Arthur Herbert Lindsay Richardson VC (23 September 1872 – 15 December 1932) was an

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

-born Canadian recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

forces.

Details

Born in Southport,

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

, in 1872, Richardson emigrated to Canada in 1891. After a period as a rancher, he joined the

North-West Mounted Police The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a Canadian para-military police force, established in 1873, to maintain order in the new Canadian North-West Territories (NWT) following the 1870 transfer of Rupert’s Land and North-Western Territory ...

in 1894. After the outbreak of the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

, in 1900 he joined the newly raised

Strathcona's Horse Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (LdSH C is a regular armoured regiment of the Canadian Army and is Canada’s only tank regiment. Currently based in Edmonton, Alberta, the regiment is part of 3rd Canadian Division's 1 Canadian Mechanize ...

. Richardson was 27 years old and a

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

when the deed, for which he was awarded the VC, took place. The VC was announced in the ''London Gazette'' on 14 September 1900, four months before the death of Queen Victoria. The medal was presented to him by King Edward VII at the first presentation of VCs after the King ascended the throne. Richardson was the third of three VCs presented with their medals on 12 March 1901 at St James' Palace.Edmonton Bulletin, 10 June 1901, p. 4 The commander of his unit, Lieutenant Agar Adamson, reported: Richardson was the first member of a Canadian unit awarded the Victoria Cross. He re-joined the NWMP in 1902 and served until ill health forced him to retire in 1907. After his wife's death in 1916, Richardson returned to

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

and died there in 1932.

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at Canadian War Museum in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, Ontario. His gravestone can be seen at the Liverpool Cathedral St. James Gardens. Richardson VC memorial, Liverpool Anglican Cathedral

References

Monuments to Courage David Charles Harvey (29 July 1946 – 4 March 2004) was a historian and author. He is notable for his seminal work, ''Monuments To Courage'', which documents the graves of almost all recipients of the Victoria Cross, a task that took him over 36 ...

(David Harvey, 1999) *

The Register of the Victoria Cross ''The Register of the Victoria Cross'' is a reference work that provides brief information on every Victoria Cross awarded until the publication date. Each entry provides a summary of the deed, along with a photograph of the recipient and the fol ...

(This England, 1997) *

Victoria Crosses of the Anglo-Boer War The Victoria Cross (VC) is a British military honour awarded to 78 members of the British Armed Forces for action during the Second Boer War. The Victoria Cross is a military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to membe ...

(Ian Uys, 2000) *

Liverpool VCs Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

(James Murphy, Pen and Sword Books, 2008)

External links

Location of grave and VC medal
''(Liverpool)''
Canadian Defence article on Arthur Richardson

*
Legion Magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Arthur Hurbert Lindsay 1872 births 1932 deaths British recipients of the Victoria Cross Second Boer War recipients of the Victoria Cross People from Southport Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers English emigrants to Canada Canadian military personnel of the Second Boer War Lord Strathcona's Horse soldiers Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)

Details

The medal

See also

References

External links