The King's Royal Rifle Corps.

Battalion

Indian Mutiny 1857 - 1859

 For gallant conduct at Delhi on the 13th of September, 1857, the night previous to the Assault, in volunteering to reconnoitre the breach. This Soldier's conduct was conspicuous throughout the operations, especially on the 2nd of August, 1857, on which occasion, during an attack by the Enemy in force, he rushed forward over the trenches, and killed one of the Enemy's Buglers, who was in the act of sounding. Elected by the Privates of the Regiment.

For gallant conduct in saving the life of his Captain (Captain Wilton), on the 9th of July, 1857, by dashing forward to his relief, when that Officer was surrounded by a party of Ghazees, who made a sudden rush on him from a Serai, —and killing two of them before further assistance could reach. Also recommended for conspicuous conduct throughout the Siege. Wounded. Elected by the Privates of the Regiment.

(note: full given name of this gentleman is William James Thompson)

LG 20th January 1860

For conspicuous bravery at Delhi on the 14th of September, 1857, in charging and capturing the Enemy's guns near the Cabul Gate; and again, on the 18th of September, 1857, in the repulse of a sudden attack made by the Enemy on a gun near the Chaudney Chouk. Elected by the Non-Commissioned Officers of the Regiment.

LG 24th December 1858

For conspicuous bravery at Bareilly, on the 6th of May, 1858, when in a Serai, he was attacked by three Ghazees, one of whom he cut down. He was wounded twice on this occasion.

Bambrick was stripped of this VC on 4 September 1861 after being convicted of assault and the theft of a comrade's medals. He  committed suicide in Pentonville Prison, London, on 1st April 1864

LG 20th January 1860

For distinguished gallantry in heading a successful charge made by the Beeloochee and Seikh Troops on one of the Enemy's trenches before Delhi, on the 10th of September, 1857. He leaped out of our trenches, closely followed by the Native Troops, and was shot down from the top of the Enemy's breastworks. Elected by the Privates of the Regiment.

LG 20th January 1860

For daring and gallant conduct before Delhi on the 23rd of June, 1857, in volunteering to lead a small party of men, under a heavy fire, to the " Sammy House," for the purpose of dislodging a number of the Enemy in position there, who kept up a destructive fire on the advanced battery of heavy guns, in which, after a sharp contest, he succeeded. Also recommended for gallant conduct throughout the operations before Delhi.

LG 20th January 1860

For highly gallant and daring conduct at Delhi throughout the Siege, from June to September, 1857, during which he was wounded. He volunteered for services of extreme danger, especially during the six days of severe fighting in the streets after the Assault. Elected by the Officers of his Regiment.

MEMORANDUM.
Ensign Everard Aloysius Lisle Phillipps, of the 11th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, would have been recommended to Her Majesty for the decoration of the Victoria Cross, had he survived; for many gallant deeds which he performed during the Siege of Delhi, during which he was wounded, three times. At the assault of that city, he captured the Water Bastion, with a small party of men; and was finally killed in the streets of Delhi on the 18th of September.

War Office, January 15, 1907.
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the Decoration of the Victoria Cross being delivered to the representatives of the undermentioned Officers and men who fell in the performance of acts of valour, and with reference to whom it was notified in the London Gazette that they would have been recommended to Her late Majesty for the Victoria Cross had they survived:— .....(five posthumous awards granted on this date)Private Edward Spence, 42nd Regiment  London Gazette, 27th May, 1859
Ensign Everard Aloysius Lisle Phillipps London Gazette, 21st October, 1859.
Lieutenant Teignmouth Melvill, 24th Foot.London Gazette, 2nd May, 1879
Trooper Frank William Baxter, Buluwayo Field Force London Gazette, 7th May, 1897
Lieutenant Hector Lachlan Stewart MacLean, Indian Staff Corps London Gazette, 9th November, 1897
 

For having, at Delhi, on the night of the 19th of June, 1857, during a severe conflict with the Enemy, who attacked the rear of the Camp, carried off on his shoulders, under a heavy fire, a mortally wounded Officer, Lieutenant Humphreys, of the Indian Service. During this service, Private Turner was wounded by a sabre cut in the right arm. His gallant conduct saved the above-named Officer from the fate of others, whose mangled remains were not recovered until the following day.

