Did you know that arguably the most famous Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross (the most prestigious decoration of the British decorations system) was a man by the name of Tasker Watkins (18 November 1918 – 9 September 2007)?
Who Was Tasker Watkins?
Watkins, from Nelson (Glamorgan), was a Major of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, Welch Regiment. It was during the Second World War when Watkins would become recognised as the hero he was – also becoming the first Welshman of the British Army to receive the VC during the war.
This citation from the London Gazette explains his act of heroism in detail:
‘In North-West Europe on the evening, of 16th August, 1944, Lieutenant Watkins was commanding a company of the Welch Regiment. The battalion was ordered to attack objectives near the railway at Bafour. Lieutenant Watkin’s company had to cross open cornfields in which booby traps had been set. It was not yet dusk and the company soon came under heavy machine-gun fire from posts in the com and farther back, and also fire from an 88 mm. gun; many casualties were caused and the advance was slowed up.
Lieutenant Watkins, the only officer left, placed himself at the head of his men and under short range fire charged two posts in succession, personally killing or wounding the occupants with his Sten gun. On reaching his objective he found an anti-tank gun manned by a German soldier; his Sten gun jammed, so he threw it in the German’s face and shot him with his pistol before he had time to recover.
Lieutenant Watkin’s company now had only some 30 men left and was counter-attacked by 50 enemy infantry. Lieutenant Watkins directed the fire of his men and then led a bayonet charge, which resulted in the almost complete destruction of the enemy. It was now dusk and orders were given for the battalion to withdraw. These orders were not received by Lieutenant Watkin’s company as the wireless set had been destroyed. They now found themselves alone and surrounded in depleted numbers and in failing light.
Lieutenant Watkins decided to rejoin his battalion by passing round the flank of the enemy position through which he had advanced but while passing through the cornfields once more, he was challenged by an enemy post at close range. He ordered his men to scatter and himself charged the post with a Bren gun and silenced it. He then led the remnants of his company back to battalion headquarters.
His superb gallantry and total disregard for his own safety during an extremely difficult period were responsible for saving the lives of his men, and had a decisive influence on the course of the battle.’
After the war, he would become President of the Welsh Rugby Union from 1993 to 2004 and was often described as the “Greatest Living Welshman”. His statue was unveiled outside of the Principality Stadium (Cardiff) in 2009.
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Niklas is the founder, owner, manager, editor, writer, video creator, voice over artist, and so forth, of Welsh Histories. He is passionate about the preservation of Welsh culture; the rejuvenation of the Welsh language and the promotion of Welsh history. Niklas currently resides in Pune, Maharashtra, with his beloved wife.