Sergeant John William Ormsby.
Sergeant John William Ormsby.Not many schools can say that one of their former pupils was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) – this country’s highest medal for gallantry in the face of the enemy.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the award of the VC to Sergeant John William Ormsby, who attended St. Paulinus School in the 1880s. He fought in France during the First World War and received the VC for ‘conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty’.
He survived the war and returned to Westtown, Dewsbury, where he was greatly respected by local people. When he died in 1952, his coffin was taken by army truck from St. Paulinus Church to Dewsbury Cemetery and around 600 people lined the route to pay their respects.
We are proud to remember him, along with all members of the armed forces who have died in the line of duty, as we celebrate Remembrance Day tomorrow.