John Brown Hamilton
Encyclopedia
John Brown Hamilton VC
(26 August 1896 - 18 July 1973) was a Scottish
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 21 years old, and a lance-corporal in the 1/9th (Glasgow Highlanders
) Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry, British Army
during the First World War
, and was awarded the Victoria Cross foe his actions during the Battle of Passchendaele:
On 25/26 September 1917 north of the Ypres-Menin Road, Belgium
, great difficulty was experienced in keeping the front and support line supplied with small arm ammunition, owing to the intense artillery fire. At a time when this supply had reached a seriously low level, Lance-Corporal Hamilton on several occasions, on his own initiative, carried bondoliers of ammunition through the enemy's belts of fire and then, in full view of their snipers and machine-guns which were lying out in the front of our line at close range, he distributed the ammunition.
. Between the two World Wars he remained an active reserve and Territorial Army member. At the outbreak of World War II
he was in hospital and missed mobilisation, and luckily missed his unit being captured at St Valerie in the defence of Dunkirk. He eventually was promoted through the ranks and finished the war a Colonel in charge of an Italian prisoner of war camp in England. He died at the age of 77.
, Edinburgh Castle
having been delivered there by his daughter and grandson.
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 1896 - 18 July 1973) was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
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 21 years old, and a lance-corporal in the 1/9th (Glasgow Highlanders
Glasgow Highlanders
The Glasgow Highlanders was a former Territorial Army regiment in the British Army, it eventually became part of The Highland Light Infantry regiment in 1881, which later became The Royal Highland Fusiliers in 1959...
) Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry, 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 First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and was awarded the Victoria Cross foe his actions during the Battle of Passchendaele:
On 25/26 September 1917 north of the Ypres-Menin Road, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, great difficulty was experienced in keeping the front and support line supplied with small arm ammunition, owing to the intense artillery fire. At a time when this supply had reached a seriously low level, Lance-Corporal Hamilton on several occasions, on his own initiative, carried bondoliers of ammunition through the enemy's belts of fire and then, in full view of their snipers and machine-guns which were lying out in the front of our line at close range, he distributed the ammunition.
Post war
He later achieved the rank of sergeantSergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
. Between the two World Wars he remained an active reserve and Territorial Army member. At the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was in hospital and missed mobilisation, and luckily missed his unit being captured at St Valerie in the defence of Dunkirk. He eventually was promoted through the ranks and finished the war a Colonel in charge of an Italian prisoner of war camp in England. He died at the age of 77.
The medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National War Museum of ScotlandNational War Museum of Scotland
The National War Museum is housed in Edinburgh, and forms part of the National Museums of Scotland. It is located within Edinburgh Castle, and admission is included in the entry charge for the castle....
, Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
having been delivered there by his daughter and grandson.