Sapper Hackett

[juliengahere]

Hi xin, seven years later and new to rootschat and I see this post.  My maiden name is Hackett and Sapper William Hackett is my 3x great uncle.  My dad's brother traced the Hackett family tree many years ago and I believe that's when he became aware of Sapper Hackett.  In fact my uncle went to France for the unveiling of the memorial.  It was great to see all the tunnellers finally being commemorated. 

[jim1]

I think he deserves to be known by his full title of William Hackett VC.
An act of selfless courage that cost him his life & it's right he should be remembered & commemorated.

[Finley 1]

How lovely to see a descendant - remember him.    Fantastic. 
Special people are far too often not  recognised.

Yes JIM  full title fully deserved.

xin

[jim1]

Excerpt from a personal diary:

Frantic dig to save our buried pals

Jun 22, 1916 Five of our Company buried in one of our mine galleries. We can speak to them through the air pipe and they are all alive. Working all day pumping air into them and pumping water out to keep them from being drowned.

Jun 23 Five still entombed. Working night and day to get them out.

Jun 24 Got out three of the five. One of others had ribs broken and could not crawl through. Other fellow offered to stop in with him until they could make hole bigger. Passed food to them. No sooner done that than there was another fall and they are again entombed.

Jun 25 Two fellows still entombed. Had to start a new gallery. It is a heart-breaking job. We cannot get any answer from them now.

Jun 26 Still trying but it is painfully slow. We can’t get any answer.

Jun 27 Abandoned all hope of getting chaps out and stopped rescue work. Condition of shaft was so bad as to endanger the lives of the men working down there.

[Finley 1]