Watch: the life of Jack Cornwell
Watch this animation for a short summary of Jack Cornwell's life.
NARRATOR: Jack Cornwell. Hero of Jutland.
Jack was born in 1900.
As a young boy, he joined the scouts and was proud of his badges.
His first job was as a delivery boy.
But when World War One began, Jack wanted to become a sailor.
He tried to join the Royal Navy in 1914 but was too young.
He tried again in 1915 and was accepted.
He learnt how to work as part of ship’s crew and to obey orders.
He trained as gun layer helping to aim the guns at a target.
In 1916, the Royal Navy was sent to sea.
They met German ships near Denmark and opened fire.
The battle of Jutland had begun.
The battle lasted for hours. Many men were killed.
Only Jack was left, wounded and in pain but he stayed by his gun waiting for orders.
When the battle was over, rescuers found Jack and took him to hospital in Grimsby.
He died before his mother had a chance to see him.
People read about Jack in the newspapers. He was a national hero.
Jack is remembered for his courage and is one of the youngest people to be awarded the Victoria Cross.
Why is Jack famous?
- Jack Cornwell was a young sailor who died during the Battle of Jutland, the biggest sea battle of World War One.
- He was awarded a Victoria Cross for his bravery in battle.
- Jack was one of the youngest people to be awarded a Victoria Cross during World War One.
Jack’s childhood
Jack, was born in Essex, in January 1900.
He was one of six children.
His father worked as a soldier, a milkman and a tram driver.
When Jack was 13 he left school to become a delivery boy, where he worked on vans delivering goods for a tea company.
He became a scout and loved outdoor adventures.
Joining the Navy
In August 1914 the war began.
Jack applied to the Navy. He was turned away because he was too young.
In July 1915 he tried again without his parents’ permission.
This time Jack was accepted into the Navy.
He learned how to aim the guns at a target, and how to obey orders.
The Battle of Jutland
After completing his training, Jack joined the crew of HMS Chester on 2 May 1916.
On 31 May 1916 British sailors spotted German ships off Jutland in Denmark, so the guns opened fire.
What happened to Jack?
Four German ships fired at Jack’s ship.
All of Jack’s gun-crew were killed or badly wounded.
Only Jack was left standing.
Although he was in pain and with shells still hitting the ship, he stayed by his gun waiting for orders.
When rescuers found him, he was alive but badly wounded by flying splinters of metal.
His ship got back home and Jack was taken to hospital.
He died on 2nd June 1916.
How do we remember Jack?
Image caption, Jack's life story was spread across newspapers and books
The story of Jack's death circulated across multiple sources, as seen with the Daily Mirror article above, and it generated a lot of public interest during the First World War.
1 of 4
Activities
Activity 1: Quiz – Life of Jack Cornwell
Activity 2: History Explorer game
Play this game to test your knowledge and learn even more facts about World War One.
History Explorer: Secrets through time
History Explorer: Secrets through time: KS2 History
Race Across the Continents game - new update! game
Help this team of adventurers race their way to victory. Explore the globe in this exciting game update to discover new audio voiced by Ade Adepitan and fun animations. Challenge yourself with brand-new achievements and become a high-flyer!
More on World War One
Find out more by working through a topic
- count12 of 20
- count13 of 20
