People of Angus
Charles Alfred Jarvis: Scottish V.C. of World War One
Charles Alfred Jarvis won fame as a Scottish hero when he became the first man to be awarded the Victoria Cross in the Great War. Although born in Fraserburgh, he spent his early years in Carnoustie, and the Angus burgh claims him as an illustrious son.
Charles was born on 29th March 1881 in the Admiralty Buildings, Saltoun Place, Fraserburgh. He was the eldest son of a Coastguard, also named Charles Alfred Jarvis, who himself was decorated for bravery, being awarded the Royal Humane Society medal for saving two boys from drowning at Berwick. Charles’ mother was Mary Jane Byth from Rosehearty. The Jarvis family moved away from Fraserburgh when Charles senior was transferred to Rattray Coastguard Station shortly after his son’s birth. Subsequently they were relocated again, this time to Carnoustie. Charles was about eight by the time of this second move, and completed his education at Carnoustie School. Aged sixteen, he was confirmed at Carnoustie’s Holyrood Church. On leaving school, Charles was taken on as an apprentice plumber, but was unable to complete the apprenticeship following a family tragedy. His mother and elder sister died within a month of each other in 1898, and two years later Charles senior was also dead.
In 1899 Charles enlisted in the Royal Engineers at Chatham and was sent to Singapore where his unit was involved in the construction of military works. He was transferred to the Reserve in 1907 and worked as a telegraphist in London. On the outbreak of war, Charles was called up and sent to France with the Royal Engineers. He was 33 years old and had attained the rank of Lance Corporal.
The war was only three weeks old when Charles Jarvis was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry in blowing up the Bridge of Jemappes to cover the retreat of the army from Mons. The British Expeditionary Force had moved up to the Mons-Conde canal during the night of 22nd-23rd August 1914, intending to advance into Belgium the next morning. It soon became clear, however, that they were vastly outnumbered, and the order was given to defend the line of the Canal and destroy the bridges. The hazardous task of demolishing the bridges was made even more dangerous by chronic shortages of manpower and equipment. Lance Corporal Jarvis and Sapper Neary were allocated the Lock 2 bridge at Jemappes. Working from a small boat held in position by two infantrymen, Jarvis and Neary painstakingly applied demolition charges to the girder supports. All the while they were in full view of the enemy and under intense fire. As their situation worsened, Jarvis sent the infantrymen back into cover. He himself continued to work for over an hour, occasionally dashing back for extra explosives and to run out the leads. As the gunfire intensified, the infantry themselves were forced to fall back, leaving Jarvis dangerously exposed. An electrical exploder was now needed to set away the demolition - but there was only one to destroy five bridges spaced three miles apart. Ducking down in the boat, Jarvis pulled himself along the bank to safety. It was nothing short of a miracle that he escaped unhurt. Only one of the eight bridges allocated to 57th Field Company was destroyed, but this in no way detracts from the heroism of those who attempted it.
Two months later, Jarvis was wounded and invalided home, where he was employed in the Portsmouth Admiralty dockyard. He returned to Scotland in 1943 and married Janet Grace Black, a widow from Cupar, Fife. The couple lived in St Monance. Charles died in Dundee Royal Infirmary on 19th November 1948, and is buried in Cupar. In Carnoustie, he is commemorated with a bronze plaque erected by the local branch of the British Legion in a street named Jarvis Place.
© Angus Council 1998 - 2011