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Arthur Vickers VC

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Arthur Vickers was not an ordinary Brummie as he stood out in a crowd for one reason....his height, he was born in the slums of Woodcock Street and when fully grow was only just over 5 foot tall.
He was born in 1882 and joined the army just as the Boer War was finishing and served the colours for six years......
When the Great War broke out Arthur was working at Lucas as a millwrights mate in Birmingham known to his mate as "Midget" but wanted to do his bit for his country and was very patriotic. After being turned down six times on trying to join up on account of his size he was accepted in the Royal Warwickshire Regt.....
September 25th 1915 the Battle of Loos was being fought....... with very high losses on both sides.....The British artillery had cut the German wire..... the men were told......
But the wire was still intact......The 2nd Warwick's went over the top heading for the trenches known as Hulloch Quarry......As they advanced on the German Trenches one by one they were mowed down, the survivors reached the uncut wire and could not get through.....the machine guns rattled away and cut the men down like a scythe in a field of corn....Arthur Vickers was one of the few men in the company that had been given a pair of wire cutters so in broad daylight Arthur stood their cutting through the German wire 50 yards from the German front line while his comrades were shot.... falling down all around him..... Arthur cut through the first layer .......and the second layer and the battalion charged through.......
Over 500 men went over the top but only 140 lived to shout their names out at roll call the next day......if Arthur had not cut through the wire who knows who would have been standing their the .‚..next day.... Arthur Vickers got the Victoria Cross from the British and the Medaille Medal from the French and went on to live his life back in Birmingham working at the GEC in Witton .‚..till he died of TB in 1944......a plaque was erected to him in 1998 at Junction Six Industrial Park which is on the site of the old GEC works
His grave is in Witton Cemetery
P.S. I know about the plaque on the GEC Witton Thread.............but decided to put this article here
 
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Remembrance Sunday - Arthur Vickers VC

Arthur Vickers on the extreme left. No doubt taken on a Remembrance Sunday during the 1920's.

Terry
 
I see although the memorial plaque at the old GEC works Witton to Titch Vickers VC gets a mention on this thread and having tried the site location where it is supposed to be I can find no trace of it. So assuming that it has been removed I will post another photo in case some of our newer members wish to see this plaque.

Phil
 

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Thank you so much for posting the photo of the plaque which mentions Arthur Vickers. I am doing some family history research for my friend, Arthur was her great uncle, he died before she was born in 1947. She remembers being taken to Aston Hall where his medal was displayed but I believe it is in Warwick now.
 
I am delighted to see the photograph of Arthur Vickers VC on Remembrance Sunday. I am his great,great,great niece. Does anyone have any other photographs of Arthur Vickers, or, could anyone point me in the direction of where I could find more information on his battalion?

Thank you

Laura
 
Laura

My mate Dave has several pictures of Arthur Vickers VC after he returned to Birmingham after getting his VC at Buckingham Palace. I think I might have some accounts from the Birmingham press of the time also.

I myself have an extremely interesting photograph that was featured the Birmingham press in September 1914, and it shows a group of Royal Warwickshire Reservists at, maybe, Snow Hill Station, waiting to board a train. One of the soldiers is without doubt Arthur Vickers.

Cheers

Terry
 
Glad you are posting again Terry, you have not been on lately, i think i speak for all forum members we have missed you. Len.
 
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Here are a few more from local papers

Lcpl Vickers VC Testimonial fund, held at Edgbaston Roller Skating Ring

Vickers VC visit to old school

Vickers VC home coming

Vickers VC home coming

Kevan
 
Wonderful to see the photos of Arthur Vickers. I managed to buy his Gallaher cigarette card for his great niece last week. She will be delighted to see the extra photos. She never met him but her mother talked of him a lot
 
Hi Kev

Great pictures. I am glad to see you are now a part of the B'ham History Forum.

Terry

below is my picture from September 1914 showing Royal Warwickshire reservists at Snow Hill.

If that small soldier is NOT Arthur Vickers, I will eat my hat!!!
 
Terry what a wonderful photograph and I agree that must be Arthur Vickers.
 
