 Below is a list of all the men
of the Regiment who have won the Victoria Cross. Where
possible I have provided a picture and information on how they
won the award.
China 1860
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Lieutenant Edmund
Henry Lenon. V.C. 67th Regiment Taku Forts China.
On 21 August 1860
at the Taku Forts, China, Lieutenant Lenon, with a lieutenant
Rogers, Royal Marines, and a private John McDougall of
the 44th Regiment, displayed great gallantry in the ditches
and entering the North Taku Fort by an embrasure during
the assault. They were the first of the English troops
established on the walls of the Fort.
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Private Thomas Lane. V.C. 67th
Regiment Taku Forts China.
On 21 August 1860 at the
Taku Forts, China, Private Lane and a lieutenant Nathanial
Burslem, of his regiment displayed great gallantry in
swimming the ditches of the North Taku Fort and attempting,during
the assault and before an entrance had been effected by
anyone, to enlarge anng in the wall, through which
they eventually entered. In doing so, they were both severely
wounded.
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Lieutenant Nathaniel Burslem. V.C.
67th Regiment Tuka Forts, China.
On 21 August 1860 at the Taku Forts,
China, Lieutenant Burslem and a private (LANE, T.) of
his regiment displayed great gallantry in swimming the
ditches of the North Taku Fort and attempting, during
the assault and before an entrance had been effected by
anyone, to enlarge anng in the wall, through which
they eventually entered. In doing so, they were both severely
wounded. Later achieved rank of Captain.
Additional information:
BURSLEM, Nathaniel. (Reg. No.153.)
Lieutenant (later Captain) 67th Regiment (later The Royal
Hampshire Regiment.)
Gazetted: 13th August 1861
Born: 2nd February 1838 at Limerick, Ireland
Died: ? 1865 by drowning in the River Thames in New Zealand.
Memorials at: Not known. On 12th February 1858 Burslem
joined the Army as an Ensign in the 67th Foot. He served
throughout the China Campaign. He was the first Englishman
to enter the fort at the storming of the Taku Fort and
was wounded in three places. He was mentioned in Despatches.
Lieutenant Burslem was also in attendance at the surrender
of Pekin. He became a Captain on the 20th November 1860
and changed to the 60th Rifles. He sold his Commission
in 1864 and retired.
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Ensign John Worthy Chaplin. V.C.
67th Regiment Tuka Forts, China.
On 21 August 1860 at the
Taku Forts, China, Ensign Chaplin was carrying the Queen's
Colours of the Regiment and first planted the Colours
on the breach made by the storming party, assisted by
a private. He then planted the Colours on the bastion
of the fort which he was the first to mount, but in doing
so he was severely wounded.
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World War 1
Second
Lieutenant Montague Shadworth Seymour Moore. V.C. CROIX
DE GUERRE. 15th Battalion (attached) sept, 20th 1917 Ypres
'For most conspicuous
bravery in operations necessitating a fresh attack
on a final objective which had not been captured.
Second Lieutenant Moore at once volunteered for this
duty, and dashed ahead of some seventy men. They were
met with heavy machine gun fire from a flank which
caused severe casualties, with the result that he
arrived at his objective-some five hundred yards on-with
only a sergeant and four men. Nothing daunted, he
at once bombed a large dug out and took 28 prisoners,
2 machine guns, and a light field gun. Gradually more
officers and men arrived, to number about sixty. His
position was entirely isolated, as the troops on the
right had not advanced, but he dug a trench and repelled
bombing attacks through out the night. The next morning
he was forced to retire a short distance. When the
opportunity offered he at once reoccupied his position,
re-armed his men with enemy rifles and bombs, most
of theirs being smashed, and beat off more than one
counterattack. He held his post under continual shell
fire for thirty-six hours, until his force was reduced
to ten men, out of six officers and one hundred and
thirty men who had started the operation. He eventually
got away his wounded, and withdrew under cover of
a thick mist.
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Second Lieutenant Denis George Wyldbore
Hewitt V.C. 14th Battalion (attached) July, 31st, 1917
Ypres.
'For most conspicuous bravery
and devotion to duty when in command of a company in attack.
