James Morris Colquhoun Colvin
Encyclopedia
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 British
and Commonwealth
forces.
, United Provinces
, British India. His father was James Colquhoun Colvin of the Manor House, Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, and his mother was Camilla Fanny Marie Morris, eldest daughter of the Rev. Edward Morris. His father served with the Bengal Civil Service and was awarded the India Mutiny medal for his role in the defence of the House of Arrah. Their extended family was long established in the British East Indies as soldiers and administrators, and included Sir John Russell Colvin
, Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Provinces during the Indian Mutiny, his sons Sir Auckland, K.C.S.I. and Sir Elliot Graham, K.C.S.I., as well as their cousin, the writer and curator Sir Sidney Colvin
and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He was awarded the Pollock Gold Medal and Memoir as a Cadet Senior Under Officer for distinguished proficiency; the Regulation Sword for exemplary conduct; a travelling clock, aneroid barometer, thermometer and compass for maths and mechanics. These awards were presented to him by H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge
after his inspection of cadets at RMA Woolwich, on 26 July 1889
Colvin joined the Royal Engineers on 27 July 1889 and served in the Chitral Relief Force
in 1895 with the 4th Company, Bengal Sappers and Miners.
in the Corps of Royal Engineers, British Army
during the Mohmand Campaign
, India
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On the night of 16/17 September 1897, in the Mohmand Valley, North West British India, Lieutenant Colvin was with Lieutenant Thomas Colclough Watson
who collected a party of volunteers and led them into the dark and burning village of Bilot, to try to dislodge the enemy who were inflicting losses on British Army troops. When his brother officer had been incapacitated by wounds, Lieutenant Colvin continued the fight and made two more attempts to clear the enemy 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. See also James Smith
The award of the Victoria Cross was published in the London Gazette
on 20 May 1898. The citation read;
Colvin married Katharine, youngest daughter of Colonel George Augustus Way, CB and they had three children:
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....
(26 August 1870 – 7 December 1945) 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.
Early life
Colvin was born in BijnorBijnor
Bijnor variously spelt as Bijnaur and Bijnour, is a city and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India...
, United Provinces
United Provinces of Agra and Oudh
The United Provinces of Agra and Oudh was a province of India under the British Raj, which existed from 1902 to 1947; the official name was shortened by the Government of India Act 1935 to United Provinces, by which the province had been commonly known, and by which name it was also a province of...
, British India. His father was James Colquhoun Colvin of the Manor House, Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, and his mother was Camilla Fanny Marie Morris, eldest daughter of the Rev. Edward Morris. His father served with the Bengal Civil Service and was awarded the India Mutiny medal for his role in the defence of the House of Arrah. Their extended family was long established in the British East Indies as soldiers and administrators, and included Sir John Russell Colvin
John Russell Colvin
John Russell Colvin, Esq. was a British civil servant in India, part of the illustrious Anglo-Indian Colvin family. He was lieutenant-governor of the North-West Provinces of British India during the mutiny of 1857, at the height of which he died.-Life:Colvin's was an Anglo-Indian family of...
, Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Provinces during the Indian Mutiny, his sons Sir Auckland, K.C.S.I. and Sir Elliot Graham, K.C.S.I., as well as their cousin, the writer and curator Sir Sidney Colvin
Sidney Colvin
Sidney Colvin was an English 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.-Biography:...
Military service
He was educated at CharterhouseCharterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He was awarded the Pollock Gold Medal and Memoir as a Cadet Senior Under Officer for distinguished proficiency; the Regulation Sword for exemplary conduct; a travelling clock, aneroid barometer, thermometer and compass for maths and mechanics. These awards were presented to him by H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a male-line grandson of King George III. The Duke was an army officer and served as commander-in-chief of the British Army from 1856 to 1895...
after his inspection of cadets at RMA Woolwich, on 26 July 1889
Colvin joined the Royal Engineers on 27 July 1889 and served in the Chitral Relief Force
Chitral Expedition
The Chitral Expedition was a military expedition in 1895 sent by the British authorities to relieve the fort at Chitral which was under siege after a local coup.-Background to the conflict:Chitral was at the extreme north west of British India...
in 1895 with the 4th Company, Bengal Sappers and Miners.
Mohmand Campaign
Colvin was 27 years old, and a lieutenantLieutenant
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 Corps of Royal Engineers, 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 Mohmand Campaign
Mohmand Campaign
The First Mohmand Campaign was a British military campaign against the Mohmands from 1897 to 1898.-Background:The Mohmands are a Pashtun tribe who inhabit the hilly country to the north-west of Peshawar, in the North-West Frontier Province...
, India
India
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...
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On the night of 16/17 September 1897, in the Mohmand Valley, North West British India, Lieutenant Colvin was with Lieutenant Thomas Colclough Watson
Thomas Colclough Watson
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Colclough Watson VC 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 forces.-Details:...
who collected a party of volunteers and led them into the dark and burning village of Bilot, to try to dislodge the enemy who were inflicting losses on British Army troops. When his brother officer had been incapacitated by wounds, Lieutenant Colvin continued the fight and made two more attempts to clear the enemy 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. See also James Smith
James Smith (VC)
James Smith VC 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....
The award of the Victoria Cross was published in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 20 May 1898. The citation read;
Later service
- Served with the Malakand Field Force, 1897–98
- Took part in operations in Bajaur, the Mohmand Country and in Bruner
- Mentioned-in-Despatches (L.G. 11 January 1898)
- Served in South Africa during 1901–02 as Special Service Officer and on Staff
- Mentioned-in-Despatches (L.G. 22 August 1902)
- Given Brevet of Major and his name was noted for as qualified for Staff employment
- Passed Staff College, Camberley, in 1909
- Appointed Staff Captain, Army Headquarters, Simla, India on 11 April 1903 to 15 March 1906
- 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 MedalIndia MedalThe India Medal was a campaign medal approved in 1896 for issue to officers and men of the British and Indian armies.The India Medal was awarded for various minor military campaigns in India, chiefly for service on the North-West Frontier during 1895 to 1902. This medal replaced the India General...
1895 with clasps 'Relief of Chitral 1895', 'Punjab Frontier 1897–98' - Queen's South Africa MedalQueen's South Africa MedalThe Queen's South Africa Medal was awarded to military personnel who served in the Boer War in South Africa between 11 October 1899 and 31 May 1902. Units from the British Army, Royal Navy, colonial forces who took part , civilians employed in official capacity and war correspondents...
with clasps 'Transvaal', 'South Africa 1901', and 'South Africa 1902'
Colvin married Katharine, youngest daughter of Colonel George Augustus Way, CB and they had three children:
- Katharine Camilla (married Noel Beresford-PeirseNoel Beresford-PeirseLieutenant-General Sir Noel Monson de la Poer Beresford-Peirse KBE, CB, DSO was a British Army officer.-Family background:...
) - James Bazett
- John Alexander, born 9 July 1913
Death Details
Colvin was cremated at Little Catchalls, Stanway, near Colchester, Essex on 7 December 1945.External links
- Royal Engineers Museum Sappers VCs
- Location of grave and VC medal (Suffolk)