Terry what is the evidence that the photo is September of that year and that they are reservists? Arthur Vickers left the army in 1908 and then worked at GEC, Witton. In 1914 he was supposed to have re-enlisted after five rejections because of his height. This suggests that he was a time-expired soldier and not a reservist. I am not sure how many years you were on the reserve after leaving the army. It is possible that as a time-expired man he was treated as if he was a reservist. If catching a train from Snow Hill. Where were they heading? Arthur joined 2nd Bn in France on May 4 1915 and their drafts would have come from the Warwicks base on the Isle of Wight.

Despite this I agree the resemblance is strong. He was 5' 2".
 
Wonderful Kevan thanks for sharing these photos of Arthur Vickers, agree it must be him and you do not have to eat your hat, not unless you want to.

My friend, his great niece tells of her grandmother answering the door and seeing Arthur, his head and part of his face bandaged and she screamed and ran away. Aparantly he was suffering the effects of mustard gas.
 
Hi Alan

The same photograph was published in, if I remember corectly, in the Birmingham Daily Post sometime during September 1914. I actually saw the paper on the microfilm at the central library and took a photo of it with my digital camera. As a time expired soldier would he still not be a reservist? Mobilised at the start of the war and then sent to the Isle of Wight until being drafted to France.

Anyway.... Its 'im! sure of it.

Cheers

Terry

p.s. what was his service number?
 
Hello Terry

Arthur Vickers service number was 8547

There is a good biographical article about Arthur in the Birmingham Historian Issue 28 Spring 2006 pages 5-12 by Chris Sutton.
 
Hello Terry

Thank you so much - I am absolutely bowled over by all these photographs and cuttings. I spent some time in Central Library on Saturday and found some interesting bits and pieces on the Battle of Loos - including a poem with makes reference to the 'men from the Midlands' playing football to pass the time before the Battle started. I guess Arthur Vickers might have been one of those men - would explain my dad and grandad's love of the game!

Thanks again - I'm really grateful for any information.

Laura
 
Think this thread has lost some of its attachments over time. Here is one from digital-ladywood.org.uk from the Birmingham Mail
 
Aidan said:
Think this thread has lost some of its attachments over time. Here is one from digital-ladywood.org.uk from the Birmingham Mail
Click to expand...

Thanks for the attachment Aiden, I have saved some of the forum attachments but like you say some have now gone
 
Although the story in post one has more passion, here is his Gazette citation https://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/29371/supplements/11450

3719 Private Arthur Vickers, 2nd Battalion,
The Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
For most conspicuous .bravery on 25th
September, 1915, during operations before
Hulluch.
During an attack by his battalion on
• the first line German trenches, Private
Vickers, on his- own initiative and with the
utmost bravery, went forward in front of
his company under, very heavy shell, rifle and
machine-gun fire, and cut the wires which
were holding up a great part of the. battalion.
- Although it was broad daylight at the time
he carried out this work standing up. His
gallant action contributed largely to the
success of the assault.
.
His medal is held by the Royal Warwickshire Regiment Museum, Warwick

I am trying to gather the stories of all VC & GC holders connected with Birmingham at https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=31785
 
Arthur Vickers was the great uncle of my friend Sue. Her grandmother told her of Arthur and her shock when he returned home swathed in bandages around his head. I managed to purchase his Gallaher cigarette card for her last year. His medal used to be displayed at Aston Hall, but as you say is now in Warwick, I will be there this weekend so hope to take a photo of it for her.
Arthur was born on 2 February 1882 and lived in Duddeston, his occupation was a brass caster. He tried at least three times to join the army but was rejected on the grounds of his height. When it got to the point where the majority of men were allowed to enlist he was able to join. He certainly was a brave man to do what he did. He died at the age of 62 of TB
 
Hi Laura, My Mum is Pauline Parkin, she is the daughter of Leslie Vickers brother to your grandad Billy!! Hope you are ok. She would like to hear from you, with any more info on Arthur Vickers. Many Thanks Julia.
 
thank you for this thead I have enjoyed reading all about Arthur, I have only just come across it, and it makes you sit back with awe at such heroic bravery in such a small frame, what a great little man not only a great amongst great Englishmen but a Brummie too.
paul
 
I would love to know more about Arthur Vickers. I firmly believe he is somehow connected to my mum's lineage as a Vickers from Aston.
Does anyone know who his parents were? Failing that I will order a birth certificate I guess.
Any VICKERS people on here I would like to hear from you to work out if we are from the same Vickers family.
My mum's father was Thomas Vickers and his father was also Thomas Vickers.
 
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