Jack Cornwell was born at the turn of the century on January 8th, 1900.

Whatever one might

say about Jack Cornwells upbringing, they certainly cant say that he lived the privileged life.
With a family struggling to make ends meet, he left school at age 13 to work as a Brook Bond
van tea boy.

The boy who just three years later would receive the Commonwealths highest military honor
was delivering tea as a 13-year-old in need of a paycheck.

When war broke out in 1914 Jack, like many youths of his time, would attempt to lie about
his age in order to enlist. And while he was initially unsuccessful, he was eventually able to
join the Royal Navy at the age of 15 as a Boy sailor, which was an official designation by the
Royal Navy as an underage sailor.

With the massive Royal Navy in a constant need for manpower, there has long been a Naval
tradition of teaching young men the sea life at an early age.
For young Jack, that would mean basic training at Keyham Naval Barracks in Davenport and
subsequent training as a sight setter or gun layer.

He was posted to the HMS Chester in May of 1916 as a Boy 1st class sailor and within a few
weeks, Jack would pass away a hero in one of the most striking Naval Battles of World War
1.

Battle of Jutland
In what would be the largest and most significant Naval battle of World War 1, the German
Navy would attempt to divide, surprise, and devastate British. In this way they hoped to break
the naval blockade on Germany.

Commanded by Admiral Scheer, the plan was to attack British shipping in an attempt to draw
out a portion of the British Navy. However, codebreakers had clued the British into a major
naval action on behalf of the Germans, and they were ready.

On May 31st, the German fleet initially scored major hits on a smaller British naval force,
before running head on into the full body of the British Royal Navy.

On one ship, HMS Chester, was the 16-year-old future Victoria Cross recipient aboard. The
gun positions on board were vulnerable to enemy fire making, and the HMS Chester was hit
over 17 times in three minutes by 150mm shellfire.

In one blast, Cornwells entire gun crew was killed and strewn across the deck. Massively
wounded with shrapnel sticking out of his chest, 16-year-old Jack Cornwell picked himself up
and returned to his gun ready for battle.
While he could have easily sought medical attention for his wounds, but he refused to leave
his post. When medical crews found Cornwell, he was mortally wounded and on the verge of
death, but still waiting at his gun for further orders.

A Boy Worthy of Honor

Cornwells gun on display at the Imperial War Museum. Photo Credit.

Young Jack was transported to a hospital on the mainland but died the morning of June 2nd
before his mother could arrive to see him. Jack was initially buried in a very inconspicuous
grave with just a few family members present.

However, after word got out of his story, his body was exhumed and he was given a full
military burial with all military honors. With many public dignitaries following on foot
behind the coffin, the story of Jack Cornwell became a sensation in England as a nation
recognized the bravery of a boy not yet 17 years old, standing firm in the face of the German
fleet.

Less than three months later, Jack Cornwell was recommended for the Victoria Cross for
conspicuous gallantry, which he had demonstrated by returning to his gun while mortally
wounded.

Regardless of his age, few can deny the bravery displayed by this young man. In the face of
danger and death, he stood firm.
The funeral procession of John Travers Cornwell VC at Manor Park on 29 July 1916.

His mother received the Victoria Cross on his behalf on November 16th, 1916 by King George
V at Buckingham Palace. The young boy had become a national hero and a stellar
representative for all the young men who served in the British Navy during the war.

There was not a picture of young Jack available, and most representations you see of him are
those of his younger brother dressed up in a naval uniform to convey his likeness.

While history may never be ever to lay eyes on the young man, it will not forget the third
youngest human ever to receive the Victoria Cross.

Harrier Pilot Lands On STOOL On

Aircraft Carrier After Landing Gear Fails
MILITARY VEHICLES
VIDEO

Jun 21, 2016 Joris Nieuwint

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Flying an airplane at the best of time demands enormous skill, years of training and the ability
to keep a cool head, no matter what goes wrong. When an aircrafts landing gear
malfunctions, however, it really does take an exceptional pilot to stay calm and to maneuver
through such a difficult and dangerous situation.

An American pilot who was flying a Marine Corps Harrier jump jet at the time managed
to pull of a breath-taking vertical landing, successfully bringing his airplane to rest on a stool
aboard the USS Bataan. Just after taking off from that same amphibious assault ship, the
planes landing gear failed to deploy. The subsequent landing an amazing feat on the part of
the pilot was filmed from the deck of the United Stated Navy assault ship.

USS Bataan (LHD-5) is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, which was originally
commissioned back in 1997. The ship was actually named to honor the memory of those who
defended Bataan Peninsula. This heroic incident took place on the western side of Manila Bay
in the Philippines, during the early days of US involvement in the Second World War.

After the defenders surrendered to the Japanese forces, the infamous Bataan Death March
took place. Thousands of American and Philippine soldiers were killed, and the event was
later recognized as a war crime.

On June 7th 2014, Captain William Mahoney was flying an AV-8B Harrier. This powerful
fighter plane was originally developed in the United Kingdom, in the 1970s, and it is capable
of taking off and landing vertically. Although the Harrier has one jet engine it has four
nozzles that direct the jet engine thrust downwards for vertical lift.

Despite its technological advancements, the plane is sometimes referred to as the window-
maker by members of the military, as it has an accident rate three times higher than other
similar aircraft. Specifically, the majority of problems have arisen when taking off or landing,
and that is exactly what Mahoney was dealing with in 2014.

After the pilot took off from the USS Bataan, he became aware of a potential problem with
his landing gear. Just to be sure, he made a low pass over the ship, and his fears were
confirmed the landing gear in the nose had not deployed.

The US Marine Corps has actually developed a piece of equipment for just such a problem; a
massive stool which supports the fighter planes nose. Now all the pilot had to do was land on
it, but that was easier said than done.

There was no room for error in this tense and extremely risky situation. If he missed the stool
the large $30 million plane would crash directly into the deck of the USS Bataan. This would
not only damage the aircraft and put the pilot in great danger, but it could also ignite the fuel
on board, raising the takes even higher.