Last month marked the 100th anniversary of the death of Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse VC & Bar, MC; one of only three people to be awarded the Victoria Cross twice, and namesake to one of the four Help for Heroes (H4H) Recovery Centres.
This week two granddaughters of Christopher Chavasse, twin brother of Noel, visited the recovery centre named Chavasse VC House after the British Medical Doctor. Noel was engaged to his cousin, Frances Gladys Ryland Chavasse, but the captain was killed in action before they could be married. His great-nieces, Camilla Kinton and Julia Hatfield, are some of the closest living descendants. They were invited to the recovery centre to mark the anniversary of their great uncle’s passing and see how the centre has developed since they attended its opening over five years ago.
Camilla said: “This is the best possible memorial to Noel Chavasse as he cared about the whole person; not just the physical but the emotional side too. The Help for Heroes Recovery Centre does just that here; it cares for the whole person. It’s nice to be able to keep the name of Noel Chavasse alive and I feel that he very much would have approved of the recovery centre. Our great-uncle cared for “his boys” and it’s possible that if had lived then he might have opened up his own house to let his comrades recover after the war. It was quite unusual for his a man of his time to be concerned for the wellbeing of his soldiers”.
She continued: ”Noel came from a family of those with a great faith and sense of duty; they always wanted to help others. Even when Noel carried out those acts which saw him awarded the Victoria Cross he didn’t feel like he was being brave. It was just the way he was; he just wanted to help his men”.
Camilla and Julia spent time with beneficiaries of Chavasse VC House hearing how Help for Heroes has assisted them on their road to recovery; both physically and mentally. They also heard how Noel was integral to improving the wellbeing of his comrades in the trenches by setting up recreational areas which he stocked with a gramophone and books.
The Olympic athlete and British Army Officer died on August 4, 1917, during the Passchendaele offensive. He was just age 32. Captain Chavasse received serious head injuries during the battle, but refused to be evacuated and continued to venture into no man’s land and tend to the wounded.
Despite being injured Captain Chavasse saved the lives of an estimated 20 seriously wounded men while under heavy gunfire. A few days later, while resting, his trench was hit by a shell. Mortally wounded, the Captain crawled half a mile to seek help for others. He was eventually evacuated but died of his wounds two days later.
Noel Chavasse was the most highly decorated British Officer of the First World War and had previously displayed courageous acts of bravery during the Battle of the Somme. When the time came to build the Help for Heroes Recovery Centre in Colchester, it was widely agreed that it should bear his name, not only to acknowledge his sacrifice but to those who fell during the Great War.
Colchester Recovery Centre inspires, enables and supports those who are wounded, injured or sick while serving our country, encouraging them to lead active, independent and fulfilling lives, while also supporting their loved ones. With an adaptive gym, an award winning reflective garden (Hope on the Horizon), a Support Hub made up of multiple charities and other organisations, psychological well-being suite, en-suite bedrooms, family rooms and a creative studio, the Centre has been specially designed to offer the very best recovery environment. It supports those from East Anglia, East Midlands and West Midlands.
Steve Schollar, Help for Heroes’ Head of Recovery Services East, said: “No matter when someone served, H4H gives them the support they need to put them back on the road to recovery In recent years we have supported individuals aged from 18 to 90 years, focussing on the five key areas of Medical, Mind, Body, Spirit and Family. The specialist teams here create the conditions for our heroes and their families to recover and move forward with their lives. I’m proud to say that Help for Heroes and Chavasse VC House continue to play a major part in the Nation’s commitment to our veterans”.
