John Standish Surtees Prendergast Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort

John Standish Surtees Prendergast Vereker, born in London on 10 July 1886, inherited the Anglo-Irish title of 6th Viscount Gort at sixteen following his father's death. Educated at Harrow School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, he entered the Grenadier Guards as a second lieutenant on 16 August 1905 and reached lieutenant eighteen months later. Official army records do not assign him a personal officer service number. Early royal distinction came in May 1910 when he commanded the Grenadier Guards coffin bearer detachment at the funeral of King Edward VII, an appointment for which he was made a Member of the Royal Victorian Order.

The outbreak of the First World War in August 1914 brought deployment to France as a captain. Serving continuously on the Western Front, he demonstrated staff work and field leadership, earning an appointment as Brigade Major to the 4th (Guards) Brigade in April 1915. Repeated decoration followed gallantry under fire. He received the Military Cross in June 1915, followed by the Distinguished Service Order in June 1917 while commanding the 4th Battalion, Grenadier Guards as a brevet major and temporary lieutenant-colonel. Subsequent actions on the Western Front brought two additional awards of the Distinguished Service Order—a First Bar in September 1917 and a Second Bar in January 1918—placing him among a small group of officers holding the award with two Bars. Throughout the war he was wounded four times and mentioned in despatches eight times.

The ultimate award for valour occurred during the Allied offensive against the Hindenburg Line at the Battle of the Canal du Nord on 27 September 1918. Commanding the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, Viscount Gort personally directed his troops under heavy fire across open ground near Flesquières. Despite sustaining severe shell wounds, he refused evacuation until the objective was secured and defensive positions organised. For these actions, King George V approved the award of the Victoria Cross, the highest gallantry decoration conferred upon him. The complete official citation, published in The London Gazette on 27 November 1918, reads:

"For most conspicuous bravery, skilful leading and devotion to duty during the attack of the Guards Division on 27th September, 1918, across the Canal Du Nord, near Flesquières, when in command of the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, the leading battalion of the 3rd Guards Brigade. Under heavy artillery and machine-gun fire, he led his battalion with great skill and determination to the “forming-up” ground, where very severe fire from artillery and machine guns was again encountered. Although wounded, he quickly grasped the situation, directed a platoon to proceed down a sunken road to make a flanking attack, and, under terrific fire, went across open ground to obtain the assistance of a Tank, which he personally led and directed to the best possible advantage. While thus fearlessly exposing himself, he was again severely wounded by a shell. Notwithstanding considerable loss of blood, after lying on a stretcher for awhile, he insisted on getting up and personally directing the further attack. By his magnificent example of devotion to duty and utter disregard of personal safety all ranks were inspired to exert themselves to the utmost, and the attack resulted in the capture of over 200 prisoners, two batteries of field guns and numerous machine guns. Lt.-Col. Viscount Gort then proceeded to organise the defence of the captured position until he collapsed; even then he refused to leave the field until he had seen the “success signal” go up on the final objective. The successful advance of the battalion was mainly due to the valour, devotion and leadership of this very gallant officer."

During the interwar years, Viscount Gort graduated from the Staff College, Camberley, returning as an instructor and serving as Commandant from 1936 to 1937. Advancement through senior ranks proceeded rapidly: appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1928, promoted major-general in 1935, and made Companion of the Order of the Bath in May 1937. In December 1937, War Secretary Leslie Hore-Belisha selected him as Chief of the Imperial General Staff to oversee army rearmament. He was created Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in January 1938.

At the start of the Second World War in September 1939, Viscount Gort assumed command of the British Expeditionary Force deployed to France. When the German armoured penetration through the Ardennes in May 1940 threatened total encirclement, he exercised command discretion on 25 May by abandoning an ordered Anglo-French counter-offensive toward Arras. Directing British divisions northwards to establish a perimeter around Dunkirk, he enabled Operation Dynamo, evacuating over 338,000 Allied soldiers across the English Channel between 26 May and 4 June 1940. He was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 1940.

Promoted field marshal in January 1943, Viscount Gort held vital Mediterranean commands. Serving as Governor of Gibraltar from May 1941 to May 1942, he strengthened defence preparations against potential Axis entry into Spain. Transferred as Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Malta in May 1942 during the peak of the air siege, he supervised island defence, strict food rationing, and convoy supply efforts. Upon landing in Malta, he presented the physical George Cross awarded collectively to the populace by King George VI. His final active position was High Commissioner for Palestine and Transjordan from November 1944 until ill health forced his return to Britain in late 1945. Viscount Gort died at Guy's Hospital, London, on 31 March 1946.