Major Herbert Augustine Carter VC (26 May 1874 – 13 January 1916) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British 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. He was the son of the vicar of St Erth in Cornwall and served in two campaigns in East Africa.

Details

Carter was 29 years old, and a lieutenant in the Poona Mounted Infantry, Indian Army, during the Third Somaliland Expedition when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 19 December 1903 during a reconnaissance at Jidballi,

British Somaliland British Somaliland, officially the Somaliland Protectorate ( so, Dhulka Maxmiyada Soomaalida ee Biritishka), was a British Empire, British protectorate in present-day Somaliland. During its existence, the territory was bordered by Italian Soma ...

, when two sections were retiring before a force of Dervishes who outnumbered them by thirty to one, Lieutenant Carter rode back alone, a distance of 400 yards, to the assistance of an Indian private who had lost his horse and was closely pursued by a number of the enemy. The man was so badly wounded that it took three attempts to get him on to the horse. In a later incident he saved another soldier by shooting a lion with his last cartridge. In the Great War having been promoted

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 ...

he arrived at Mombasa already ill with fever and then marched inland through barren country in intense heat but died from heat exhaustion in Mwelo Mdogo, British East Africa before his unit (the

40th Pathans The 40th Pathans were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1858 as the Shahjehanpur Levy. It was designated as the 40th Pathans in 1903 and became 5th Battalion (Pathans) 14th Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1947, it was al ...

) was able to engage the enemy forces.

Memorial

He is buried at St Erth in a plot planted with tropical plants including laurels and castor oil plants. Another memorial to his memory can be found in York Minster Made of black marble with bronze figures and designed by Sir Bertram Mackennal of Melbourne, Australia.

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Museum,

Bodmin Bodmin () is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated south-west of Bodmin Moor. The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character. It is bordere ...

, Cornwall, England.

References

External links

Location of grave and VC medal
''(Cornwall)'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Herbert Augustine 1874 births 1916 deaths British Indian Army officers British recipients of the Victoria Cross Military personnel from Exeter British military personnel of the Third Somaliland Expedition Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry officers British military personnel of the Tirah campaign British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross Deaths from hyperthermia Indian Army personnel killed in World War I Burials in Cornwall British expatriates in British Kenya