SHAUL, JOHN DAVID FRANCIS,
Corporal, son of Sergeant John Shaul, 2nd Battalion Royal Scots (veteran of
the Crimean and China (1860) Campaigns), was born at King's Lynn, Norfolk,
on 11 September 1873, and educated at the Duke of York's School, Chelsea.
At the age of fifteen he joined the 1st Battalion Highland Light Infantry,
and served in Crete during the fighting in 1898. He served throughout the
Boer War, receiving the Queen's and King's Medals with five clasps, besides
the Victoria Cross. His commanding officers at Magersfontein were
Lieutenant Colonel H R Kelham, CB, and Major T Richardson, DSO.
Corporal Shaul was decorated with the Victoria Cross by HRH the Duke of York
at Pietermaritzburg, 14 August 1901. The decoration was gazetted 28
September 1900: "J Shaul, Corporal, Highland Light Infantry. Date of Act of
Bravery: 11 December 1899. On the 11th December 1899, during the Battle of
Magersfontein, Corporal Shaul was observed, not only by the officers of his
own battalion, but by several officers of other regiments, to perform
several specific acts of bravery. Corporal Shaul was in charge of
stretcher-bearers; but at one period of the battle he was seen encouraging
men to advance across the open. He was most conspicuous during the day in
dressing men's wounds, and in one case he came, under a heavy fire, to a man
who was lying wounded in the back, and with the utmost coolness and
deliberation sat down beside the wounded man and proceeded to dress his
wound. Having done this, he got up and went quietly to another part of the
field. This act of gallantry was performed, under a continuous and heavy
fire, as coolly and quietly as if there had been no enemy near".
His regiment was next posted to Egypt and the Soudan, where he served during
1903 and 1904. He was awarded the LS&GC in April 1907, whilst
stationed in India, and left the regiment in October 1909, having served for
21 years.
In 1910, he emigrated to South Africa, where he worked at the East
Rand Proprietry Goldmine in Boksburg. Shortly afterwards he joined the
Imperial Light Horse and became their Bandmaster. During the Great War
he enlisted on 20 December 1915, and served with the 5th South African
Infantry in East Africa in 1916 until invalided home with dysentery later in
the year. He was discharged medically unfit on 8 November 1916, and is
entitled to the British War and Victory Medals only for his war services.
He is not entitled to the 1914-15 Star which he has clearly added to his
group of medals for personal reasons. For 27 years he served as
Bandmaster with the Boksburg Military Band which was founded in 1912 and had
the honour to entertain the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) and Prince
George (later Duke of Kent) during their visits to Boksburg.
John Shaul received the MSM in 1946, and retired from the East Rand
Proprietry Goldmine in 1948. He married Ester Maria McNally at Aliwal
North on 14 July 1902, and had three sons, John Richard, Francis David, and
Thomas James, the last of whom died as a Lieutenant in the South African
Medical Corps in September 1940. John Shaul died at Boksburg, South
Africa, on 14 September 1953, just 3 days after celebrating his 80th
birthday.
Shaul died at Boksburg, South Africa, on 14 September 14 1953, aged 80.
He was buried in the Boksburg Cemetery.
VC (suspension bar engraved ‘Corporal J. Shaul, Highland Lt. Infty.’, the
reverse centre engraved ‘11th Decr. 1899’),
QSA (3) CC Witt Tr (..3 Cpl. J. F. D. Shaul, High. Lt. Infy.), KSA
(2) (3113 Serjt. J. D. Shaul, V.C. Highland L.I.), 1914-15 Star (7407 Sgt.
Major J. F. D. Shaul, V.C., 5th S.A.I.), BWM, bi-lingual VM (S/S.M. J. F. D.
Shaul, 5th S.A.I.), 1937 Coronation privately named (J. F. D. Shaul, V.C.),
Army LS&GC Ed VII (3113 Bnd. Sjt. J. F. D. Shaul, V.C. Highland L.I.),
MSM GVI
(3113 Sjt. J. F. D. Shaul, (V.C.) H.L.I.).
DNW Apr 06 £140,000.
Picture courtesy of DNW.
