Blue Plaque: Noel Chavasse
1 Cowley Place, Oxford, OX4 1DX, GB
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At 1 Cowley Place, a blue plaque commemorates Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse, a truly remarkable figure in British history and one of only three people to have ever been awarded the Victoria Cross twice. Born in Oxford in 1884, Chavasse was not only a medical doctor and a British Army officer but also an Olympic athlete, representing Great Britain in the 400 metres at the 1908 London Olympics alongside his twin brother, Christopher. His connection to this specific Oxford address stems from his time at Magdalen College School, which he attended from 1897 before his family moved to Liverpool in 1900. The plaque itself was unveiled in 2005, a lasting tribute to his exceptional bravery and his early formative years spent in the city.
Chavasse's heroism during the First World War is legendary. Serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps, he was awarded his first Victoria Cross for his actions at Guillemont, France, in August 1916, where he tended to the wounded all day under heavy fire, saving the lives of some twenty badly wounded men despite being injured himself. Tragically, his second Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously for his extraordinary courage during the Battle of Passchendaele in July and August 1917. Despite a severe head injury, he relentlessly searched for and treated the wounded in no man's land, ultimately succumbing to his own wounds on August 4, 1917. His grave in Brandhoek New Military Cemetery is unique, bearing the image of two Victoria Crosses, a testament to his unparalleled valour.
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