Anthony Clarke Booth (21 April 1846 – 8 December 1899) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

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

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and

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forces. Born in

Carrington, Nottingham Carrington is a small suburb of Nottingham, England, located approximately north of Nottingham city centre. It lies next to the areas of Sherwood, Mapperley, Forest Fields, Basford, Sherwood Rise and the Forest Recreation Ground. Amen ...

, he was 32 years old, and a

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

in the

80th Regiment of Foot (Staffordshire Volunteers) The 80th Regiment of Foot (Staffordshire Volunteers) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1793. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot to form the South Staffordshire Re ...

(later

The South Staffordshire Regiment The South Staffordshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for only 68 years. The regiment was created in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot and ...

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

in the Battle of Intombe during the

Zulu War The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in present-day South Africa from January to early July 1879 between forces of the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Two famous battles of the war were the Zulu victory at Isandlwana and the British defence at ...

when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

Action

On 12 March 1879 on the Intombe River,

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

(Zulu War), during an attack by very large numbers of the enemy, Sergeant Booth rallied a few men on the south bank of the river and covered the retreat of 50 soldiers and others for a distance of three miles. Had it not been for the coolness displayed by this NCO not one man would have escaped. ''

The London Gazette ''The London Gazette'', known generally as ''The Gazette'', is one of the official journals of record or government gazettes of the Government of the United Kingdom, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, i ...

'' has him as a colour sergeant, but on the day of the Battle of Ntombe (or Battle of Intombe) he was actually a sergeant; his promotion coming the following day to replace a colour sergeant killed in the action. The gazetting of his VC was delayed due to the fact that the surviving officer from the action, Lt. Henry Hollingworth Harward, was court-martialled for cowardice. The trial commenced on 20 February 1880 and concluded on 27 February 1880. Harward escaped the charges brought against him for deserting his men but he resigned his commission in May 1880. During the course of the trial, Booth's award appeared in ''The London Gazette'' on 24 February 1880. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Staffordshire Regiment Museum in

Whittington, Staffordshire Whittington is a village and civil parish which lies approximately 3 miles south east of Lichfield, in the Lichfield district of Staffordshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,591, increasing to 2,603 at the 2011 ...

References

External links

Location of grave and VC medal
(Staffordshire) {{DEFAULTSORT:Booth, Anthony Clark 1846 births 1899 deaths Military personnel from Nottingham South Staffordshire Regiment soldiers British recipients of the Victoria Cross Anglo-Zulu War recipients of the Victoria Cross British Army personnel of the Anglo-Zulu War British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross Burials in Staffordshire