Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

Reginald William Sartorius (8 May 1841 – 8 August 1907) was an army officer, and a recipient of 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 previousl ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to

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, ...

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.

Life

Educated at Victoria College, Jersey, Sartorius entered the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the Land warfare, land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Arm ...

in January 1858. He joined the Bengal infantry, became a lieutenant in May 1858 and served in the Indian Mutiny (1858) and the Bhutan War (1864–65). In 1873, now a captain, Sartorius took part in the

First Ashanti Expedition The Anglo-Ashanti wars were a series of five conflicts that took place between 1824 and 1900 between the Ashanti Empire—in the Akan interior of the Gold Coast—and the British Empire and its African allies. Though the Ashanti emerged victo ...

, in modern-day

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Tog ...

VC action

Sartorius was a 32 year old captain in the 6th Bengal Cavalry,

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which cou ...

, during the

when the following deed took place at Abogu in the

Ashanti Region The Ashanti Region is located in southern part of Ghana and it is the third largest of 16 administrative regions, occupying a total land surface of or 10.2 percent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, however, it is the m ...

, for which he was awarded the VC. His citation read: For his Ashanti service, Sartorius was also twice mentioned in dispatches, promoted to brevet major, and made a companion of the

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

Later career

Sartorius served in the

Second Anglo-Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ps, د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the l ...

(1878–80) and in 1886 became a colonel. His active career came to an end in 1893, when he left India and went to live in Italy. In 1895 he was promoted to major-general, Bengal infantry, and in 1897 was placed on the retired list. He retired to

Haslemere The town of Haslemere () and the villages of Shottermill and Grayswood are in south west Surrey, England, around south west of London. Together with the settlements of Hindhead and Beacon Hill, they comprise the civil parish of Haslemere in ...

, Surrey. He was a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron, and died suddenly on 8 August 1907 when sailing at

Cowes Cowes () is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east bank. The two towns are linked by the Cowes Fl ...

, Isle of Wight. He was buried St Mary's Churchyard, South Baddesley, Hampshire.

Family

His father was Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Rose Sartorius. He had two brothers, both of whom entered the army: George Conrad Sartorius, who retired as a colonel, and Major General Euston Henry Sartorius, who was also awarded the VC. In 1877 Sartorius married Agnes Maria Kemp. They had a son, who also served in the Indian Army, and a daughter. One of Victoria College Jersey's five Houses was later named 'Sartorius' after the three brothers, all of whom attended the school.

The medal

His Victoria Cross is held by the

National Army Museum The National Army Museum is the British Army's central museum. It is located in the Chelsea district of central London, adjacent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the " Chelsea Pensioners". The museum is a non-departmental public bo ...

Chelsea, London Chelsea is an affluent area in west London, England, due south-west of Charing Cross by approximately 2.5 miles. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the south-western postal area. Chelsea histori ...

References

* Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999) * The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)

External links

Location of grave and VC medal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sartorius, Reginald William 1841 births 1907 deaths British recipients of the Victoria Cross British Indian Army generals People educated at Victoria College, Jersey Victoria Cross recipients from Jersey British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Ashanti War British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Afghan War British military personnel of the Bhutan War British military personnel of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George