RDHS Members at the unveiling of the plaque on 46 High Street South - Birthplace of Bernard Vann

Alfred Vann was an ambitious man. Coming from a working class background, he studied hard and was determined to succeed in his chosen profession. While at South End School he frequently attended courses at Oxford University and obtained his MA degree in 1898. He left Rushden in 1899 to become Head Master at Chichele Grammar School in Higham Ferrers. His sons naturally became pupils at the same school. Bernard, who excelled at sport, became captain of soccer, hockey and cricket.

Alfred was only forty-six when he died on the 2^nd September 1906 at 9, Market Place, Higham Ferrers. In his will he left £396. 17s, a small sum even in those days, and probate was granted to his eldest son, Alfred George Thomas Simpson Vann and Edward Stow, a butcher.

At this time Hannah Vann’s unmarried brother, the Rev. Thomas Crompton Simpson, was rector of Coates, near Cirencester in Gloucestershire and after Alfred’s death Hannah went to live with him. Bernard seems to have regarded his Uncle’s house as his home. On his Attestation papers, signed in 1914, he gave Coates Rectory as his home address, and his wife was living there at the time of his death in 1918.

On leaving school, Bernard went to teach at Ashby de la Zouche Grammar School. While there, he played soccer for Northampton Town and Derby County , and hockey for Leicestershire. He still has a reputation at Ashby School as a charismatic teacher who had a considerable influence over his pupils, many of whom would have been almost his age. The head boy at the time, Philip Bent, also won the V.C. in World War 1. While at the school he accompanied the New Pilgrim Club on a football tour through Bohemia , Austria and Hungary .

Bernard went up to Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1907 and quickly established a reputation on the sports field and in the debating society.

According to “The Chanticleer”, the Jesus College magazine, May 1909
“His cheerful confidence, inspired by a superficial knowledge of German, was found on at least one occasion a source of great inconvenience to its proud possessor...” [Memories of the football tour perhaps?]

From the same issue’s Hockey Notes

“(outside right) B.W.Vann The most dashing forward on the side; very fast and clever individually; can centre well, but is inclined to be selfish”.

And from the Soccer Notes of the same magazine, Lent Term 1909

“Centre B.W.Vann. A dashing forward, possessing both pace and weight; is rather erratic in his passing; a good shot with either foot, he is always very dangerous in front of goal.”

A few years later he became even more dangerous when faced with more serious opposition.

Then, Lent Term 1910

“Centre- B.W.Vann (Capt.) A hard-working captain and a good bustling forward. Has greatly strengthened the forward line.

Bernard Vann at Jesus College

Bernard was awarded his “blue” for hockey in 1910 and played for the university several times.

He was also a sergeant in the University Officers’ Corp. As well as his love of sport, Bernard seems to have enjoyed public speaking. He was secretary of “The Farragoes” and a co-founder and later president of another debating society called “The Roosters”. His debating style appears to have met with some hilarity from his friends.

The Chanticleer again:

To B. W. Vann
“His speech was like a tangled chain; nothing impaired but all disordered. Who is next?” - Midsummer Night’s Dream.

“With the Wild Geese” by Vannley Weyman.

A story dealing with a Society called The Roosters. The author has used that vivid torrential style of writing with which we are all familiar. It is perhaps overdoing the dramatic to leave alternate sentences unfinished..

And in the Lent term 1910 issue -

“His speeches were early remarkable for a certain native eloquence quite untrammelled by any consideration of grammatical lucidity. These natural powers of expression gave him more difficulty when he essayed an entry into the field of erotic poetry, '..an ode to a certain local virginity'”

So with his time apparently spent between the sports field and the debating society, to say nothing of his poetry, it is perhaps not too surprising that Bernard left Cambridge with a rather disappointing third in part 1 of the History Tripos and a second in part 2.

Academically he did not shine but was obviously a popular and charismatic figure. In the days when most of his fellow students were the sons of rich and important families, it is remarkable that a lad from a comparatively modest background made such an impression.

Bernard left Jesus College in 1910, having decided to follow his uncle, the Rev. Thomas Simpson into the church. In August 1910 he accepted the offer of a title from the Vicar of St. Barnabas, Leicester. In September he went to St. Petersburg, possibly to attend a family wedding but returned for his ordination on 30^th September, at Peterborough. [Note from Douglas Rowe, April 2010: The wedding was of a relative of his older brother's wife, a minor member of the Russian aristocracy.]

The St. Barnabas Parish magazine recorded his welcome as assistant junior curate in November 1910 and in January 1912 congratulated him on his ordination to the priesthood.

He obviously continued to play football because in October 1912 he was seriously injured in a game at Oundle. He was badly concussed and was in bed for a week. He convalesced at Goscote Hall, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Fielding Johnson. He returned to his duties but officiating at a funeral brought on a relapse and he was forbidden to work again before the end of the year.

In January 1913 he took up a new post as chaplain and assistant master, teaching History and Theology, at Wellingborough School and, not surprisingly, coached football and cricket.

