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| Page revised: 14 January, 2008 |
Captain Fenton John AYLMER VC |
| Born: | Hastings, Sussex - 5 April 1862 | 
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| Died: | Wimbledon, Surrey - 3 September 1935 | ||
| Burial details: | Cremated at Golders Green (CC 33382) | ||
| Corps service: | Commissioned into the Corps in 1880. He first served
with the Submarine Miners at Devonport before being posted to India
in 1883. There he accompanied the Burma expedition (1886) and the
Black Mountain expedition (1891). He fought in the First World War
(1914-18) and was the Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Engineers
from 1922-35 |
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| VC awarded: | Won VC at Hunza-Nagar on 2 December 1891. (Huza-Naga expedition 1891) | ||
| VC unit: | 4 Company, Bengal Sappers and Miners. | ||
| VC presented: | VC presented by GOC Rawalpindi District at Rawalpindi on 28 October 1892. | ||
| VC citation: | For his conspicuous bravery in the assault and capture
of the Nilt Fort, on 2 December 1891. This officer accompanied the
storming party, burst open the inner gate with gun-cotton, which he
placed and ignited, and though severely wounded, once in the leg and
twice in the right hand, fired nineteen shots with his revolver, killing
several of the enemy, and remained fighting, until, fainting from
loss of blood, he was carried out of the action. (London Gazette: 12 July 1892) |
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| VC location: | Royal Engineers Museum | ||
| Background: | Aylmer won his VC during the Huza-Naga expedition (1891) which was mounted in response to tribal unrest in the mountainous Hunza-Naga region in north-eastern India. Their objective was to storm and take Nilt fort which was held by the rebels. The fort was protected on three sides by precipices. The only approach to the gate was blocked by a rampart of felled trees. The storming parting, led by Aylmer, had to rely on rifle fire to cover their advance towards the gate in order to set explosive charges. | ||
| Source:
Additional material: SC Fenwick, FoREM Links to further reading:
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Royal Engineers Museum main site
