William Hackett
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
He was the son of John and Harriet Hackett and the brother of Walter, Harriet, Arthur, Anna, Elizabeth and Ellen Hackett. In 1881 they lived at Sneinton Nottingham. He was the husband of Alice Hackett and the father of Arthur and Mary Winifred Hackett. In 1911 they lived at 10 Herbert Street Mexborough Yorkshire. Alice married Harry Flinders in 1919 and they lived at 53 Cross gate Mexborough.
Hackett was awarded the VC for refusing to abandon an injured comrade, Thomas Collins, after a German mine blocked a tunnel he had constructed near Givenchy. For an excellent biography of Hackett and account of the incident which took his life see 'From coal face to deep below the enemy trenches' by Andy Smart Nottingham Post 14/6/2017 p.p.22-23 His name is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial Panel 1
The citation for his Victoria Cross was published in the 'London Gazette' on 4th August 1916: "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 tunneller, 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".
