The Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Victoria Cross Committee
Nottingham Castle
Victoria Cross
Memorial Project
Dedicated on the 7th May 2010
To Nottinghamshire's Twenty Recipient's of this Award
By The Proud People Of Nottinghamshire.
In The Grounds Of Our Beautiful Nottingham Castle
Our Patrons
Mr Mike Gee MBE
Mrs Dot Gee MBE
Councillor Jeannie Packer
The Committee
Mr A. Higton (Tony) Chairman
Mr G Allen (Geoff) Secretary
Mr C Stewart (Chris) Treasurer
Mr B Percival (Ben) Monuments
Mr P Higton (Pete)
Mr D Price (Derek)
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William Hackett was born 11 June 1873 to John and Harriet Hackett of Nottingham; he worked as a miner for 23 years in the Nottingham and Yorkshire coalfields, and was married to Alice. Hackett enlisted in the 254th Tunnelling Company, Corps of Royal Engineers, in October 1915, after being rejected three times by the York and Lancaster Regiment for being too old. He was 43 years old, and a Sapper in British Army during the First World War when he performed a deed for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross on 22 June/23 June 1916 at Shaftesbury Avenue Mine, near Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée, France
Citation
For most conspicuous bravery when entombed with four others in a gallery owing to the explosion of an enemy mine. After working for 20 hours, a hole was made through fallen earth and broken timber, and the outside party was met. Sapper Hackett helped three of the men through the hole and could easily have followed, but refused to leave the fourth, who had been seriously injured, saying," I am a tunneller, I must look after the others first." Meantime, the hole was getting smaller, yet he still refused to leave his injured comrade. Finally, the gallery collapsed, and though the rescue party worked desperately for four days the attempt to reach the two men failed. Sapper Hackett well knowing the nature of sliding earth, the chances against him, deliberately gave his life for his comrade".
The London Gazette, dated 4 August 1916
William Hackett VC Memorial.
On Saturday 19th June 2 members of the Nottingham and Nottinghashire Victoria Cross Committee attended the unveiling of the new William Hackett VC memorial at Givenchy-Les-La-Basse.
Mr Derek Price and Tony Higton and Tonys wife Mavis were greeted by the Mayor of Givenchy Monsieur Jacques Herbaut at the village hall, with the Mayor being presented with a Scroll of Honour from the Nottingham Castle Victoria Cross Memorial which also honoured William Hackett.
The William Hackett memorial was sited on the same site as the memorial to the 55th West Lancashire Division, and it faced the fields in which the tunnel was created. The memorial has a T shaped slot which when looked through focuses on the position of the shaft to the tunnel where William Hackett chose to remain with his comrade in arms. A line of red flags had been set out to illustrate the actual spot where William Hackett now lays.
The Royal Engineers provided the honour guard for the parade and also the Royal Engineers Band from Nottingham.
