Charles FitzClarence
Encyclopedia
Brigadier General
Charles FitzClarence VC
(8 May 1865 — 2 November 1914) was an Irish
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
Charles FitzClarence was born in County Kildare
, the son of Captain George FitzClarence (15 April 1836 - 24 March 1894) and Maria Henrietta Scott (d. 27 July 1912). He had a twin brother named Edward. His paternal grandfather was George Augustus Frederick FitzClarence, 1st Earl of Munster, an illegitimate son of William, Duke of Clarence
(later King William IV of the United Kingdom). He served in the Sudan during the Mahdist War
.
FitzClarence was 34 years old, and a captain in The Royal Fusiliers
, British Army
during the Second Boer War
when the following deeds took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross
:
He was transferred to the Irish Guards
on that regiment's formation in October 1900. He became a Major in May 1904 and succeeded to the command of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards
in July 1909. He later achieved the rank of Brigadier General
. He was killed in action
, aged 49, at Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke
, Belgium
, on 12 November 1914 whilst commanding the 1st Guards Brigade.
He is the highest ranking officer inscribed on the Menin Gate
Memorial in Ypres
, commemorating those with no known grave. His VC is in the Lord Ashcroft VC Gallery in the Imperial War Museum
, London.
, on 20 April 1898. The couple had two children:
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Charles FitzClarence VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(8 May 1865 — 2 November 1914) was an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Charles FitzClarence was born in County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, the son of Captain George FitzClarence (15 April 1836 - 24 March 1894) and Maria Henrietta Scott (d. 27 July 1912). He had a twin brother named Edward. His paternal grandfather was George Augustus Frederick FitzClarence, 1st Earl of Munster, an illegitimate son of William, Duke of Clarence
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
(later King William IV of the United Kingdom). He served in the Sudan during the Mahdist War
Mahdist War
The Mahdist War was a colonial war of the late 19th century. It was fought between the Mahdist Sudanese and the Egyptian and later British forces. It has also been called the Anglo-Sudan War or the Sudanese Mahdist Revolt. The British have called their part in the conflict the Sudan Campaign...
.
FitzClarence was 34 years old, and a captain in The Royal Fusiliers
The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
The Royal Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army until 1968 when it was amalgamated with other regiments to form The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers...
, British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
when the following deeds took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
:
He was transferred to the Irish Guards
Irish Guards
The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
on that regiment's formation in October 1900. He became a Major in May 1904 and succeeded to the command of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards
Irish Guards
The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
in July 1909. He later achieved the rank of Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
. He was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
, aged 49, at Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke
Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke
Polygon Wood is a forest located between Ypres and Zonnebeke, Belgium.The Battle of Polygon Wood was a significant First World War battlefield in the Battle of Passchendaele. It was captured by the Australian 5th Division on September 26, 1917 as part of the Battle of Menin Road.-External links:*...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, on 12 November 1914 whilst commanding the 1st Guards Brigade.
He is the highest ranking officer inscribed on the Menin Gate
Menin Gate
The Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing is a war memorial in Ypres, Belgium dedicated to the commemoration of British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of the First World War and whose graves are unknown...
Memorial in Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
, commemorating those with no known grave. His VC is in the Lord Ashcroft VC Gallery in the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
, London.
Family
He married Violet Spencer-Churchill (13 June 1864 - 22 December 1941), daughter of Lord Alfred Spencer-Churchill and a granddaughter of the sixth Duke of MarlboroughGeorge Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough
George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough DCL , styled Earl of Sunderland until 1817 and Marquess of Blandford between 1817 and 1840, was a British peer...
, on 20 April 1898. The couple had two children:
- Edward Charles Fitzclarence, 6th Earl of Munster (b. 3 October 1899 - d. 1983)
- Joan Harriet Fitzclarence (b. 23 December 1901)