Joseph Petrus Hendrik Crowe
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel
Joseph Petrus Hendrik Crowe VC
(12 January 1826 – 12 April 1876) was the second South Africa
n-born 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. He was however the second South African recipient of the Victoria Cross, the first recipient was born abroad, arriving in South Africa as a young child.
in the 78th Regiment of Foot
, British Army
during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 12 August 1857 at Boursekee Chowkee, the entrenched village in front of Busherutgunge, India
, the redoubt was occupied by the enemy who were causing heavy casualties among the 18th Regiment. It was decided to take the place by storm, and the Highlanders dashed forward, Lieutenant Crowe being the first in, followed by his men. In less than a minute the redoubt was captured.
in a non-descript grave. In 1957 his overgrown grave was found and in August 1976 his remains were exhumed. A grand return was planned and on 5 Feb 1977, following a quasi-military ceremony in St Katherine's Anglican Church, his casket was carried on a gun carriage, followed by descendants of his sisters, to the MOTH
Garden of Remembrance, Uitenhage, where his remains were reinterred.
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Joseph Petrus Hendrik Crowe 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....
(12 January 1826 – 12 April 1876) was the second 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...
n-born 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. He was however the second South African recipient of the Victoria Cross, the first recipient was born abroad, arriving in South Africa as a young child.
Details
He was 31 years old, and a lieutenantLieutenant
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 78th Regiment of Foot
78th Regiment of Foot
The 78th Regiment of Foot was a Highland Infantry Regiment of the Line raised in late 18th Century Scotland for service against the French during the Napoleonic Wars.- History :The original 78th Foot was raised by the Earl of Seaforth in 1778...
, 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 Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 12 August 1857 at Boursekee Chowkee, the entrenched village in front of Busherutgunge, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the redoubt was occupied by the enemy who were causing heavy casualties among the 18th Regiment. It was decided to take the place by storm, and the Highlanders dashed forward, Lieutenant Crowe being the first in, followed by his men. In less than a minute the redoubt was captured.
His death
On 23 October 1875 he was promoted to the rank of Lt. Col commanding the 1st Battalion of Foot in which he had served so faithfully. He was due to return home to South Africa in 1876 and contracted a chill while snipe shooting in the Irish bogs. He died on 12 April 1876 in Penge, Surrey and was interred in the West Norwood CemeteryWest Norwood Cemetery
West Norwood Cemetery is a cemetery in West Norwood in London, England. It was also known as the South Metropolitan Cemetery.One of the first private landscaped cemeteries in London, it is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries of London, and is a site of major historical, architectural and...
in a non-descript grave. In 1957 his overgrown grave was found and in August 1976 his remains were exhumed. A grand return was planned and on 5 Feb 1977, following a quasi-military ceremony in St Katherine's Anglican Church, his casket was carried on a gun carriage, followed by descendants of his sisters, to the MOTH
Memorable Order of Tin Hats
The Memorable Order of Tin Hats, known as The MOTH, was founded in 1927 by Charles Evenden as a brotherhood of front-line ex-soldiers. The ideal of the Order is to help fellow comrades in need, either financially or physically and to remember all servicemen who have answered the Sunset Call, both...
Garden of Remembrance, Uitenhage, where his remains were reinterred.