John Daniel Baskeyfield
Lance Sergeant, South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st Airbourne Division
- Register No.
- 59 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Lance Sergeant (register: Lance-Sergeant) all Lance-Sergeants →
- Unit
- South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st Airbourne Division all South Staffordshire Regiment VCs →
- Date of action
- 20 September 1944 on this day → all of 1944 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second World War
- London Gazette
- 23rd November 1944 on this day → all of 1944 →
- Born
- 18th November 1922 at Burslem, Staffordshire
- Died
- the 20th September 1944 at Arnhem, Holland
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- the Garrison Church, at Whittington Barracks, Lichfield, Staffordshire. Also at The Groesbeek Memorial, Holland
- Medal held by
- the Staffordshire Regimental Museum
Digest of citation
On 20th September, 1944 at Arnhem, Holland, Lance Sergeant Baskeyfield was in charge of a six pounder anti-tank gun and in the course of the engagement when two tanks and at least one self-propelling gun were destroyed, the Lance Sergeant was wounded and all his crew became casualties. Nevertheless he continued to man his gun quite alone, keeping the enemy at bay, until it was put out of action, when he crawled to another six-pounder and proceeded to man that single-handed. He fired two shots at a self-propelling gun, one of which was a direct hit, and was preparing to fire a third when he was killed
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
BASKEYFIELD, John Daniel. (Reg. No. 59).
Lance Sergeant. South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st Airbourne Division London Gazetted on 23rd November 1944.
VC Medal's Custodian is the Staffordshire Regimental Museum.
Born on 18th November 1922 at Burslem, Staffordshire.
Died on the 20th September 1944 at Arnhem, Holland.
Memorials at the Garrison Church, at Whittington Barracks, Lichfield, Staffordshire. Also at The Groesbeek Memorial, Holland.
Digest of Citation reads: On 20th September, 1944 at Arnhem, Holland, Lance Sergeant Baskeyfield was in charge of a six pounder anti-tank gun and in the course of the engagement when two tanks and at least one self-propelling gun were destroyed, the Lance Sergeant was wounded and all his crew became casualties. Nevertheless he continued to man his gun quite alone, keeping the enemy at bay, until it was put out of action, when he crawled to another six-pounder and proceeded to man that single-handed. He fired two shots at a self-propelling gun, one of which was a direct hit, and was preparing to fire a third when he was killed.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: the Garrison Church, at Whittington Barracks, Lichfield, Staffordshire. Also at The Groesbeek Memorial, Holland
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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