and carried him to cover. Later in the day, when the enemy had advanced to within a short distance of the firing line, Second Lieutenant Wilson being dangerously wounded and in a most exposed positioned, Sergeant Firth carried him over the ridge, which was being held by the troops, to shelter and was himself shot through the nose and eye whilst doing so. (London Gazette, 11th June 1901)"

Medal entitlement of Sergeant James FIRTH Duke of Wellington's Regiment
Victoria Cross
Queen's South Africa Medal ( 1899-1902 )
1 clasp: "Cape Colony"

Further confirmation came with the entry for the 1881 Census

Source Information:
Dwelling 1 Court No 1 Eben Street Census Place Brightside Bierlow, York, England
Family History Library Film 1342128 Public Records Office Reference RG11 Piece / Folio 4664 / 117 Page Number 33
 

Charles FIRTH Head M Male 45 Leeds, York, England Furnaceman
Ellen BULLAS Servant M Female 22 Brightside, York, England Housekeeper (Dom)
Clara FIRTH Daur Female 13 Wincobank, York, England Scholar
Arthur FIRTH Son Male 10 Wincobank, York, England Scholar
James FIRTH Son Male 6 Wincobank, York, England Scholar
Annie BULLAS Housekeepers Daur Female 5 Wincobank, York, England Scholar
Henry BULLAS Son Male 3 Wincobank, York, England
Florence BULLAS Housekeepers Daur Female 4 m Brightside, York, England

The earlier 1871 Census shows the family living in Ecclesfield. James had an elder brother WILLIAM (aged 8) and two older sisters MARTHA (aged 6) and MARY (aged 4) who do not appear with the family on the 1881 Census. CLARA and ARTHUR are aged 3 and 4 months respectively.

The 1891 Census does show James father CHARLES in Jarrow with his second wife and family but there is no trace of JAMES. A local history web-site does state that JAMES was educated in Swalwell prior to joining up

"a Swalwell resident, though originally from near Sheffield, lived in Quality Row and enlisted in the Duke of Wellington's West Riding regiment in 29th July 1889; winning the Victoria Cross on 14 February 1900" 

Another website devoted to the Anglo - Boer war 1899 - 1901 adds the following

"He was at first wrongly gazetted as 'W' Firth.  Sergeant Firth married, June 1897, at Emmanuel Church, Attercliffe, Sheffield, Mary Florence, only daughter of Thomas Edwards, of Swineshead, Lincolnshire, and they had two children: Alleyne G Firth, born 25 June 1903 and Cecil J Firth, born 18 December 1907."

If anyone can supply me with any further information about JAMES and his family, please contact me

Back to main Home Page

This page was last updated on 12/05/08 11:19