Colonel James Morris Colquhoun Colvin VC (26 August 1870 – 7 December 1945) 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 a member of a

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, ...

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 ...

force.

Early life

Colvin was born in

Bijnor Bijnor is a city and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, IndiaUnited Provinces,

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

to James Colquhoun Colvin of the Manor House,

Sutton Veny Sutton Veny is a village and civil parish in the Wylye valley, to the southeast of the town of Warminster in Wiltshire, England; the village is about from Warminster town centre. 'Sutton' means 'south farmstead' in relation to Norton Bavant, ...

, Wiltshire, and Camilla Fanny Marie Morris, who was the eldest daughter of the Rev. Edward Morris. Colvin's father serviced with the

Bengal Civil Service The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947. Its members ruled over more than 300 million p ...

. He was awarded the India Mutiny medal for defending the House of

Arrah Arrah (also transliterated as Ara) is a city and a municipal corporation in Bhojpur district (formerly known as Shahabad district) in the Indian state of Bihar. It is the headquarters of Bhojpur district, located near the confluence of the ...

. The Colvin family had been involved for a long time in various capacities in the British

East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around t ...

, serving as soldiers and administrators. Colvin's extended family members included Sir

John Russell Colvin John Russell Colvin (29 May 1807 – 9 September 1857) was a British administrator of the East India Company, and List of Lieutenant-Governors of the North-Western Provinces, Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces from 1853 u ...

, Lieutenant-Governor of the

North-West Provinces The North-Western Provinces was an administrative region in British India. The North-Western Provinces were established in 1836, through merging the administrative divisions of the Ceded and Conquered Provinces. In 1858, the nawab-ruled kingdom ...

during the Indian Mutiny, and his sons Sir Auckland, K.C.S.I. and Sir Elliot Graham, K.C.S.I. Their most notable cousin was the English writer and curator Sir

Sidney Colvin Sir Sidney Colvin (18 June 1845 – 11 May 1927) was a British curator and literary and art critic, part of the illustrious Anglo-Indian Colvin family. He is primarily remembered for his friendship with Robert Louis Stevenson. Family and early ...

, known for his friendship with the young

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

Military service

He was educated at

Charterhouse Charterhouse may refer to: * Charterhouse (monastery), of the Carthusian religious order Charterhouse may also refer to: Places * The Charterhouse, Coventry, a former monastery * Charterhouse School, an English public school in Surrey London ...

and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. There, for distinguished proficiency, he was awarded the Pollock Gold Medal and Memoir as a Cadet Senior Under Officer. He was also awarded the Regulation Sword for exemplary conduct. A travelling clock, aneroid barometer, thermometer and compass were awarded to him for maths and mechanics. H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge presented the awards after inspecting cadets at RMA Woolwich, on 26 July 1889. On 27 July 1889, Colvin joined the Royal Engineers as a second lieutenant. Three years later, he was promoted to

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 ...

on 27 July 1892. He served in the

Chitral Chitral ( khw, , lit=field, translit=ćhitrār; ur, , translit=ćitrāl) is situated on the Chitral River in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Chitral District and before that as the capital of Chitral ...

Relief Force in 1895 with the 4th Company,

Bengal Sappers and Miners Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

. He served on the North West Frontier of India with the Malakand Field Force in 1897–1898, and took part in operations in

Bajaur Bajaur District ( ps, باجوړ ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, then during restructuring that merged ...

, and in the

Mohmand The Mohmand ( ps, مومند) or Mohmand is a prominent tribe of Pashtun people. They are based primarily in the Mohmand territory, which is located in Nangarhar, Afghanistan and Mohmand Agency, Pakistan. Most people of the Mohmand tribe spe ...

country and in

Buner Buner District ( ps, بونیر ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Before becoming a district in 1991, it was a tehsil within Swat District. History The Buner Valley lies bet ...

. He was mentioned in dispatches.

Mohmand Campaign

Colvin was 27 years old, and a

in the

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 Gur ...

Corps of Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

during the

Mohmand campaign of 1897–98 The Mohmand ( ps, مومند) or Mohmand is a prominent tribe of Pashtun people. They are based primarily in the Mohmand territory, which is located in Nangarhar, Afghanistan and Mohmand Agency, Pakistan. Most people of the Mohmand tribe spe ...

in India when his actions resulted in him subsequently being awarded the Victoria Cross.
Colvin was in the

Mohmand Valley The Mohmand ( ps, مومند) or Mohmand is a prominent tribe of Pashtun people. They are based primarily in the Mohmand territory, which is located in Nangarhar, Afghanistan and Mohmand Agency, Pakistan. Most people of the Mohmand tribe sp ...

