Robert Hamond Elwes (1856 – 28 January 1881) was a

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

famous for having died valiantly at the

Battle of Laing's Nek The Battle of Laing's Nek was a major battle fought at Laing's Nek during the First Boer War on 28 January 1881. Background Following the Boer declaration of independence for the Transvaal in 1880 the British suffered a series of disastrous defe ...

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 ...

as immortalized in Elizabeth (Lady Butler) Thompson's painting, "Floreat Etona!" (1898).

Family and early life

Elwes was born in 1856 to

Robert Elwes Robert Hamond Elwes (1856 – 28 January 1881) was a Lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards famous for having died valiantly at the Battle of Laing's Nek, South Africa as immortalized in Elizabeth (Lady Butler) Thompson's painting, "Floreat Etona! ...

and Mary Frances Lucas at Congham House, near

King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is located north of London, north-east of Peterborough, no ...

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

. After graduating, he joined the Grenadier Guards where he gained the rank of

in November 1879.

The First Boer War

Following the Boer declaration of independence for the

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal. * South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...

in 1880 the British suffered a series of disastrous defeats in attempting to regain the territory. At the outbreak of the

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

Elwes shipped out to

where he was seconded from the 3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards to the 58th Regiment and appointed Aide-de-Camp to Major-General Sir George Pomeroy Colley, then the British High Commissioner for South East Africa and Commander-in-Chief of

Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ...

. On 9 January 1881 Elwes dined at Government House at

Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg (; Zulu: umGungundlovu) is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its Zulu name umGungundlovu ...

with Colley, his wife, Lady Colley, and other officers and members of the general's staff. Guests included the author H. Rider Haggard. The next day Elwes left Pietermaritzburg with the British Natal Field Force led by Colley who took them into the Transvaal via

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

and Laing's Nek to

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends ...

to relieve the garrisons in the besieged towns who were desperately short of food and ammunition.

The Battle of Laing’s Nek

On the morning of 28 January, Colley tried to force a way through the pass. But the

Boers Boers ( ; af, Boere ()) are the descendants of the Dutch-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. From 1652 to 1795, the Dutch East India Company controlled this area ...

, under the command of Commandant-General Joubert, had about 2,000 men in the area, with at least 400 fortifying the heights around Laing's Nek. Over-eager commanders drove their men so hard up the steep slope in their anxiety to get at the enemy that when the decisive charge was actually made, the exhausted infantrymen and cavalry came nowhere near the Boer defences before being mown down. At around 11.00am, Colonel Deane along with Elwes and other members of General's staff were ordered to lead the 58th up the hill, riding to their certain death against the Boer bullets. An eyewitness of the attack on described the incident: ''"Poor Elwes fell among the 58th. He shouted to another Eton boy (an Adjutant of the 58th whose horse had been shot), 'Come along Monck! Floreat Etona! We must be in the front rank!’ And he was shot immediately".'' The event was immortalized in Elizabeth Thompson's painting, "Floreat Etona!" (1898). Among those killed beside Elwes during that heroic charge were Major Poole, and Lieutenants Dolphin and Inman of the General's staff.A Narrative of The Boer War. Its Causes And Results by Thomas Fortescue Carter. London: John Macqueen. (1900) Elwes is buried at Mount Prospect Cemetery, Natal.

References

External links

Illustrated London News 1881

* ArtNet
Floreat Etona!, 1882
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elwes, Robert People educated at Eton College Grenadier Guards officers 1856 births 1881 deaths People from King's Lynn British military personnel killed in the First Boer War