Marlborough honours 13 VCs

[Moonraker]

There was a ceremony at Marlborough College, Wiltshire, on Saturday, October 8, to unveil a plaque to its winners of 13 VCs, one George Cross and one Albert Medal in Gold. The WWI VC recipients were:

Captain Edward Bradbury, Royal Horse Artillery, VC won at Nery, September 1, 1914

Captain, later Brigadier, Charles Foss, 2nd Bedfordshire, at Neuve Chapelle, March 12, 1915

2nd Lieutenant Sidney Woodroffe, 8th Rifle Brigade, at Hooge, July 30, 1915

Also named on the plaque is Lieutenant (later Field Marshal) Henry Evelyn Wood, 17th Lancers, at Sindwaho, October 19, 1858, who, though having retired in 1905, occasionally features in WWI accounts as inspecting troops in the UK.

The plaque was unveiled by Lt Colonel Eric Wilson who, as a lieutenant with the East Surrey Regiment in 1940 won a VC in Somaliland; his citation in the London Gazette said he had been killed; though he was severely wounded and suffering from malaria at the time, he survived.

The plaque is in the western vestibule to the Memorial Hall, opened in 1925 to honour the College's war dead.

Moonraker

[eviltaxman]

Moonraker,

Were you lucky enough to be able to attend? Out of curiosity, who were the other VC's as I'd like to update my list of memorials. Any chance of a pic?

Cheers,

Les.

[Moonraker]

Moonraker,

Were you lucky enough to be able to attend? Out of curiosity, who were the other VC's as I'd like to update my list of memorials. Any chance of a pic?

Cheers,

Les.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, I was there. Other VCs:

Lt, later Colonel, Edward Thackeray, Bengal Engineers, Delhi magazine, September 16, 1857

Lt, later Admiral of the Fleet, Nowell Salmon, Naval Brigade, Lucknow, November 16, 1857

Lt, later General, Reginald Hart, Royal Engineers, India, January 31, 1879

Lt, later Captain, the Hon Raymond de Montmorency, 21st Lancers, Khartum, September 22, 1898

Lt Frederic Dugdale, 5th Lancers, Derby (presumably South Africa), March 3, 1901

Lt, later Major General, Llewelyn Price-Davies, Blood River Poort, September 17, 1901

Lt, later Captain, John Randle, Royal Norfolk Regiment, Kohima (Assam), May 4, 1944

Captain Lionel Queripel, Royal Sussex Regiment, near Arnhem, September 19, 1944

There were quite a lot of photographs taken of the ceremony, and the secretary of the Wiltshire Historical Military Society is going to visit the college to take a pic. If I may, I'll leave it for a few days just in case there are further queries before I contact the college archivist. (In fact I'vejust emailed him inviting him to send me a pic of some other medals won by one of the VCs that he's trying to identify and which I may post in the Forum.)

[eviltaxman]

Moonraker,

Yes, no problem. I look forward to seeing this thread go on

Les.

[Ciaran Byrne]

Lt Frederic Dugdale, 5th Lancers, Derby (presumably South Africa), March 3, 1901

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He did indeed earn the VC in South Africa. If anyone is interested:

Frederic Brooks Dugdale was an English lieutenant in the 5th Royal Irish Lancers. He was born in Burnley, Lancashire on 21 October 1877.

On 3 March 1901 near Derby, South Africa, Lieutenant Dugdale was in command of a small outpost when, having been ordered to retire, his patrol came under heavy fire at a range of about 250 yards, and a sergeant, two men and a horse were hit. Lieutenant Dugdale dismounted and put one of the wounded men on his own horse. He then caught another horse, galloped up to another wounded man and took him up behind him, then brought both men safely out of action. He was just 23 years old.

He was killed on 13 November 1902, whilst riding with North Cotswold Hounds, at Gloucestershire, England - 13th November 1901. He is buried in Gloucester His VC is publicly displayed at the The Queen's Royal Lancers Regimental Museum (Belvoir Castle, Lincolnshire, England)

[Moonraker]

There were quite a lot of photographs taken of the ceremony, and the secretary of the Wiltshire Historical Military Society is going to visit the college to take a pic. If I may, I'll leave it for a few days just in case there are further queries before I contact the college archivist.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It turns out that the archivist is away until next month and this will delay both my contacting him and the WHMS guy visiting the college for his own pic. I've put a note in my diary to return to the matter of your getting a photo in two or three weeks' time.

Moonraker

[stiletto_33853]

Moonraker,

There is an account of Woodroffe's VC action with pictures of him and his two brothers in Flamethrower attack in the 90th Anniversary section if you are interested.

Andy