John Crawshaw Raynes

He gave his gas mask to a casualty then returned to his gun.

John Crawshaw Raynes was born in Sheffield in 1887 and educated at Heeley. He worked for a coal merchant before joining the Royal Artillery in 1904. After six years of service he entered the reserve and became a Leeds policeman. He married Mabel Dawson in 1907 and they raised two surviving sons. Mobilised in August 1914, he initially instructed recruits, declining a commission and repeatedly volunteering for active service before reaching France in 1915.

At Fosse 7 near Loos on 11 October 1915, Raynes went to a wounded sergeant, dressed his injuries and returned to his gun. When the battery paused, he carried the casualty to shelter. As gas shells fell, he put his own gas helmet on the wounded man and returned to duty, suffering gas poisoning himself.

The next day shellfire brought a house down over him and other soldiers. Once freed, he insisted on helping dig out the remaining men. After his own wounds were dressed, he reported for duty again. These repeated acts earned the Victoria Cross, presented that December.

Promoted to battery sergeant major, Raynes continued in training appointments but never fully recovered. He was discharged unfit in December 1918 and rejoined Leeds police, eventually taking desk work as his health declined. Spinal disease left him paralysed and dependent on his wife's care. Local subscriptions helped provide suitable accommodation. He died in Leeds in November 1929 and was buried in Harehills Cemetery, with fellow VC recipients attending his funeral.

Official Victoria Cross citation

On 11th October, 1915, at Fosse 7 de Bethune, his battery was being heavily bombarded by armour-piercing and gas shells. On “Cease fire” being ordered Serjeant Raynes went out under an intense shell fire to assist Serjeant Ayres, who was lying wounded forty yards away. He bandaged him, and returned to his gun when it was again ordered into action. A few minutes later “Cease fire” was again ordered owing to the intensity of the enemy’s fire, and Serjeant Raynes, calling on two gunners to help him - both of whom were killed shortly afterwards - went out and carried Serjeant Ayres into a dug-out. A gas shell burst at the mouth of the dug-out, and Serjeant Raynes once more ran across the open, fetched his own smoke helmet, put it on Serjeant Ayres and then, himself badly gassed, staggered back to serve his gun. On 12th October, 1915, at Quality Street, a house was knocked down by a heavy shell, four men being buried in the house and four in the cellar. The first man rescued was Serjeant Raynes, wounded in the head and leg, but he insisted on remaining under heavy shell fire to assist in the rescue of all the other men. Then, after having his wounds dressed, he reported himself immediately for duty with his battery, which was again being heavily shelled.

Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 16 November 1915. 18 November 1915, Numb. 29371, p. 11449.