Today, on our first Armistice Day at our new website, we are going to start an annual routine and pick a military portrait, at random, then see how much we can discover about the person portrayed.
This is a very unusual and striking card, where the portrait is actually inset within a Victoria Cross medal - first awarded in June 1857. On the back of the card it tells us that the portrait is of Sergeant Major Harry M Daniels (2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade) and that the medal was won because he "courageously dashed ahead and cut wire entanglements at Neuve Chapelle (12/3/15). He was soon wounded by heavy machine-gun fire and his comrade in the deed, Corp. C. R. Noble, V.C., has since died of his wounds. Photo Farringdon."
It seems likely that this has been taken from the citation, which was printed in the newspapers, which reads "For most conspicuous bravery on 12th March, 1915, at Neuve Chapelle. When their battalion was impeded in the advance to the attack by wire entanglements, and subjected to a very severe machine-gun fire, these two men voluntarily rushed in front and succeeded in cutting the wires. They were both wounded at once, and Corporal Noble has since died of his wounds."
Harry M. Daniels was born in Norwich, Norfolk, on December 13, 1884 - and he is often said to be the first person from that county to win the Victoria Cross. This is not true, that honour goes to Henry Ward, born at Harleston, who was born in 1823 and was dead almost twenty years before our man breathed his first. He won his Victoria Cross during the Indian Mutiny, at the end of September 1857, just three months after its debut. And just over five hundred of them would be awarded up to the start of the First World War - a total only beaten by the six hundred and twenty eight which were awarded during it. After that the amount given out dwindles, and only just over two hundred have been awarded in the years between 1918 and the present day.
However, unless I find otherwise, it looks like our man was the first Norfolk man to be awarded the V.C. during the First World War, though this was only presented to him on 15 May 1915. But this is almost certainly where the confusion comes in.
Sadly our man had a difficult childhood, which saw him and his siblings orphaned and split up, he ran away to sea. His brother found a different adventure, and he joined the army, serving with the Coldstream Guards in the Boer War, where he was killed. As soon as our man was old enough, he also joined the army, but in the Rifle Brigade. He found himself in India, where his bravery and independence saw him rise swiftly through the ranks, and he seems to have done much the same during the First World War.
There is one very strange thing, for he was reported killed in action in September 1915, much to the sadness of his wife, to whom he had been wed less than a year. However this proved not to be true. It would not affect his bravery either and he would later be awarded the Military Cross as well.
This is an odd set, which is often called "V.C. Heroes" but is actually part of a larger set which is untitled, though has been given the adopted title of "War Series - World War I". This is described in our original World Tobacco Issues Index as :
WAR SERIES - WORLD WAR I (A). Sm. 63 x 37-38 ... C102-42
1. Admirals, Warships and Leaders. Nd. 1/50. See H.103
2. V.C. Heroes. Nd. 51-100