William James Montgomery Cuninghame
Encyclopedia
Sir William James Montgomery-Cuninghame, 9th Baronet VC
(20 May 1834 - 11 November 1897) was a Scottish
soldier, politician and Victoria Cross
recipient.
as a Lieutenant
in the 1st Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
. On 20 November 1854 at Sebastopol, the Crimea
, he, with another lieutenant (Claud Thomas Bourchier) was with a party detailed to drive the Russians from some rifle pits. Advancing on the pits after dark they launched a surprise attack and drove the Russian riflemen from their cover, but in the fierce fighting which ensued the officer in command of the party was killed. The two lieutenants, however, maintained their advantage, withstood all attacks from the enemy during the night and held the position until relieved next day. For their actions they were subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross
.
Montgomery-Cuninghame later achieved the rank of Colonel
.
for Ayr Burghs
from 1874 to 1880. He died in November 1897, aged 63. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Green Jackets Museum
, Winchester
, England
.
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....
(20 May 1834 - 11 November 1897) was a Scottish
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...
soldier, politician and 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....
recipient.
Crimean War
Montgomery-Cuninghame served in the Crimean WarCrimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
as 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 1st Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
The Rifle Brigade was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army, formed in 1800 to provide sharpshooters, scouts and skirmishers...
. On 20 November 1854 at Sebastopol, the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, he, with another lieutenant (Claud Thomas Bourchier) was with a party detailed to drive the Russians from some rifle pits. Advancing on the pits after dark they launched a surprise attack and drove the Russian riflemen from their cover, but in the fierce fighting which ensued the officer in command of the party was killed. The two lieutenants, however, maintained their advantage, withstood all attacks from the enemy during the night and held the position until relieved next day. For their actions they were subsequently 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....
.
Montgomery-Cuninghame later achieved the rank of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
.
Political career
Montgomery-Cuninghame sat as Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Ayr Burghs
Ayr Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Ayr Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950...
from 1874 to 1880. He died in November 1897, aged 63. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Green Jackets Museum
Royal Green Jackets Museum
The Royal Green Jackets Museum in Winchester, England showcases artifacts from British military history, specifically that of the Royal Green Jackets regiment and its preceding regiments....
, Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, England
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...
.