Jack Fawcus

1908 - 1967

Born in Dunstan Steads, Embleton, Northumberland, on February 5, 1908, Jack's family had been involved in racing for over a hundred years.

Jack was a fearless and polished amateur rider, riding between 1926 and 1932. 

He was champion amateur in 1931 -32 with 54 winners.

From 1933 to 1939 he rode as a professional.

His first winner was on Beautiful Maud in a hurdle race at Hexham in 1926.

A beautiful horseman who had learned a lot about tactics from Tom Coulthwaite, he was seldom seen to be making the running.

He then turned professional, and though he never won the Grand National, he acquitted himself well, finishing second once, third once and fourth twice - from just nine rides.

Jack also won the Scottish Grand National three times, twice on Southern Hero (1934 & 1939) - the second occasion when the horse was 14 years old. He also won the Welsh Grand National four times - on Dream Ship (1934) and Lacatoi (1935,1937 & 1939).

Another big race victory came in Kempton's King George Chase in February 1937, again on Southern Hero.

Jack needed every bit of the courage he'd shown as a jockey when, as a captain in the Northumberland Fusiliers he was taken prisoner in 1940. He had little spare flesh on him when he was captured and suffered more than most from the privations of the first twelve months. He was open in his contempt for his captors and suffered accordingly.

Jack made repeated but abortive attempts to escape: the punishment he received on recapture was harsh and painful.

His health was all but ruined when he got back to England, yet he spoke little of his experiences behind wire.

With typical courage, he picked himself up off the floor and, from a stable that rarely numbered more than 25 horses, he had many important successes under both rules.

These included Flush Royal in the Cesarewitch and the Zetland Gold Cup with Tale of Two Cities.

What Jack could have done with was a bit more luck: he was involved in two bad car crashes, the second of which - when on the way to Uttoxeter races - killed him.

Jack died on 30 May 1967. He was 59. He left £23,341.

Biggest wins:

1932:  Liverpool Hurdle - Windermere Laddie

1934:  Scottish Grand National - Southern Hero

1934:  Victory Chase - Le Fortium

1935:  Lancashire Chase - Gooleen

1934:  Welsh Grand National - Dream Ship

1935:  Welsh Grand National - Lactoi

1935:  Liverpool Hurdle Hurdle - Beachway

1936:  Welsh Grand National - Lactoi 

1936:  Scottish Grand National - Southern Hero

1936:  Coventry Chase -Windermere Laddie

1937:  Liverpool Hurdle - Beachway

1937:  Imperial Cup - Le Maestro

1937:  National Hunt Handicap Chase - Teme Willow

1939:  Lancashire Chase - Timber Wolf

1939:  Welsh Grand National - Lactoi

1939:  Liverpool Hurdle - Aldine

1939:  Scottish Grand National - Southern Hero

Jack was the Company Commander of 'C' Company 7th Battalion Royal Northumberland Fusiliers who went to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force in 1940.

The Battalion was attached to the 51st Highland Division and was a Machine Gun Battalion (Vickers). After the German Invasion of France on May 10th, the Battalion was situated on the Maginot Line with the Division attached to the French Army. The Division then withdrew to the Somme area and tried to counterattack the Germans at Abbeville. This failed mainly due to the French and the unit was pushed back to St Valery en Caux.

They were still fighting the Germans when the Dunkirk evacuation took place ending on June the 4th. On June the 12th, the Division under French Command was ordered to surrender being completely surrounded by Rommel.

Jack was in tears at the surrender but he was a very gutsy fellow. As a prisoner of war, he caused the Germans a lot of problems and was sent to Colditz Castle. Due to ill health, he was repatriated in 1943.

There are quite a few Fawcus' in Northumberland to this day. If you are interested there is a book written by Saul David called Churchill's Sacrifice of the Highland Division which tells the story.

In the summer of 1943, the camp [Oflag IV-C, at Colditz] became entirely British and prisoners from one of the large southern camps turned up, among whom were a number of old friends from VI-B. These officers had escaped by tunnel from their camp and had been recaptured. I don't know the details of the tunnel, but it was a remarkable engineering feat, being constructed in the one part of the camp which the Germans considered impossible. It was dug uphill.

At that time, it was the all-time record for numbers getting out in one escape and the repercussions were interesting. The Germans turned out the whole of their Home Guard for a considerable area around the camp. There were amusing stories about the chaps walking along quite confidently and suddenly, being held up by an old civilian with a duck gun. Many laughable incidents occurred when these escapees were collected in surrounding villages. They all had considerable quantities of British Red Cross food, chocolate, etc., such as the Germans had not seen for many years. In many cases they were entertained hospitably, while awaiting transport, by the locals, who brewed them tea and fried them eggs. The prisoners were determined that no food should get back into the hands of the camp authorities, so they distributed it among the villagers. There were wonderful scenes of children and villagers following the lorry conveying the prisoners, the British throwing all perishable foodstuffs for them to pick up. The camp authorities were incensed about this but could do nothing.

For a number of days, these officers were shut in a sort of dungeon outside their camp and the Germans were extremely spiteful and unpleasant. 

For instance, Jack Fawcus, who, in spite of ill health, had insisted on taking part in this escape, was refused medical treatment. By the time he arrived at Colditz, he was in a bad way.