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Spr. William Hackett VC.
British Army 254th Tunnelling Coy. Royal Engineers
from:Rotherham, England
(d.27th Jun 1916)
William Hackett served with the 254th Tunneling Company, Royal Engineers during WW1 and was killed in action on the 27th June 1916, aged 43. He is commemorated on the The Ploegsteert Memorial to the missing in Belgium. He was the son of the late John and Harriet Hackett, of Nottingham; husband of Alice Flinders (formerly Hackett), of 53, Cross Gate, Mexborough, Rotherham.
An extract from The London Gazette, dated 4th Aug., 1916, records the following:-
For most conspicuous bravery when entombed with four others in a gallery owing to the explosion of an enemy mine. After working for 20 hours, a hole was made through fallen earth and broken timber, and the outside party was met. Sapper Hackett helped three of the men through the hole and could easily have followed, but refused to leave the fourth, who had been seriously injured, saying, I am a tunneler, I must look after the others first. Meantime, the hole was getting smaller, yet he still refused to leave his injured comrade. Finally, the gallery collapsed, and though the rescue party worked desperately for four days the attempt to reach the two men failed. Sapper Hackett well knowing the nature of sliding earth, the chances against him, deliberately gave his life for his comrade.
