Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Edward Douglas Brown-Synge-Hutchinson, (6 March 1861 – 3 March 1940) was an

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the establis ...

soldier and a recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

forces.

Biography

He was born as Edward Douglas Brown in

Kasauli Kasauli is a town and cantonment, located in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The cantonment was established by the British Raj in 1842 as a Colonial hill station,Sharma, Ambika"Architecture of Kasauli churches" ''The Trib ...

Dagshai Dagshai, also known as Daagh-e-Shahi, is one of the oldest cantonment towns in the Solan district, Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is situated on top of a 5,689-foot (1,734-m) high hillock that stands sphinx-like astride the Kalk ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, the son of Frances Dorothy Synge-Hutchinson and David Philip Brown of the

7th Queen's Own Hussars The 7th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first formed in 1689. It saw service for three centuries, including the First World War and the Second World War. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in ...

. Thus he was the nephew of both Sir Edward Synge-Hutchinson and Lieutenant General

Coote Synge-Hutchinson Lieutenant-General Coote Synge-Hutchinson (7 August 1832 – 13 February 1902) was a British Army officer. Military career He was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Francis Synge-Hutchinson and Lady Louisa Frances Synge-Hutchinson, daughter of ...

. Brown was educated at

Edinburgh Academy The Edinburgh Academy is an Independent school (United Kingdom), independent day school in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was opened in 1824. The original building, on Henderson Row in the city's New Town, Edinburgh, New Town, is now part of the Se ...

and the

United Services College The United Services College was an English boys' public school for the sons of military officers, located at Westward Ho! near Bideford in North Devon. Almost all boys were boarders. The school was founded to prepare pupils for a career as offic ...

. He entered the Army as a Lieutenant in the

18th Hussars The 18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first formed in 1759. It saw service for two centuries, including the First World War before being amalgamated with the 13th Hussars to form the 13th/18th Royal ...

on 7 November 1883. On 27 March 1889, he joined the

14th King's Hussars The 14th King's Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1715. It saw service for two centuries, including the First World War, before being amalgamated with the 20th Hussars to form the 14th/20th King's Hussars in 19 ...

. From 1 January 1890 to 31 December 1894, he was Commandant of the Aldershot School of Instruction for Yeomanry. Brown had achieved the rank of major when the 14th King's Hussars were mobilised for active service on 9 Oct0ber 1899 for service in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

. They had been stationed at Newbridge in Ireland, and arrived in South Africa in January 1900. As a result of his courage under fire, he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He was also mentioned twice in dispatches: on 29 November 1900 by Lord Roberts, Commander-in-Chief during the early part of the war and on 8 April 1902 by Lord Kitchener C-i-C during the latter part of the war Brown left

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

for the United Kingdom in early May 1902, shortly before the end of the war, part of a detachment to attend the Coronation of King Edward VII. He received a

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

promotion to

lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

in the South African Honours list published on 26 June 1902. In 1904 he took the name (but was not able to inherit the title) of his maternal uncle, Sir Edward Synge-Hutchinson, to become Edward Douglas Brown-Synge-Hutchinson VC. In 1907 he made the rank of Colonel, took command of the 14th Hussars, and so served until 1911. In 1911 he was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB). He retired from the military in 1915. Brown died in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

VC details

Brown was 39 years old, and a

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in the

14th Hussars The 14th King's Hussars was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1715. It saw service for two centuries, including the World War I, First World War, before being amalgamated with the 20th ...

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

during the

when the following deed took place on 13 October 1900 at Geluk,

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

for which he was awarded the VC:

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the 14th/20th King's Hussars Museum, Preston,

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

, England.

Arms

References

Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross List of Irish Victoria Cross recipients lists all recipients of the Victoria Cross (post-nominal letters "VC") born on the island of Ireland, together with the date and place of their VC action. The Victoria Cross is the highest war honour of ...

(Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000) *

Monuments to Courage David Charles Harvey (29 July 1946 – 4 March 2004) was a historian and author. He is notable for his seminal work, ''Monuments To Courage'', which documents the graves of almost all recipients of the Victoria Cross, a task that took him over 36 ...

(David Harvey, 1999) *

The Register of the Victoria Cross ''The Register of the Victoria Cross'' is a reference work that provides brief information on every Victoria Cross awarded until the publication date. Each entry provides a summary of the deed, along with a photograph of the recipient and the fol ...

(This England, 1997) *

Victoria Crosses of the Anglo-Boer War The Victoria Cross (VC) is a British military honour awarded to 78 members of the British Armed Forces for action during the Second Boer War. The Victoria Cross is a military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to membe ...

(Ian Uys, 2000)

External links

Location of grave and VC medal
''(Golders Green)''
AngloBoerwar.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Edward Douglas 1861 births Irish recipients of the Victoria Cross Second Boer War recipients of the Victoria Cross 14th King's Hussars officers 1940 deaths Companions of the Order of the Bath British Army personnel of the Second Boer War People educated at Edinburgh Academy 18th Royal Hussars officers Knights of Justice of the Order of St John People educated at United Services College British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross British military personnel in colonial India