, North West British India, with Lieutenant

Thomas Colclough Watson Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Colclough Watson VC (11 April 1867 – 15 June 1917) was a 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 ...

on the night of 16/17 September 1897. Watson collected a party of volunteers and led them into the village of Bilot. They attempted to dislodge the enemy who were inflicting losses on the British. Although Watson had been incapacitated by his wounds, undeterred, Lieutenant Colvin made two additional attempts to clear enemy fighters from the village. "He was conspicuous during the whole night for his devotion to his men, in the most exposed positions and under very heavy fire.".
The award of the Victoria Cross was published in the ''

London Gazette 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 major s ...

'' on 20 May 1898. The citation read; Queen Victoria invested Colvin with the Victoria Cross on 19th July 1898 at Windsor Castle. Two others who served with Colvin were also awarded a Victoria Cross—Lieutenant Thomas Colclough Watson and Corporal James Smith, The Buffs ( East Kent Regiment ). Colvin served with the Malakand Field Force, 1897–98, where he took part in operations in Bajaur, the Mohmand Country and in Bruner (mentioned-in-Despatches L.G. 11 January 1898).

Second Boer War

Colvin was promoted to

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 ...

on 1 April 1900, and served in South Africa in 1901–02 during the Second Boer War as Special Service Officer. In May 1901 he was appointed an Aide-de-camp to Lieutenant-General Sir Bindon Blood, who was stationed in eastern Transvaal. He remained in South Africa until the war ended in May 1902, and left for

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commer ...

on the ''SS Umlazi'' two months later. For his service in the war, he was again mentioned in despatches (L.G. 22 August 1902), received the brevet promotion to

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 indicato ...

and awarded the Queen’s Medal with three clasps on 22 August 1902, and his name was noted as qualified for Staff employment.

Later service

* Appointed Staff Captain, Army Headquarters, Simla, India on 11 April 1903 to 15 March 1906 * Passed Staff College, Camberley, in 1909 * General Staff Officer 2nd Grade, Quetta Division on 7 May 1911 to 2 November 1915 * Promoted Lieutenant-Colonel on 18 January 1917 * Mentioned-in-Despatches (the Despatch, dated 20 August 1918, of Sir C.C. Munro) vide p. 13907 of London Gazette No. 31031, dated 26 November 1918. * Appointed Commandant, 3rd Sappers and Miners, Kirkey, India

Orders and medals

* Victoria Cross * India General Service Medal 1895-1902 with clasps 'Relief of Chitral 1895', 'Punjab Frontier 1897–98' * Queen's South Africa Medal(1899–1902) with clasps 'Transvaal', 'South Africa 1901', and 'South Africa 1902' * British War Medal (1914–20) * King George VI Coronation Medal (1937)

Family

Colvin married Katharine Way, youngest daughter of Colonel George Augustus Way, CB on 23 January 1904 in

Simla Shimla (; ; also known as Simla, the official name until 1972) is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared as the summer capital of British India. After independence, th ...

India. They had three children: * Katharine Camilla Colvin, who married

Noel Beresford-Peirse Lieutenant-General Sir Noel Monson de la Poer Beresford-Peirse KBE, CB, DSO (22 December 1887 – 14 January 1953) was a British Army officer. Family background Beresford-Peirse was the son of Colonel William John de la Poer Beresford-Pei ...

* James Bazett Colvin * John Alexander Colvin, born 9 July 1913

Death details

James Colvin died at Stanway, near Colchester on 7 December 1945, aged 75. He was cremated at Ipswich Crematorium on 11 December, and his ashes scattered in the Old Garden of Rest.

Notes

References

External links

Royal Engineers Museum
Sappers VCs

''(Suffolk)'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Colvin, James Morris Colquhoun People educated at Charterhouse School 1870 births 1945 deaths British colonels Military personnel of British India British recipients of the Victoria Cross Royal Engineers officers Bengal Sappers and Miners personnel Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich British military personnel of the Chitral Expedition British Army personnel of the Second Boer War British military personnel of the Malakand Frontier War British Army personnel of World War I British military personnel of the First Mohmand Campaign Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross