List of Second Boer War Victoria Cross recipients

The

Queen Victoria to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War, and takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals. It may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service and to civilians under military command. The first ceremony was held on 26 June 1857, when Queen Victoria invested 62 of the 111 Crimean recipients in Hyde Park.^[1]

The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 to 31 May 1902, between the

concentration camps.^[3]

The British Government had expected the campaign to be over within months, and the protracted war became increasingly unpopular especially after revelations about the conditions in the concentration camps. Emily Hobhouse, a campaigner, had forced the British Government to set up the Fawcett Commission, led by suffragist Millicent Fawcett, into the conditions at the camps. Hobhouse published reports from the camps which told of thousands of deaths from disease and malnutrition. These reports helped to sway public opinion against the war. The demand for peace led to a settlement of hostilities, and in 1902, the Treaty of Vereeniging was signed.^[4] The two republics were absorbed into the British Empire, although the British were forced to make a number of concessions and reparations to the Boers. The granting of limited autonomy for the area ultimately led to the establishment of the Union of South Africa.

The original

Frederick Roberts, the son of Lord Roberts, and to Francis Parsons. In 1900 and 1901, three memoranda were issued for Herman Albrecht, Robert Digby-Jones and David Younger stating they would have been recommended for the VC had they survived. In a partial reversal of policy restricted to the Second Boer War, it was announced in the London Gazette on 8 August 1902, that the next of kin of the three soldiers mentioned in memoranda would be sent medals. In the same gazette, the first three posthumous awards were gazetted to Alfred Atkinson, John Barry and Gustavus Coulson. In 1907, the posthumous policy was reversed and medals were sent to the next of kin of the remaining six officers and men.^[5] Although the Victoria Cross warrant was not amended to specifically include posthumous awards until 1920, one quarter of all awards for the First World War were posthumous.^[6]^[7]

Recipients

This and the * indicate a posthumous award

Name	Unit	Date of action	Place of action
Herman Albrecht	Imperial Light Horse	1900-01-066 January 1900*	Ladysmith, South Africa
Alfred Atkinson	Yorkshire Regiment	1900-02-1818 February 1900*	Battle of Paardeberg, South Africa
William Babtie	Royal Army Medical Corps	1899-12-1515 December 1899	Battle of Colenso, South Africa
John Barry	Royal Irish Regiment	1901-01-077 January 1901*	Monument Hill, South Africa
William Bees	Sherwood Foresters	1901-09-3030 September 1901	Moedwil, South Africa
Harry Beet	Derbyshire Regiment	1900-04-2222 April 1900	Wakkerstroom, South Africa
Frederick Bell	West Australian Mounted Infantry	1901-05-1616 May 1901	Transvaal, South Africa
John Bisdee	Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen	1900-09-011 September 1900	Warm Bad , South Africa
Frederick Bradley	Royal Field Artillery	1901-09-2626 September 1901	Itala, South Africa
Edward Brown	01414th Hussars	1900-10-1313 October 1900	Geluk, South Africa
John Clements	Rimington's Guides	1901-02-2424 February 1901	Strijdenburg, South Africa
Hampden Cockburn	Royal Canadian Dragoons	1900-11-077 November 1900	Komati River, South Africa
Walter Congreve	Rifle Brigade	1899-12-1515 December 1899	Battle of Colenso, South Africa
Gustavus Coulson	King's Own Scottish Borderers	1901-05-1818 May 1901*	Lambrechtfontein, South Africa
Harry Crandon	01818th Royal Hussars	1901-07-044 July 1901	Springbok Laagte, South Africa
Thomas Crean	Imperial Light Horse	1901-12-1818 December 1901	Tygerkloof Spruit, South Africa
Albert Curtis	East Surrey Regiment	1900-02-2323 February 1900	Onderbank Spruit , South Africa
Robert Digby-Jones	Royal Engineers	1900-01-066 January 1900*	Ladysmith, South Africa
Henry Douglas	Royal Army Medical Corps	1899-12-1111 December 1899	Magersfontein, South Africa
Alexis Doxat	Imperial Yeomanry	1900-10-2020 October 1900	Zeerust, South Africa
Frederic Dugdale	0055th Lancers	1901-03-033 March 1901	Derby , South Africa
Alfred Durrant	Rifle Brigade	1900-08-2727 August 1900	Bergendal, South Africa
Henry Engleheart	010 10th Hussars	1900-03-1313 March 1900	Bloemfontein, South Africa
William English	Scottish Horse	1901-07-033 July 1901	Vlakfontein, South Africa
Donald Farmer	Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders	1900-12-1313 December 1900	Nooitgedacht, South Africa
James Firth	Duke of Wellington's Regiment	1900-02-2424 February 1900	Arundel near Colesberg, South Africa
Charles FitzClarence	Royal Fusiliers	1899-10-1414 October 1899	Mafeking, South Africa
Horace Glasock	Royal Horse Artillery	1900-03-3131 March 1900	Korn Spruit , South Africa
William Gordon	Gordon Highlanders	1900-07-1111 July 1900	Krugersdorp, South Africa
Harry Hampton	King's (Liverpool) Regiment	1900-08-2121 August 1900	Van Wyk's Vlei, South Africa
William Hardham	0044th New Zealand Contingent	1901-01-2828 January 1901	Naauwpoort, South Africa
William Heaton	King's (Liverpool) Regiment	1900-08-2323 August 1900	Geluk, South Africa
Edward Holland	Royal Canadian Dragoons	1900-11-077 November 1900	Komati River, South Africa
William House	Royal Berkshire Regiment	1900-08-022 August 1900	Mosilikatse Nek, South Africa
Neville Howse	New South Wales Army Medical Corps	1900-07-2424 July 1900	Vredefort, South Africa
Alfred Ind	Royal Horse Artillery	1901-12-2020 December 1901	Tafelkop, South Africa
Edgar Inkson	Royal Army Medical Corps	1900-02-2424 February 1900	Colenso , South Africa
Robert Johnston	Imperial Light Horse	1899-10-2121 October 1899	Battle of Elandslaagte, South Africa
Charles Kennedy	Highland Light Infantry	1900-11-2222 November 1900	Dewetsdorp, South Africa
Frank Kirby	Royal Engineers	1900-06-022 June 1900	Delagoa Bay Railway, South Africa
Henry Knight	King's (Liverpool) Regiment	1900-08-2121 August 1900	Van Wyk's Vlei, South Africa
Brian Lawrence	01717th Lancers	1900-08-077 August 1900	Essenbosch Farm, South Africa
Isaac Lodge	Royal Horse Artillery	1900-03-3131 March 1900	Korn Spruit , South Africa
John MacKay	Gordon Highlanders	1900-05-2020 May 1900	Johannesburg, South Africa
Conwyn Mansel-Jones	West Yorkshire Regiment	1900-02-2727 February 1900	Tugela , South Africa
Horace Martineau	Protectorate Regiment	1899-12-2626 December 1899	Mafeking, South Africa
Arthur Martin-Leake	South African Constabulary	1902-02-088 February 1902	Vlakfontein, South Africa
James Masterson	Devonshire Regiment	1900-01-066 January 1900	Ladysmith, South Africa
Francis Maxwell	Roberts's Light Horse	1900-03-3131 March 1900	Korn Spruit , South Africa
Leslie Maygar	005 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles	1901-11-2323 November 1901	Geelhoutboom, South Africa
Matthew Meiklejohn	Gordon Highlanders	1899-10-2121 October 1899	Battle of Elandslaagte, South Africa
John Milbanke	010 10th Hussars	1900-01-055 January 1900	Colesberg, South Africa
Charles Mullins	Imperial Light Horse	1899-10-2121 October 1899	Battle of Elandslaagte, South Africa
William Nickerson	Royal Army Medical Corps	1900-04-2020 April 1900	Wakkerstroom, South Africa
John Norwood	0055th Dragoon Guards	1899-10-3030 October 1899	Ladysmith, South Africa
George Nurse	Royal Field Artillery	1899-12-1515 December 1899	Battle of Colenso, South Africa
Charles Parker	Royal Horse Artillery	1900-03-3131 March 1900	Korn Spruit , South Africa
Francis Parsons	Essex Regiment	1900-02-1818 February 1900*	Battle of Paardeberg, South Africa
Edmund Phipps-Hornby	Royal Horse Artillery	1900-03-3131 March 1900	Korn Spruit , South Africa
James Pitts	Manchester Regiment	1900-01-066 January 1900	Caesar's Camp, South Africa
Llewelyn Price-Davies	King's Royal Rifle Corps	1901-09-1717 September 1901	Blood River Poort, South Africa
Horace Ramsden	Protectorate Regiment	1899-12-2626 December 1899	Mafeking, South Africa
George Ravenhill	Royal Scots Fusiliers	1899-12-1515 December 1899	Battle of Colenso, South Africa
Hamilton Reed	Royal Field Artillery	1899-12-1515 December 1899	Battle of Colenso, South Africa
Arthur Richardson	Strathcona's Horse	1900-07-055 July 1900	Wolwespruit , South Africa
Frederick Roberts	King's Royal Rifle Corps	1899-12-1515 December 1899*	Battle of Colenso, South Africa
William Robertson	Gordon Highlanders	1899-10-2121 October 1899	Battle of Elandslaagte, South Africa
James Rogers	South African Constabulary	1901-06-1515 June 1901	Thaba Nchu , South Africa
Harry Schofield	Royal Field Artillery	1899-12-1515 December 1899	Battle of Colenso, South Africa
Robert Scott	Manchester Regiment	1900-01-066 January 1900	Caesar's Camp, South Africa
John Shaul	Highland Light Infantry	1899-12-1111 December 1899	Magersfontein, South Africa
Ernest Towse	Gordon Highlanders	1899-12-1111 December 1899	Magersfontein, South Africa
William Traynor	West Yorkshire Regiment	1901-02-066 February 1901	Bothwell Camp, South Africa
Richard Turner	Royal Canadian Dragoons	1900-11-077 November 1900	Komati River, South Africa
Charles Ward	King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry	1900-06-2626 June 1900	Lindley, South Africa
Guy Wylly	Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen	1900-09-011 September 1900	Warm Bad , South Africa
Alexander Young	Cape Police	1901-08-1313 August 1901	Ruiterskraal, South Africa
David Younger	Gordon Highlanders	1900-07-1111 July 1900*	Krugersdorp, South Africa

References

^ Ashcroft, Michael; preface; pp. xi–xiii.
^ Thomas Pakenham, The Boer War, p. xxi.
^ Thomas Pakenham, The Boer War, pp. 493–495.
^ Thomas Pakenham, The Boer War, pp. 463–571.
^ "No. 27986". The London Gazette. 15 January 1907. p. 325.
^ Crook, M. J., Chapter 8, pp. 68–90.
^ "No. 31946". The London Gazette. 18 June 1920. p. 6702.

Recipients

References

Further reading