George Fosbery
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel George Vincent Fosbery VC
(11 April 1832 – 8 May 1907) 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. He was also a designer and inventor of firearms.
, Fosbery was 31 years old, and a lieutenant
in the 4th Bengal European Regiment
, British Indian Army
during the Umbeyla Campaign
during which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He retired from the service in 1877 having achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel
.
, Lieutenant Fosbery led a party of his regiment to recapture the Crag Picquet, after its garrison had been driven in by the enemy and 60 of them killed. The approach to the Crag was very narrow but the lieutenant led his party with great coolness, and was the first man to gain the top of the Crag from his side of the attack. Subsequently, when the commanding officer was wounded, Lieutenant Fosbery assembled a party and pursued the routed enemy, inflicting on them further losses.
was produced as a six-shot .455 caliber and an eight-shot .38 caliber. It was issued to airmen in the Royal Naval Air Service
during the First World War.
Sometime in the late 19th century he invented the Paradox gun
. A gun made by Holland & Holland
, so named because only the front two inches of the barrel were rifled; intended to be used as both rifle and shotgun.
in London.
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....
(11 April 1832 – 8 May 1907) 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. He was also a designer and inventor of firearms.
Military background
An Old EtonianEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, Fosbery was 31 years old, and a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the 4th Bengal European Regiment
4th Bengal European Regiment
The 4th Bengal European Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British East India Company, created in 1858 and disbanded in 1867.The regiment was raised in Bengal by the East India Company in 1858, for service in the Indian Mutiny; the "European" in the name indicated that it was manned primarily...
, British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
during the Umbeyla Campaign
Umbeyla Campaign
The Umbeyla Campaign was one of numerous expeditions led by British forces in the North-West Frontier Province; this campaign was against local Hindustani Pashtuns and Bunerwals of British India. The local Pashtuns were vehemently opposed to British colonial rule and frequently attacked British...
during which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He retired from the service in 1877 having achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant 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...
.
Umbeyla Campaign
On 30 October 1863 during the Umbeyla Campaign, North-West IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Lieutenant Fosbery led a party of his regiment to recapture the Crag Picquet, after its garrison had been driven in by the enemy and 60 of them killed. The approach to the Crag was very narrow but the lieutenant led his party with great coolness, and was the first man to gain the top of the Crag from his side of the attack. Subsequently, when the commanding officer was wounded, Lieutenant Fosbery assembled a party and pursued the routed enemy, inflicting on them further losses.
Inventions
In 1895 he patented a design for a self-cocking revolver, which was taken up by the Webley & Scott Revolver & Arms Company. The Webley-Fosbery Automatic RevolverWebley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver
The Webley-Fosbery Self-Cocking Automatic Revolver was an unusual, recoil-operated, automatic revolver designed by Lieutenant Colonel George Vincent Fosbery, VC and produced by the Webley and Scott company from 1901 to 1915...
was produced as a six-shot .455 caliber and an eight-shot .38 caliber. It was issued to airmen in the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
during the First World War.
Sometime in the late 19th century he invented the Paradox gun
Paradox gun
A Paradox gun is a firearm made by Holland & Holland with the last two to three inches of the muzzle rifled and the rest smooth, intended to be used as both a rifle and shotgun....
. A gun made by Holland & Holland
Holland & Holland
Holland & Holland is a British gun-maker based in London, England. They offer hand-made sporting rifles and shotguns. H&H holds two Royal Warrants.-History:Holland & Holland was founded by Harris Holland in the year 1835....
, so named because only the front two inches of the barrel were rifled; intended to be used as both rifle and shotgun.
Medals
In 1997, Fosbery's Victoria Cross was sold at an Alberta auction for $45,000. His medals are now on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery in the Imperial War MuseumImperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
in London.