Francis Aylmer Maxwell
Encyclopedia
Brigadier General
Francis Aylmer Maxwell VC
, CSI
, DSO & Bar
(7 September 1871 – 21 September 1917) was an English
recipient of the Victoria Cross
(VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
Maxwell was 28 years old, and a lieutenant
in the Indian Staff Corps
, Indian Army, attached to Roberts's Light Horse during the Second Boer War
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC:
On 31 March 1900 at Sanna's Post
(aka Korn Spruit), South Africa
,
Major Edmund Phipps-Hornby
, Sergeant Charles Parker
, Gunner Isaac Lodge
and Driver Horace Glasock
also earned the Victoria Cross in this action.
He was killed in action
, shot by a German sniper
, at Ypres, Belgium
, on 21 September 1917 while commanding the 27th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division and is buried in Ypres Reservoir Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery
.
General Maxwell is commemorated with a plaque in St. Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile
in Edinburgh
, Scotland
. Maxwell's medals are now held in the Lord Ashcroft collection after sale at auction. His wife, Charlotte Maxwell, published a volume of his edited letters in 1921.
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...
Francis Aylmer Maxwell 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....
, CSI
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
, DSO & Bar
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(7 September 1871 – 21 September 1917) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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....
(VC), 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.
Maxwell was 28 years old, and a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Indian Staff Corps
Indian Staff Corps
The Indian Staff Corps was a branch of the Indian Army during the British Raj.Separate Staff Corps were formed in 1861 for the Bengal, Madras and Bombay Armies, which were later combined into the Indian Army. They were meant to provide officers for the native regiments and for the staff and army...
, Indian Army, attached to Roberts's Light Horse 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 deed took place for which he was awarded the VC:
On 31 March 1900 at Sanna's Post
Sanna's Post
-References:* Three Years War, by Christiaan Rudolf De Wet, 1st American Edition, published by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1902* The Great Boer War, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, originally published in 1902; republished by IndyPublish.com in 2002, ISBN 1-4043-0472-X* Goodbye Dolly Gray: The Story of...
(aka Korn Spruit), South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
,
Major Edmund Phipps-Hornby
Edmund John Phipps-Hornby
Brigadier General Edmund John Phipps-Hornby VC, CB, CMG, DL was an English 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.-Background:Phipps-Hornby was born in Lordington,...
, Sergeant Charles Parker
Charles Edward Haydon Parker
Charles Edward Haydon Parker VC was an English 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....
, Gunner Isaac Lodge
Isaac Lodge
Isaac Lodge VC was an English 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.-Details:...
and Driver Horace Glasock
Horace Henry Glasock
Horace Henry Glasock VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross , the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that may be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
also earned the Victoria Cross in this action.
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...
, shot by a German sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
, at Ypres, 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 21 September 1917 while commanding the 27th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division and is buried in Ypres Reservoir Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery
Ypres Reservoir Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery
Ypres Reservoir Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of the First World War located in the Ypres Salient on the Western Front....
.
General Maxwell is commemorated with a plaque in St. Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile
Royal Mile
The Royal Mile is a succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.As the name suggests, the Royal Mile is approximately one Scots mile long, and runs between two foci of history in Scotland, from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Maxwell's medals are now held in the Lord Ashcroft collection after sale at auction. His wife, Charlotte Maxwell, published a volume of his edited letters in 1921.
External links