|
|
| Page revised: 3 October, 2006 |
Lieutenant James Morris Colquhoun COLVIN VC |
| Born: | Bijnore, India - 26 August 1870 | 
|
|
| Died: | Stanway, Essex - 7 December 1945 | ||
| Burial details: | Cremated at Ipswich, buried at Copford Green, near Colchester. | ||
| Corps service: | Commissioned into the Corps in July 1889, having won
the Sword of Honour and Pollock Medal at the Royal Military Academy,
Woolwich. He served with the Bridging Battalion, Aldershot (1891-94).
He was posted to India in 1894. In 1901 he was posted to South Africa
to serve in the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). He attended Staff College
in 1910 and returned to India in 1911 were he served until his retirement. Retired in 1921 as Colonel JMC Colvin VC |
||
| VC awarded: | Won VC at Bilot, Mamund Valley, India (now Pakistan), on 16 September 1897 (North-West Frontier War 1897-98) | ||
| VC unit: | 4th Company Bengal Sappers and Miners | ||
| VC presented: | VC presented by Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle on 19 July 1898 | ||
| VC citation: | (to be read in conjunction with Lieutenant
TC Watson) On the same occasion, after Lieutenant Watson had been
capacitated by his wounds from further effort, Lieutenant Colvin continued
the fight and persisted in two more attempts to clear the enemy out
of the dark and still burning village. He was conspicuous during the
whole night for his devotion to duty to his men in the most exposed
positions under heavy fire from the enemy. (London Gazette: 20 May 1898) |
||
| VC location: | Privately held | ||
| Background: | Colvin won his VC during the North-West Frontier War, which came about after the retirement of Colonel Robert Warburton, the political officer in the Khyber Pass. On his departure the tribesmen, who much respected him, were rallied against the British and attacked the garrisons at Malakand and Chakdara. An punitive expedition commanded by the engineer Brigadier General Sir Bindon Blood was sent to reinforce the garrisons and to quell tribal unrest. It was in the subsequent quelling operations that Colvin with a column commanded by Brigadier General Jeffreys won his VC when he and Lieutenant TC Watson,RE held a small group of buildings at Bilot against the enemy while the rest of the column retired. | ||
| Source:
Additional material: SC Fenwick, FoREM Links to further reading:
|
Royal Engineers Museum main site
