The John Cornwell Incident

This is a colour reproduction after a portrait by Frank O Salisbury painted in commemoration of John 'Jack' Cornwell, the youngest First World War recipient of the Victoria Cross. Jack Cornwell gallantly fought in the Battle of Jutland aboard the HMS Chester. He was given the dangerous role of calibrating aim for one of the ship's forward 5.5 inch guns. Under heavy fire, all of the gun's crew were killed except for Jack, who stayed at his post despite being severely wounded. He died two days later aged 16 and in September 1916 King George V presented his mother with his posthumous Victoria Cross.