List of Old Etonians in the Military
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

This is a list of Old Etonians (former pupils of
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 ...
) who are notable because of their time in any of the armed services, whether those of the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and its predecessor states (
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
), or of other countries of the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
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 ...
such as
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, and
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 ...
, or of foreign countries.


Recipients of the Victoria Cross

Thirty-seven Old Etonians have been awarded 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 ...
, and the conflicts in which they performed those acts range from the Crimean War to the
Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...
. There have also been four Old Etonians eligible for the
George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...
, although one of those eligible did not convert his
Empire Gallantry Medal The Medal of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for Gallantry, known as the Empire Gallantry Medal (EGM), was a British medal awarded for acts of gallantry. Unlike the then existing Sea Gallantry Medal (SGM) (1854), the Albert Medal ...
to a
George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...
.Eton College website
/ref> *
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 ...
** Crimean War *** Lieutenant-General Lord Henry Percy VC, (1817–1877) *** Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Charles Russell, VC (1826–1883) and politician ***
Gerald Goodlake Lieutenant General Gerald Littlehales Goodlake VC (14 May 1832 – 5 April 1890) 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 ...
VC, (1832–1890) ***
Robert James Loyd-Lindsay, 1st Baron Wantage Brigadier General Robert James Loyd-Lindsay, 1st Baron Wantage, (17 April 1832 – 10 June 1901) was a British soldier, politician, philanthropist, benefactor to Wantage, and first chairman and co-founder of the British National Society for Aid t ...
, VC (1832–1901), and politician **
Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...
*** Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Fraser VC, (1829–1895) ***
Clement Walker Heneage Clement Walker Heneage, VC (6 March 1831 – 9 December 1901) was a British Army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. In ...
, VC (1831–1901) *** Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts VC, (1832–1914), Commander-in-Chief,
Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
, 1881–1885, India, 1885–1893, Ireland, 1895–1899, and South Africa, 1899–1900, Commander-in-Chief, 1901–1904, ** Umbeyla Expedition *** George Fosbery (1832–1907), VC and
firearm A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...
s
expert An expert is somebody who has a broad and deep understanding and competence in terms of knowledge, skill and experience through practice and education in a particular field. Informally, an expert is someone widely recognized as a reliable s ...
** Zulu War *** General Sir Redvers Buller, VC (1839–1908), Adjutant General, 1890–1897, General Officer Commanding Natal, 1899–1900, and
I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Arm ...
, 1901–1906, *** Lord William Beresford, VC (1847–1900) ** Sudan Campaign *** Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson VC, (1842–1921), Third Sea Lord, 1897–1901,
Flag Officer Commanding A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command. The term is used differently in different countries: *In many countr ...
Channel Squadron, 1901–1908, and
Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the First ...
, 1903–1907, First Sea Lord, 1909–1912 ***
William Edwards William Edwards may refer to: Arts and entertainment *William Edwards (architect) (1719–1789), Welsh architect of the Pontypridd bridge in south Wales *William Camden Edwards (1777–1855), Welsh engraver *William Augustus Edwards (1866–1939), ...
VC, (1855–1912) *** Brigadier General Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, VC (1872–1955),
Governor of South Australia The governor of South Australia is the representative in South Australia of the Monarch of Australia, currently King Charles III. The governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the governor-gene ...
, 1928–1934, and New South Wales, 1935–1936,
Governor-General of Australia The governor-general of Australia is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Australia.Malakand Campaign *** Alexander Murray, 8th Earl of Dunmore VC, (1871–1962) ** Boer War ***
Charles FitzClarence Brigadier General Charles FitzClarence (8 May 1865 – 12 November 1914) was an Anglo-Irish 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 Commo ...
, VC (1865–1914) *** Frederick Roberts, VC (1872–1899) ** Somaliland Campaign *** Major-General Sir John Gough VC, (1871–1915) ** First World War *** Brigadier-General John Campbell VC, (1876–1944) ***
George Boyd-Rochfort George Arthur Boyd-Rochfort VC (1 January 1880 – 7 August 1940) was an Irish 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 force ...
VC, (1880–1940) *** Francis Grenfell VC, (1880–1915) ***
Arthur Batten-Pooll Arthur Hugh Henry Batten-Pooll Victoria Cross, VC Military Cross, MC (25 October 1891 – 21 January 1971) was an England, English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that ...
VC, (1891–1971), *** William Congreve VC, (1891–1916) ***
Reginald Graham Lieutenant Colonel Sir John Reginald Noble Graham, 3rd Baronet, (17 September 1892 – 6 December 1980) was a British businessman, army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that ...
VC, (1892–1980) *** John Dunville VC, (1896–1917) ***
Julian Royds Gribble Captain Julian Royds Gribble VC (5 January 1897 − 25 November 1918) was a British Army officer and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be award ...
VC, (1897–1918) *** Lieutenant-Colonel
Lewis Pugh Evans Brigadier Lewis Pugh Evans, (3 January 1881 – 30 November 1962) was a British Army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ...
VC, (1881–1962) *** Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Borton VC, (1883–1933) *** Lieutenant-Colonel
Neville Elliott-Cooper Lieutenant Colonel Neville Bowes Elliott-Cooper, (22 January 1889 – 11 February 1918) was a British Army officer and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to Br ...
VC, (1889–1918) *** Lieutenant
Geoffrey Drummond Geoffrey Heneage Drummond, VC (25 January 1886 – 21 April 1941) was a British land agent, businessman, sailor, and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and ...
VC,
RNVR The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original Ro ...
(1886–1941) ***
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 ...
Percy Hansen Brigadier Percy Howard Hansen, (26 October 1890 – 12 February 1951) was a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to personnel of the British ...
VC, (1890–1951) ** North West Frontier ***
Godfrey Meynell Godfrey Meynell VC, MC (20 May 1904 – 29 September 1935) was a British Indian Army officer and 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 Br ...
VC, (1904–1935) ** Second World War *** William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle VC, (1909–1991) ***
Christopher Furness Christopher Furness may refer to: *Christopher Furness, 1st Baron Furness Christopher Furness, 1st Baron Furness (23 April 1852 – 10 November 1912) was a British businessman and Liberal Party politician. Early life Furness was born in West ...
VC, (1912–1940) ***
Charles Anthony Lyell, 2nd Baron Lyell Captain Charles Antony Lyell, 2nd Baron Lyell, VC, 2nd Bt (14 June 1913 – 27 April 1943) was a British 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 ...
VC, (1913–1943) *** Geoffrey Keyes VC, (1917–1941) *** David Jamieson VC, (1920–2001) **
Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...
***
H. Jones Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Jones, (14 May 1940 – 28 May 1982), known as H. Jones, was a British Army officer and posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC). He was awarded the VC after being killed in action during the Battle of Goose Gr ...
VC, (1940–1982)


Recipients of the George Cross

*** Squadron Leader G. C. N. Close GC RAF ***
Cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...
D.G.M. Hay GC RNR (later 12th Marquess of Tweeddale) *** Squadron Leader A. H. H. Tollemache GC, R.Aux.A.F. **Eligible but did not convert
Empire Gallantry Medal The Medal of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for Gallantry, known as the Empire Gallantry Medal (EGM), was a British medal awarded for acts of gallantry. Unlike the then existing Sea Gallantry Medal (SGM) (1854), the Albert Medal ...
*** Flying Officer G. R. Branch, RAF


Indian Army

* Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam, Chief of Staff of the Indian Army (1967–1970)


References

{{reflist Etonians in the Military