Then on 28^th June 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated at Sarajevo and Europe rushed to war.

Bernard Vann V.C.

He signed his Attestation Papers on 31^st August 1914 and became a private in the 28^th ( County of London ) Battalion, The Artists’ Rifles. He stated that he was twenty-seven years and one month old, that he was a schoolmaster, that his home address was Coates Rectory, Cirencester and that he was in the employ of P. A. Fryer Esq. at The School, Wellingborough. His medical report gave his height as five feet ten and a half inches and his chest measurement as thirty eight and a half inches. His vision was six over six and his physical development was “good”. He was passed “fit for service”.

Two days later he was commissioned into the 1/8 Battalion Sherwood Foresters as a Second  Lieutenant and arrived in France in February 1915.

At Kemmel, on 24th April, the small advance trench that he was in was blown up causing him to be badly bruised and he was buried for a short time. Digging himself out, he rapidly organised the defence and under heavy fire rescued others who were buried.

He was made a temporary Captain on 6^th June and then on 15^th August he was awarded the Military Cross and in October took part in the battle of Loos. His brother, Captain A. H. A. Vann of the 12^th West Yorkshire regiment, who “combined well” with him on the football field, had been killed in the same battle in September.

In October 1915 Vann was badly wounded in an assault on the Hollenzollern redoubt, but continued to throw grenades until ordered away.

Subsequently the proceedings of a Medical Board state -

“At the place and date recorded he was wounded in the left forearm. The bullet passed through; the wound of entrance being on the anterior surface a hand’s breadth below the bend of the elbow. The exit wound on the posterior external aspect. The radial nerve was contused. There is paralysis on this area of the distribution”.

The injury was classed as “severe not permanent” and it was calculated that Vann would be ready for service after a period of one and a half months.

He was promoted to Captain on 1^st June 1916 and in the same month [20^th] to Acting Major. He led a daring raid in September 1916 against enemy trenches near Bellacourt and finding a dug-out full of Germans he ordered them out. Two came at him with fixed bayonets, so he killed one and wounded the other and the rest surrendered. For this he won a bar to his M.C.

He returned to England later the same month suffering severely from neuritis caused by his many wounds.

On 27^th December 1916 Bernard was married to Doris Victoria Beck, a Canadian nursing aide. Doris was twenty years old and Bernard twenty-seven. Doris and her sister Helen were studying in Paris when she and Bernard met and the marriage took place, by licence, at St. Paul ’s Church, Knightsbridge. Both the bride and groom were staying at the Alexandra Hotel , Hyde Park Corner.

In February 1917 the French awarded him the Croix de Guerre with palm. He was then at the Adjutant Command School until July.

He assumed command of the 1/6 Battalion the Sherwood Foresters in September and was promoted to acting Lieutenant Colonel on 6^th October 1917.

After a short period in England Vann returned to his battalion on 3^rd April 1918 but on 23^rd May he was admitted to hospital for a stay of two weeks.

At the end of August Bernard and Doris enjoyed a ten day leave in Paris, possibly the last time they met.

Lt. Col. Vann won his posthumous Victoria Cross on 29^th September 1918.

The Citation printed in the London Gazette reads

“For most conspicuous bravery, devotion to Duty and fine leadership during the attack at Bellenglise and Lehaucourt on 29^th September 1918. He lead his battalion with great skill across the Canal du Nord through a very thick fog and heavy fire from field and machine guns. On reaching the high ground above Bellenglise, the whole attack was held up by fire of all descriptions from the front and right flank. Realizing that everything depended on the advance going forward with the barrage, Lt. Col. Vann rushed up to the firing line, and with the greatest gallantry led the line forward. By his prompt action and contempt for danger the whole situation was changed, the men were encouraged and the line swept forward. Later he rushed a field gun single handed, and knocked out three of the detachment. The success of the day was in no small degree due to the splendid gallantry and fine leadership displayed by this officer”. [Note from Douglas Rowe: The Citation is wrong. The Canal du Nord had been crossed 3 days previously. This was the St Quentin Canal and the War Diary and the War Record both clearly state it was the St Quentin Canal.]

He was killed by a sniper on 3^rd October when his Battalion was in position ready to go forward in the attack on the Fonsomme-Beaurevoir line. The Battalion captured their final objective that day, subsequently beating off all the massed German counter attacks, which were unable to dislodge them.

Bernard and Doris’ son, Bernard Geoffrey was born on 2^nd June 1919.

Bernard's medals worn by his grandson at the plaque unveiling

He is buried in the Bellicourt British Cemetery .

From his obituary in “The Wellingburian” - the magazine of Wellingborough School -

“He never forgot that he was a priest of God, for it was his greatest joy to be able to do the double duty of commanding his battalion and giving Communion to the sick and wounded.”

A fellow officer wrote in The Times -

“I can think of him only as a fighter, not merely against the enemy in the field, but a fighter against everything  and everybody that was not an influence for good to his men.

“His many friends will rejoice that the constant gallantry and magnificent example of this fine Christian gentleman has been recognised by the highest award the country can bestow”.