Reginald William Sartorius
Encyclopedia
Major General
Reginald William Sartorius VC
, CMG
(4 May 1841 - 8 August 1907) was a 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.
in the 6th Bengal Cavalry, British Indian Army
, during the First Ashanti Expedition when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 17 January 1874 during the attack on Abogu, Ashanti (now Ghana
), Major Sartorius removed, under heavy fire, a mortally wounded Houssa
non-commissioned officer
and placed him under cover. His citation read:
Sir George Rose Sartorius
and his brother was Major General Euston Henry Sartorius
VC. He later achieved the rank of major general
having served in the Second Anglo-Afghan War
and the Bhutan War.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Reginald William Sartorius 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....
, CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(4 May 1841 - 8 August 1907) was a 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.
Details
Sartorius was 32 years old, and a majorMajor
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the 6th Bengal Cavalry, British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
, during the First Ashanti Expedition when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 17 January 1874 during the attack on Abogu, Ashanti (now Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
), Major Sartorius removed, under heavy fire, a mortally wounded Houssa
Hausa people
The Hausa are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. They are a Sahelian people chiefly located in northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger, but having significant numbers living in regions of Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Chad and Sudan...
non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
and placed him under cover. His citation read:
Further information
His father was Admiral of the FleetAdmiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet is a military naval officer of the highest rank. In many nations the rank is reserved for wartime or ceremonial appointments...
Sir George Rose Sartorius
George Sartorius
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Rose Sartorius GCB was a Royal Navy officer who also commanded the navy of Dom Pedro in the Portuguese Civil Wars.-Naval career:...
and his brother was Major General Euston Henry Sartorius
Euston Henry Sartorius
Major General Euston Henry Sartorius VC, CB was a 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...
VC. He later achieved the rank of major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
having served in the Second Anglo-Afghan War
Second Anglo-Afghan War
The Second Anglo-Afghan War was fought between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the nation was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, the son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. This was the second time British India invaded Afghanistan. The war ended in a manner...
and the Bhutan War.
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Hampshire)
- Profile