Object of the Week: The family of a 16-year-old World War One hero learn of his posthumous honour

This article originally appeared on Culture24.

This week we bring you a picture of the family of a national hero who was one of the youngest members of the Royal Navy at the Battle of Jutland

This is the moment when the mother of John Travers Cornwell – otherwise known as Jack or Boy Cornwell – was informed that he would receive a posthumous Victoria Cross for his service at the 1916 Battle of Jutland. She would later collect the honour from King George V.

To keep Jack's memory alive, one of the great society artists of his time, Frank O Salisbury, painted a famous portrait of Cornwell called John Cornwell, VC, on HMS Chester. Jack’s brother, who bore a striking resemblance to his brother and can be seen on the right of this picture, helped Salisbury to create the portrait.

At 16 years old, Cornwell was one of the youngest people to join the Royal Navy. Standing alone in an exposed position on HMS Chester, with fatally-wounded crew members around him, Jack remained at his post until he received orders, despite steel splinters penetrating his chest shortly before he died.

After an initial common burial, his body was exhumed and he was publicly reburied with full naval honours.

Schoolchildren from around the nation each donated a penny of their pocket money to The Jack Cornwell Memorial Fund, which was established to finance a ward for disabled sailors, the Star and Garter Home, in Richmond. An impressive £18,000 was raised – equivalent to more than £1.6 million today.

• Organisers at The National Museum of the Royal Navy are currently holding a month-long crowdfunding campaign to raise the money needed to restore the first large preparatory charcoal and pastel sketch of the portrait. Visit the appeal to find out more.

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Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/military-history/first-world-war/art541553-object-week-jack-cornwell-navy-jutland