Zulu Wars 1877-79

     For his gallant conduct at the retreat at Inhlobana, on the 28th March, 1879, in having assisted, whilst hotly pursued by Zulus, in rescuing Captain C. D'Arcy, of the Frontier Light Horse, who was retiring on foot, and carrying him on his horse until he overtook the rear guard. Also for having on the same date and under the same circumstances, conveyed Lieutenant C. Everitt, of the Frontier Light Horse, whose horse had been killed under him, to a place of safely. Later on, Colonel Buller, in the same manner, saved a trooper of the Frontier Light Horse, whose horse was completely exhausted, and who otherwise would have been killed by the Zulus, who were within 80 yards of him.

Egypt 1882 and 1884

During the reconnaissance upon Kafr Dowar, on 5th August, 1882, the Mounted Infantry, with which Private Corbett was serving, came under a hot fire from the enemy and suffered some loss, including Lieutenant Howard-Vyse, mortally wounded. This officer fell in the open, and there being then no time to move him, Private Corbett asked and obtained permission to remain by him, and though under a constant fire, he sat down and endeavoured to stop the bleeding of this officer's wounds, until the Mounted Infantry received orders to retire, when he rendered valuable assistance in carrying him off the field.

Colonel
Percival Scrope Marling

Anglo - Boer War 1899-1902

LG 2nd February 1900

"Lieutenant Roberts assisted Captain Congreve. He was wounded in three places."

Captain W. N. Congreve's citation reads:  At Colenso on the 15th December, 1899, the detachments serving the guns of the 14th and 66th Batteries, Royal Field Artillery, had all been either killed, wounded, or driven from their guns by Infantry fire at close range, and the guns were deserted. About 500 yards behind the guns was a donga in which some of the few horses and drivers left alive were sheltered. The intervening space was swept with shell and rifle fire. Captain Congreve, Rifle Brigade, who was in the donga, assisted to hook a team into a limber, went out; and assisted to limber up a gun. Being wounded, he took shelter; but, seeing Lieutenant Roberts fall, badly wounded, he went out again and brought him in. Captain Congreve was shot tbrough the leg, through the toe of his boot, grazed on the elbow and the shoulder, and his horse shot in three places.

Roberts died of the wounds received.

 

At Blood River Poort, on the 17th September, 1901 ,when the Boers had overwhelmed the right of the British Column, and some 400 of them were galloping round the flank and rear of the guns, riding up to the drivers (who were trying to get the guns away) and calling upon them to surrender, Lieutenant Price Davies, hearing an order to fire upon the charging Boers, at once drew his revolver and dashed in among them, firing at them in a most gallant and desperate attempt to rescue the guns. He was immediately shot and knocked off his horse, but was not mortally wounded, although he had ridden to what seemed to be almost certain death without a moment's hesitation.

First World War  1914 - 1918

27th December 1914
Ekam River, Cameroons,
 West Africa

  Captain John Fitzhardinge Paul Butler, The King's Royal Rifle Corps, attached Pioneer Company, Gold Coast Regiment, West African Frontier Force.
    For most conspicuous bravery in the Cameroons, West Africa.
     On 17th November, 1914, with a party of 13 men, he went into the thick bush and at once attacked the enemy, in strength about 100, including several Europeans, defeated them, and captured their machine-gun and many loads of ammunition. On 27th December, 1914, when on patrol duty, with a few men, he swam the Ekam River, which was held by the enemy, alone and in the face of a brisk fire, completed his reconnaissance on the further bank, and returned in safety. Two of his men were wounded while he was actually in the water.

This Officer served his Machine Gun during the attack on the 12th November at Klein Zillebeke until he had been shot five times— three times by shrapnel and twice by bullets, and continued at his post until his gun was
destroyed.

No. E/15089 Rflmn. Albert Edward Shepherd, K.R.R.C. (Barnsley).
     For most conspicuous bravery as a company runner. When his company was held up by a machine gun at point blank range he volunteered to rush the gun, and, though ordered not to, rushed forward and threw a Mills bomb, killing two gunners and capturing the gun. The company, on continuing its advance, came under heavy enfilade machine-gun fire.
      When the last officer and the last non-commissioned officer had become casualties, he took command of the company, ordered the men to lie down, and himself went back some seventy yards under severe fire to obtain the help of a tank.
     He then returned to his company, and finally led them to their last objective. He showed throughout conspicuous determination and resource.

