William Martin Cafe
Encyclopedia
General William Martin Cafe VC
(26 March 1826 – 6 August 1906) 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.
during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 15 April 1858, during the attack on Fort Ruhya
, India
, Captain Cafe, with other volunteers (Edward Spence
and Alexander Thompson
) carried away the body of a lieutenant of the 14th Punjab Rifles from the top of the glacis
in a most exposed position under very heavy fire. He then went to the rescue of one of the privates who had been severely wounded.
His citation in the London Gazette
reads:
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National Army Museum
at Chelsea, London
.
, 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....
(26 March 1826 – 6 August 1906) 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.
Victoria Cross details
Cafe was 32 years old, and a captain in the 56th Bengal Native Infantry, Indian ArmyIndian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 15 April 1858, during the attack on Fort Ruhya
Fort Ruhya
Fort Ruhya was a fort in Oude, India. It was the site of conflict during the Indian rebellion of 1857 where 4 soldiers of the British Army were awarded Victoria Crosses. Today, there is a cemetery where one of the recipients, Edward Spence, is interred....
, 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...
, Captain Cafe, with other volunteers (Edward Spence
Edward Spence
Edward Spence VC 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.-Details:...
and Alexander Thompson
Alexander Thompson
Alexander Thompson VC 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.-Details:...
) carried away the body of a lieutenant of the 14th Punjab Rifles from the top of the glacis
Glacis
A glacis in military engineering is an artificial slope of earth used in late European fortresses so constructed as to keep any potential assailant under the fire of the defenders until the last possible moment...
in a most exposed position under very heavy fire. He then went to the rescue of one of the privates who had been severely wounded.
His citation 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...
reads:
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National Army Museum
National Army Museum
The National Army Museum is the British Army's central museum. It is located in the Chelsea district of central London, England adjacent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the "Chelsea Pensioners". The National Army Museum is open to the public every day of the year from 10.00am to 5.30pm,...
at Chelsea, London
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
.
Later career
He later achieved the rank of General. Cafe is buried in Brompton CemeteryBrompton Cemetery
Brompton Cemetery is located near Earl's Court in South West London, England . It is managed by The Royal Parks and is one of the Magnificent Seven...
, London.
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Brompton Cemetery)