Randolph Cosby Nesbitt VC (20 September 1867 – 23 July 1956) was a South African-born Rhodesian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest 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 ...

award. Nesbitt was born at Queenstown, Cape Colony, South Africa. He was a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the Mashonaland Mounted Police, Rhodesian Forces during the Mashona Rebellion. On 19 June 1896 near Salisbury,

Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...

(now Zimbabwe), Captain Nesbitt led a patrol consisting of only 13 men to rescue miners at the Alice Mine in Mazoe Valley, who were surrounded by hordes of rebels. Blakiston, Nesbitt, Routledge and Pascoe were the four main leaders and instigators of the rescue. Captain Nesbitt's patrol fought their way through the enemy, rescuing the beleaguered party (including three women), transporting them back to Salisbury in spite of heavy fighting in which three of the small party were killed and five wounded. In 1909, Nesbitt became a Native Commissioner for the British South Africa Police (a paramilitary Rhodesian force). He retired in 1928 after 40 years of service with the Rhodesian police and civil service, returning to South Africa on account of his wife's health. Nesbitt died in South Africa on 23 July 1956. His remains were cremated at Cape Town.Ian Uys. ''For valour: the history of Southern Africa's Victoria Cross heroes'', 1973, , Chapter 12, pp 107-117 Nesbitt's medal was kept in the Museum in Salisbury until independence. It was loaned out, once a year, to Blakiston School, when the event of the Mazoe Patrol was commemorated.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nesbitt, Randolph Cosby South African recipients of the Victoria Cross 1867 births 1956 deaths People educated at St Paul's School, London British colonial police officers British South Africa Police officers People from Southern Rhodesia