No. R.2794 Sjt. Edward Cooper, K.R.R.C. (Stockton).
     For most conspicuous bravery and initiative in attack. Enemy machine guns from a concrete blockhouse, 250 yards away, were holding up the advance of the battalion on his left, and were also causing heavy casualties to his own battalion. Sjt. Cooper, with four men, immediately rushed towards the blockhouse, though heavily fired on. About 100 yards distant he ordered his men to lie down and fire at the blockhouse. Finding this did not silence the machine guns, he immediately rushed forward straight at them and fired his revolver into an opening in the blockhouse. The machine guns ceased firing and the garrison surrendered. Seven machine guns and forty-five prisoners were captured in this blockhouse.
   By this magnificent act of courage he undoubtedly saved what might have been a serious check to the whole advance, at the same time saving a great number of lives.

No. 2815 Serjeant Albert Gill, late King's Royal Rifle Corps.
    For most conspicuous bravery. The enemy made a very strong counter-attack on the right flank of the battalion, and rushed the bombing post after killing all the company bombers.
   Serjeant Gill at once rallied the remnants of his platoon, none of whom were skilled bombers, and reorganised his defences, a most difficult and dangerous task, the trench being very shallow and much damaged. Soon afterwards the enemy nearly surrounded his men by creeping up through the thick undergrowth, and commenced sniping at about twenty yards range. Although it was almost certain death, Serjeant Gill stood boldly up in order to direct the fire of his men. He was killed almost at once, but not before he had shown his men where the enemy were, and thus enabled them to hold up their advance.
    By his supreme devotion to duty and self-sacrifice he saved a very dangerous situation.

No. 2052 Private William Mariner, 2nd Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps.
    During  a violent thunderstorm on the night of 22nd May, 1915, he left his trench near Cambrin, and crept out through the German wire entanglements till he reached the emplacement of a German machine gun which had been damaging our parapets and hindering our working parties.
     After climbing on the top of the German parapet he threw a bomb in under the roof of the gun emplacement and heard some groaning and the enemy running away. After about a quarter of an hour he heard some of them coming back again, and climbed up on the other side of the emplacement and threw another bomb among them left-handed. He then lay still while the Germans opened a heavy fire on the wire entanglement behind him, and it was only after about an hour that he was able to crawl back to his own trench.
     Before starting out he had requested a Serjeant to open fire on the enemy's trenches as soon as he had thrown his bombs. Rifleman Mariner was out alone for one and a half hours carrying out this gallant work.

E.11941 Private George Peachment, 2nd Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps.
      For most conspicuous bravery near Hulluch on 25th September, 1915. During very heavy fighting, when our front line was compelled to retire in order to reorganise, Private Peachment, seeing his Company Commander, Captain Dubs, lying wounded, crawled to assist him. The enemy's fire was intense, but, though there was a shell hole quite close, in which a few men had taken cover, Private Peachment never thought of saving himself. He knelt in the open by his Officer and tried to help him, but while doing this he was first wounded by a bomb and a minute later mortally wounded by a rifle bullet. He" was one of the youngest men in his battalion and gave this splendid example of courage and self-sacrifice.

Second World War 1939-1945

    No. 6846197 Rifleman John Beeley, The King's Royal Rifle Corps (Winchester). On the 21st November, 1941, during the attack by a Battalion of The King's Royal Rifle Corps at Sidi Rezegh against a strong enemy position, the Company to which Rifleman Beeley belonged was pinned down by heavy fire at point-blank range from the front and flank on the flat and open ground of .the aerodrome. All the officers but one of the Company and many of the other ranks had been either killed or wounded. On his own initiative, and when there was no sort of cover, Rifleman Beeley got to his feet carrying a Bren Gun and ran forward towards a strong enemy post containing an anti-tank gun, a heavy machine gun and a light machine gun. He ran thirty yards and discharged a complete magazine at the post from a range of twenty yards, killing or wounding the entire crew of the anti-tank gun. The post was silenced and Rifleman Beeley's platoon was enabled to advance, but Rifleman Beeley fell dead across his gun, hit in at least four places.
     Rifleman Beeley went to certain death in a gallant and successful attempt to carry the day. His courage and self-sacrifice was a glorious example to his comrades and inspired them to further efforts to reach their objective, which was eventually captured by them, together with 700
prisoners.