Storming the Peiwar Kotal. By Vereker Monteith Hamilton, 1891. Scottish-born John Cook was awarded the Victoria Cross.
(Wiki image)

1860 – 1900 (excluding the Second Boer War 1899-1902)

Following the Indian Mutiny or Sepoy Mutiny, British soldiers and sailors found themselves deeply involved in colonial battles across the British Empire. The “pink” of the globe was well known to students and diplomats of Empire, so too the gun and cannon of powerful, organized troops against spirited adversaries defending their lands, their beliefs.

Apart from Queen Victoria’s little wars, other empire nations also subjected many to cultural and resource conquest. Separate and yet strangely together this competition of empirical adversaries carved incomprehensible borders…they established the fence…in search of wealth and power, seldom inclusive of indigenous rights and titles.

The Indian Mutiny is also known as the Indian Rebellion by those whose world view see it from a differing perspective of the Empire. Within the list of names below we see other nations, portions of India now Pakistan, Ashanti now Ghana, Burma formerly Myanmar now Myanmar, Rhodesia now Zimbabwe. Language too has changed…so too the British Empire.

During the period from the end of the Indian Rebellion 140 soldiers and sailors of Queen Victoria’s little wars were awarded the Victoria Cross…13 were born in Scotland. Brave deeds enacted against brave foes…valour on both sides of the empire equation.

The Recipients

Private
John Leishman McDougall VC
Taku Forts (Third China War)
21 August 1860
44th Regiment of Foot (East Essex)
Born: Probably Edinburgh, Scotland (1839)

John Carstairs McNeill.
From Celebrities of the Army, 1902.
(Wikimedia Image)

Lieutenant Colonel (later Major General)
Sir John Carstairs McNeill VC GCVO KCB KCMG
Invasion of Waikato (New Zealand Wars)
30 March 1864
107th Regiment of Foot (Bengal Light Infantry)
Born: Colonsay, Argyllshire, Scotland (28 March 1831)

Lieutenant (later Captain)
James Dundas VC
Dewan-Giri (Bhutan or Bhootan War)
30 April 1865
Bengal Engineers
Born: Edinburgh, Scotland (10 September 1842)
Died during the Second Anglo-Afghan War (23 December 1879)

Donald Macintyre.
(Wiki Image)

Major (later Major-General)
Donald Macintyre VC
Lalgnoora village, North-east India (Lushai Expedition)
4 January 1872
Bengal Staff Corps and 2nd Gurkha Rifles
Born: Kincraig, Rosshire, Scotland (12 September 1831)

Samuel McGaw
(Wiki Image)

Lance Sergeant (later Sergeant)
Samuel McGaw VC
Amoaful, Ashanti (First Ashanti Expedition. Third Anglo-Ashanti War)
21 January 1874
42nd Regiment of Foot
Born: Kirkmichael, Ayrshire (1838)

Captain (later Major)
John Cook VC
Peiwar Kotal, Kuram Valley, India (Second Afghan War)
2 December 1878
5th Gurkha Rifles
Born: Edinburgh, Scotland (28 August 1843)
Died of Head Wound received near Argundeh (11 December 1879)
Died at the Sherpur Hospital, Afghanistan (19 December 1879)

Lieutenant (later Lieutenant Colonel)
William Henry Dick-Cunyngham VC
Sherpur Pass, Afghanistan (Second Afghan War)
13 December 1879
92nd Regiment of Foot
Born: Edinburgh, Scotland (16 June 1851)
Killed in Action Siege of Ladysmith, Natal, south-east Africa (6 January 1900)

George Sellar
(Wiki Image)

Lance Corporal (later Sergeant)
George Sellar VC
Asmai Heights, near Kabul, Afghanistan (Second Afghan War)
14 December 1879
72nd Regiment of Foot
Born: Keith, Banffshire, Scotland (1850)

Captain (later Major General)
William John Vousden VC CB
Koh Asmai Heights near Kabul, Afghanistan (Second Afghan War)
14 December 1879
5th Punjab Cavalry, Bengal Staff Corps
Born: Perth, Scotland (20 September 1848)

Charles James William Grant
(Wiki Image)

Lieutenant (Later brevet Colonel)
Charles James William Grant VC
Thobal near Manipur, Burma (Anglo-Manipur War)
27 March 1891
Indian Staff Corps
Born: Bourtie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland (14 October 1871)

Herbert Stephen Henderson
(Wiki Image)

Trooper
Herbert Stephen Henderson VC
Campbell’s Store, near Bulawayo, Rhodesia (Matabeleland Rebellion)
30 March 1896
Rhodesia Horse, Bulywayo Field Force
Born: Glasgow, Scotland (30 March 1870)

George Frederick Findlater
(Wiki Image)

Piper (later Sergeant)
George Frederick Findlater VC
Dargai Heights, India (Tirah Campaign)
20 October 1897
2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders
Born: Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland (15 February 1872)

Sergeant (later Major)
John MacKenzie VC DCM
Dompoassi, Ashanti (Third Ashanti Expedition)
6 June 1900
2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders
Born: Contin, Ross-shire, Scotland (22 November 1871)
Killed: Commanding 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment at Festubert, France  (17 May 1915)
Buried: Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy, France

———-0———-

Victoria Cross citations are readily available online or in hard copy publications.
An online keyword search of a recipient’s name should find a summary record of the award.
Search the London Gazette to find a published citation at the time the award was announced.

Tags: Afghanistan, Ashanti, Bhutan (Bootan), British Empire, Burma, Charles James William Grant VC, Dargai Heights, Donald Macintyre VC, George Frederick Findlater VC, George Sellar VC, Herbert Stephen Henderson VC, India, James Dundas VC, John Cook VC, John Leishman McDougall VC, John MacKenzie VC DCM, Kabul, Lushai, Matabeleland, Mutiny, Peiwar Kotal, Piper George Findlater VC, Queen Victoria's Little Wars, Rebellion, Samuel McGaw VC, Sir John Carstairs McNeill VC GCVO KCB KCMG, Taku Forts, Waikato, William Henry Dick-Cunyngham VC, William John Vousden VC CB

This entry was posted by pferguson on Friday, September 25th, 2020 at 7:51 pm and is filed under Our Thoughts, Pipers of War. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.