John Williams (24 May 1857-25 November 1932) was a British Army sergeant who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery at the 1879 Battle of Rorke's Drift during the Anglo-Zulu War.
Biography[]
John Williams was born in Abergavenny, Wales on 24 May 1857, the son of Irish Catholic immigrants. He enlisted in the Monmouthshire Militia in 1877 and was deployed to South Africa during the Anglo-Zulu War, serving in the 24th Regiment of Foot at the 1879 Battle of Isandlwana. He and Henry Hook were posted in the hospital, where they protected the wounded from several Zulu assaults; both men were awarded the Victoria Cross for their bravery. Williams later rose to the rank of Sergeant, and he served as a recruiting agent during World War I. One of his sons was killed at the Battle of Mons in 1914. Williams died in Cwmbran in 1932.