Victoria Cross hero honoured in Manchester

Jack, who was born in Leeds but lived in Manchester, was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) for gallantry during an attempted crossing of the Dialah River in March 1917.

The paving stone has been laid at the Manchester Jewish Museum, where a public memorial service took place on Sunday 7 May.

The Deputy Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Eddy Newman provided a welcome at the service which included an address by Rabbi Reuben Livingstone CF, Senior Jewish Chaplain to HM Forces.

In total, 628 Victoria Crosses were awarded in the First World War and commemorative paving stones are being laid to honour the bravery of its recipients.

The stones are being laid in the birthplaces of the VC recipients but as Jack grew up in Manchester, his family requested that his commemorative paving stone was placed in Manchester, a place he loved.

Deputy Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Eddy Newman, said:

Jack White was born Jacob Weiss on 23 December 1896 in Leeds.

The family subsequently moved to the Hightown district of Manchester.

Jack enlisted in the 6th (Service) Battalion King’s Own at the outbreak of the First World War and served in the Middle East – at Gallipoli and in Mesopotamia (Iraq).

He was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry during an attempted crossing of the Dialah River by Captain S. Patterson and 60 men of the Battalion, in March 1917.

The VC citation of Private Jack White, Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, states: