Deb:
Thanks. His nephew, Robert Loring Kerr and his wife, Harriet were Godparents
to my oldest sister.
Dave
===========
KERR, John Chipman
Private, 49th Bn., Alberta Regiment, Canadian Expeditionary Force Campaign
First World War
Age 29
Nationality; Canadian
Deed
On 16 September 1916 at Courcelette, France, during a bombing attack,
Private Kerr was acting as bayonet man and noting that bombs were running
short, he ran along the parados under heavy fire until he was in close
contact with the enemy when he opened fire at point-blank range, inflicting
heavy losses. The enemy, thinking that they were surrounded, surrendered -
62 prisoners were taken and 250 yards of enemy trench captured. Earlier,
Private Kerr's fingers had been blown off, but he did not have his wound
dressed until he and two other men had escorted the prisoners back under
fire and reported for duty.
VC Publicly Displayed
Canadian War Museum (Ottawa, Canada)
Relatives
Ian G.B. Kerr (Grandson)
Books
VCs of the First World War - The Somme (Gerald Gliddon, 1994) Detailed
biography and action account.
Books (common to all awardees)
Monuments To Courage (David Harvey, 1999) Provides an accurate record of
every known grave and memorial.
The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997) Provides the deed
summary on this page.
Source: the late Jack Wagstaff, undated.
==================================================================
On 13/10/11 8:04 PM, "everittdeb" <deb.everitt@...> wrote:
>
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> FIRST VICTORIA CROSS FOR NOVA SCOTIA
> It is now officially announced from Ottawa that King George has conford the
> Victoria Cross on
> Pte. John Chipman Kerr
> of Fox River, Cumb. Co., N. S.
> This, as we have mentiond before, is the first Victoria Cross to be won by a
> soldier lad from Nova Scotia.
> Pte. Kerr was in a hot place in the trenches. He was as brave, as men are
> made: and in an emergency he used his quick Bluenose brains and wit and
> virtually single-handed bagged three score and two Huns.
> In recounting this incident some Yankee papers have doubted the circumstances
> and assert that it never occurd. But facts are all against these "doubting
> Thomas's." and there is positive proof of 62 Huns walking to the rear, thru
> the bold bravery and wonderfully intelligent and quick action of this Nova
> Scotia hero - Pte. J. C. Kerr of Fox River.
> (Truro Daily News February 8, 1917, page 3)
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