Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse VC & Bar, MC (1884–1917) was a British medical doctor, soldier, and Olympic athlete, best remembered as one of only three people ever to be awarded the Victoria Cross twice. His extraordinary acts of bravery as a medical officer during World War I continue to inspire.
Born in Oxford, Noel moved to Liverpool when his father, Francis Chavasse, became Bishop of Liverpool and co-founder of St Peter’s College, Oxford. The Chavasse family home became a well-known centre of public service and Christian outreach in the city.
Noel was educated at Liverpool College, where he excelled academically and athletically, before going on to study at Trinity College, Oxford, and later completing his medical degree at the University of Liverpool. After graduating, he worked as a house physician at the Royal Southern Hospital and maintained deep ties to the local medical community.
He joined the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) in 1913 and was attached to the 10th Battalion of the King’s (Liverpool Regiment), also known as the Liverpool Scottish. His association with this local battalion further cemented his identity as a Liverpool doctor-soldier.
Captain Chavasse’s gallantry on the Western Front, particularly during the Battle of the Somme (1916) and the Battle of Passchendaele (1917), earned him the Military Cross, followed by two Victoria Crosses for repeatedly risking—and ultimately sacrificing—his life to save the wounded under enemy fire.
After his death in 1917 from wounds sustained while rescuing fellow soldiers, his loss was deeply felt in Liverpool. His memory is honoured with a memorial statue outside Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral, a plaque at Liverpool College, and with Chavasse Park in the city centre named after him and his family.
