John Francis David Shaul. VC. in Boksburg Cemetery.

The grave of John Francis David Shaul. VC. may be found in Boksburg Cemetery. Google Earth co-ordinates for the cemetery are: 26° 13.227'S  28° 16.531'E or download the KMZ file.

Born on 11th September 1873 at King's Lynn, Norfolk and died on the 16th September, 1953 at Boksburg, South Africa. The VC was gazetted on the 28th September, 1900.
During the Battle of Magersfontein, South Africa on 11th December 1899, Corporal Shaul was seen to perform several acts of bravery which were witnessed not only by officers of his own Battalion, but officers of other Regiments. He was in charge of stretcher bearers. At one time he was seen encouraging his men to advance across open ground. During the day he was prominent dressing the wounds of men, and in one case, under extremely heavy fire, he went to a man who was lying with a severe back wound. With outstanding coolness and deliberation, he sat and dressed the man's wound. On its completion, he went quietly to another part of the battlefields, all the time under continuous and heavy fire, acting as calmly and unperturbed, as if no enemy existed.

Photograph by Derek Walker. June 2011