George Boyd-Rochfort
Encyclopedia
George Arthur Boyd-Rochfort VC
DL (1 January 1880 – 7 August 1940) 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.
, County Westmeath
, Ireland
on 1 January 1880.
in the Scots Guards
, British Army
, (Special Reserve, attached to 1st Battalion) during the First World War
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 3 August 1915 between Cambrin
and La Bassée
, France
, a German trench-mortar bomb landed on the side of the parapet of the communication trench in which Second Lieutenant Boyd-Rochfort was standing close to a small working party of his battalion. Instead of stepping back into safety he shouted to his men to look out, rushed at the bomb, seized it and hurled it over the parapet where it at once exploded. This combination of presence of mind and courage saved the lives of many of the working party.
Boyd-Rochfort later achieved the rank of captain.
. He died at Dublin on 7 August 1940.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Guards Regimental Headquarters (Scots Guards RHQ) in Wellington Barracks, London.
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....
DL (1 January 1880 – 7 August 1940) 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.
Early life
Boyd-Rochfort was born at Middleton Park HouseMiddleton Park House
Middleton Park House is an Irish historic residence built in 1850 in a Georgian style in Castletown-Geoghegan, County Westmeath. After many years of disrepair, it was finally restored to its former glory in mid 2007...
, County Westmeath
County Westmeath
-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar...
, Ireland
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...
on 1 January 1880.
Military Career
Boyd-Rochfort was 35 years old, and a second lieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Scots Guards
Scots Guards
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
, 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...
, (Special Reserve, attached to 1st Battalion) during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 3 August 1915 between Cambrin
Cambrin
Cambrin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming and light industrial village some east of Béthune and southwest of Lille, at the junction of the D166 and the N41 roads, by the banks of the small river Surgeon. The marshes of...
and La Bassée
La Bassée
La Bassée is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.-Heraldry:-History:La Bassée was the birthplace of the painter and draftsman Louis-Léopold Boilly .-References:*...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, a German trench-mortar bomb landed on the side of the parapet of the communication trench in which Second Lieutenant Boyd-Rochfort was standing close to a small working party of his battalion. Instead of stepping back into safety he shouted to his men to look out, rushed at the bomb, seized it and hurled it over the parapet where it at once exploded. This combination of presence of mind and courage saved the lives of many of the working party.
Boyd-Rochfort later achieved the rank of captain.
Later Life
Boyd-Rochfort was a noted jockey and after the war become a racehorse trainer like his brother Cecil Boyd-RochfortCecil Boyd-Rochfort
Sir Cecil Charles Boyd-Rochfort CVO was a British thoroughbred racehorse trainer who was British flat racing Champion Trainer five times....
. He died at Dublin on 7 August 1940.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Guards Regimental Headquarters (Scots Guards RHQ) in Wellington Barracks, London.
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Co. Westmeath, Ireland)