When his first objective had been captured he organized
the company and moved forward towards his objective. While
waiting for the barrage to lift he was hit by a piece
of shell, which exploded the signal lights in his haversack,
and set fire to equipment and clothes. Having extinguished
the flames, in spite of his wound and the severe pain
he was suffering, he led forward the remains of the company
under very heavy machine gun fire, captured and consolidated
his objective. He was subsequently killed by a sniper
while inspecting the consolidation and encouraging his
men.
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Second Lieutenant George Raymond
Dallas Moor V.C. M.C and Bar 2nd Battalion Gallipoli.
'For most conspicuous
bravery and resource on June 5th 1915, during operations
south of Krithia, Dardanelles. When a detachment of a
battalion on his left, which had lost most of its officers,
was rapidly retiring before a heavy Turkish attack, he
immediately grasping the danger to the remainder of the
line, dashed back some two hundred yards, stemmed the
retirement, led back the men and recaptured the lost trench.
He died of influenza at Mouveaux on November 3rd, 1918.
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World War II
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Major H.W. Le Patourel. V.C. 2nd
Bn. Tebourba, North Africa.
"On the afternoon
of 3rd December, 1942 the enemy had occupied an important
high feature on the left of the company commanded by Major
Le Patourel. This officer then personally led four volunteers
under very heavy fire to the top in an last attempt to
dislodge several enemy machine guns. The party was heavily
engaged by machine gun fire and Major Le Patourel rallied
his men several times and engaged the enemy, silencing
several machine gun post. Finally, when the remainder
of his party were killed or wounded, he went forward alone
with a pistol and some grenades to attack the enemy machine
guns at close quarters, and from this action he did not
return.. Major Le Patourel's most gallant conduct and
self sacrifice, his brilliant leadership and tenacious
devotion to duty in the face of a determined enemy were
beyond praise." He was awarded the V.C. Posthumously.
Later it was learned that Major Le Patourel had been wounded
and taken prisoner.
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Captain R. Wakeford. V.C. 2/4th Bn.
Cassino, Italy.
13 May 1944 near Cassino,
Italy Capt. Wakeford accompanied only by his orderly and
armed with a revolver went forward a killed several of
the enemy and took twenty prisoners, his orderly being
killed. When attacking a hill the following day his company
came under heavy fire, although wounded in the face and
both arms, Capt. Wakeford pressed home the attack, wounded
again but reached the objective and consolidated his position.
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Lieutenant G.R. Norton, V.C. M.M.
1/4 Bn.
31st August 1944 Lieutenant
Norton led his platoon in an attack on one of the strong
points which was constructed with well sited concrete
emplacements, and it was soon pinned down by heavy machine
gun fire from a valley on the right flank. On his own
initiative Lt. Norton at once went forward alone and engaged
a series of enemy positions in this valley. He attacked
a machine gun post with a grenade, killing the crew of
three; then, still alone moved forward to a position containing
two machine guns and fifteen riflemen. After a fight lasting
ten minutes he wiped out both machine guns with his tommy
gun, and killed or took prisoner the rest. Throughout
these engagements Lt. Norton was under direct fire from
an enemy self propelled gun, and, still under fire from
this gun, he led a party of men who had come forward against
a house and cleared the cellar and upper rooms, taking
several prisoners and putting the rest to flight. By this
time he was wounded and weak from lost of blood, he went
on calmly leading his troops up the valley and captured
the remaining enemy positions. " Lieutenant Norton
displayed matchless courage, outstanding initiative and
inspiring leadership. By his supreme gallantry, fearless
example and determined aggression, he assured the successful
breach of the Gothic Line at this point.
 Additional
information:
G.R. Norton, VC was a member of
the Kaffrarian Rifles (a South African unit now the Buffalo
Volunteer Rifles) and won the MM as a Sgt before being
seconded to the Hampshires in WW II. He retired to Rhodesia
and was a successful pig farmer until terrorists burnt
him out in the 1970s and it is rumoured that all his medals
were destroyed in the fire although I am unable to confirm
this. He retired to East London, South Africa after the
incident in the late 70s/early 80s. left is a picture
I own of him on his 87th Birthday also signed by him.
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