Lieutenant Colonel George Vincent Fosbery VC (11 April 1832 – 8 May 1907) was an English 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

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and

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forces. He was also a designer and inventor of firearms.

Military background

An Old Etonian, Fosbery was 31 years old, and a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in the 4th Bengal European Regiment,

British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

during the Umbeyla Campaign during which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He retired from the service in 1877 having achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Umbeyla Campaign

On 30 October 1863 during the Umbeyla Campaign, North-West

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, Lieutenant Fosbery led a party of his regiment to recapture the Crag Picquet, after its garrison had been driven in by the enemy and 60 of them killed. The approach to the Crag was very narrow but the lieutenant led his party with great coolness, and was the first man to gain the top of the Crag from his side of the attack. Subsequently, when the commanding officer was wounded, Lieutenant Fosbery assembled a party and pursued the routed enemy, inflicting on them further losses. Fosbery grave 2

Inventions

In 1895 he patented a design for a self-cocking revolver, which was taken up by the Webley & Scott Revolver & Arms Company. The Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver was produced as a six-shot .455 caliber and an eight-shot .38 caliber. In 1885 he patented the Paradox gun. The Paradox design was adopted and produced by the famous gunmaker's Holland & Holland, and so named because only the front two inches of the barrel were rifled; intended to be used as both rifle and shotgun, capable of firing both shot and conical bullets with accuracy. Marketed by Holland and Holland throughout the British empire for hunting, it was used most prominently in India with the advantage of being powerful enough for tiger, and also able to fire birdshot for snipe. When Fosbury's patent ran out in the late 19th Century, other makers adopted the design, most famously Westley-Richards with their "Explora" model.oldammo.com
Holland & Holland's Paradox Guns and Shells
June 2017

Medals

In 1997, Fosbery's Victoria Cross was sold at an Alberta auction for $45,000. His medals are now on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery in the

Imperial War Museum The Imperial War Museum (IWM), currently branded "Imperial War Museums", is a British national museum. It is headquartered in London, with five branches in England. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, it was intended to record the civ ...

in London.

References

External links

Biography

''(Avon)'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Fosbery, George Vincent British recipients of the Victoria Cross British Indian Army officers Military personnel from Wiltshire 1832 births 1907 deaths English inventors Firearm designers British military personnel of the Umbeyla Campaign People educated at Eton College