James Hewitson
English soldier (1892–1963); recipient of the Victoria Cross
James Hewitson VC (15 October 1892 – 2 March 1963) was an English soldier awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for valor in the face of the enemy, bestowed upon British and Commonwealth forces.
Details
Born in Coniston, Lancashire, 15 October 1892, he was a 25-year-old lance-corporal in the 1/4th Battalion, The King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place, for which he was awarded the VC.
For most conspicuous bravery, initiative and daring in action.
In a daylight attack on a series of crater posts, L./Cpl. Hewitson led his party to their objective with dash and vigour, clearing the enemy from both trench and dug-outs, killing in one dug-out six of the enemy who would not surrender. After capturing the final objective, he observed a hostile machine-gun team coming into action against his men. Working his way round the edge of the crater he attacked the team, killing four and capturing one. Shortly afterwards he engaged a hostile bombing party, which was attacking a Lewis-gun post. He routed the party, killing six of them.
The extraordinary feats of daring performed by this gallant N.C.O. crushed the hostile opposition at this point.
He died 2 March 1963 in Ulverston and is buried at St Andrew's Churchyard, Coniston.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “James Hewitson” is english soldier (1892–1963); recipient of the Victoria Cross. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through James, Hewitson and English, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “english soldier (1892–1963); recipient of the Victoria Cross” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6135991. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1892 and 1963.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “James Hewitson”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow James Hewitson primary sources, James Hewitson archive and James research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “James Hewitson”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “James Hewitson” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.