9 0 ▁to ▁mother ▁Minn ie ▁Jane ▁and ▁coal ▁min er ▁father , ▁Joseph , ▁who ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁he wer ▁at ▁Sh erd ley ▁Col li ery . ▁Young ▁John , ▁who ▁was ▁always ▁known ▁as ▁Jack , ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁Holy ▁Tr inity ▁school ▁in ▁Par r . ▁He ▁left ▁school ▁at ▁twelve ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁mines . ▁ ▁Details ▁He ▁was ▁ 2 6 ▁years ▁old , ▁and ▁a ▁ser ge ant ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁Battalion , ▁The ▁Royal ▁F us ili ers , ▁British ▁Army ▁during ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War ▁when ▁the ▁following ▁de ed ▁took ▁place ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁V C . ▁ ▁On ▁ 9 ▁October ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁east ▁of ▁Lang em ar ck , ▁Belg ium , ▁during ▁an ▁attack ▁which ▁was ▁held ▁up ▁by ▁machine - gun ▁fire ▁and ▁causing ▁many ▁cas ual ties , ▁Serge ant ▁Mol y ne ux ▁organ ised ▁a ▁bomb ing ▁party ▁to ▁clear ▁the ▁tren ch ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁a ▁house . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁enemy ▁were ▁killed ▁and ▁a ▁machine - gun ▁captured . ▁The ▁ser ge ant ▁then ▁called ▁for ▁someone ▁to ▁follow ▁him ▁and ▁r ushed ▁for ▁the ▁house . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁extra ▁men ▁arrived ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁thick ▁of ▁a ▁hand - to - hand ▁fight ▁which ▁only ▁last ed ▁a ▁short ▁time ▁and ▁the ▁enemy ▁surrender ed . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁dead ▁and ▁wounded ▁between ▁ 2 0 ▁or ▁ 3