Frederick Cockayne Elton
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Cockayne Elton VC
(23 April 1832 - 24 March 1888) 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 Commonwealth
forces.
, Somerset
he was 22 years old, and a Brevet
Major
in the 55th Regiment of Foot
, British Army
during the Crimean War
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 29 March 1855 at Sebastopol, the Crimea
, Major Elton, with a small number of men, drove off a party of Russians who were destroying one of the new detached works, taking one prisoner himself. On 7 June he was the first to lead his men from the trenches. On 4 August he was in command of a working party in the advanced trenches in front of the Quarries, encouraging his men to work under very heavy fire and even used a pick and shovel himself to set an example.
.
, Cumbria, together with the remainder of his group including an engraved copy of his Crimea medal. His original, regimentally impressed, Crimea medal has appeared on various occasions over the years at different auction houses.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(23 April 1832 - 24 March 1888) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Details
Born in WhitestauntonWhitestaunton
Whitestaunton is a village and civil parish in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England.-History:The parish of Whitestaunton was part of the South Petherton Hundred....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
he was 22 years old, and a Brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the 55th Regiment of Foot
55th Regiment of Foot
The 55th Regiment of Foot was a British Army infantry regiment which existed from 1755 to 1881. After 1782 it had a county designation added, becoming known as the 55th Regiment of Foot. or simply the Westmorland Regiment...
, British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 29 March 1855 at Sebastopol, the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, Major Elton, with a small number of men, drove off a party of Russians who were destroying one of the new detached works, taking one prisoner himself. On 7 June he was the first to lead his men from the trenches. On 4 August he was in command of a working party in the advanced trenches in front of the Quarries, encouraging his men to work under very heavy fire and even used a pick and shovel himself to set an example.
Further information
He later served with the 21st Regiment of Foot and the 67th Regiment of Foot achieving the rank of lieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
.
The medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the The King's Own Royal Border Regiment & Border Regiment Museum in Carlisle CastleCarlisle Castle
Carlisle Castle is situated in Carlisle, in the English county of Cumbria, near the ruins of Hadrian's Wall. The castle is over 900 years old and has been the scene of many historical episodes in British history. Given the proximity of Carlisle to the border between England and Scotland, it...
, Cumbria, together with the remainder of his group including an engraved copy of his Crimea medal. His original, regimentally impressed, Crimea medal has appeared on various occasions over the years at different auction houses.
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Somerset)