Gustavus Hamilton Blenkinsopp Coulson, (1 April 1879 – 18 May 1901) was a

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 ...

officer and 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 decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" awarded to members of the British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

armed forces.

Early life

Coulson was born on 1 April 1879 in

Wimbledon, London Wimbledon () is a suburb of southwest London, England, southwest of Charing Cross; it is the main commercial centre of the London Borough of Merton. Wimbledon had a population of 68,189 in 2011 which includes the electoral wards of Abbey, Wimb ...

, and educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

Military career

Coulson was 22 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 ...

and Adjutant in the 1st Battalion, The King's Own Scottish Borderers,

during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

when the following deed took place on 18 May 1901 at Lambrechtfontein, South Africa, for which he was posthumously awarded the VC: There is a memorial to Coulson in

St Peter's Church, Tiverton St Peter's Church, Tiverton is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Tiverton, Devon. History The church dates from 1073. Several restorations have been undertaken, in 1825–1829 by G.A. Boyce, and in 1853–1856 by Edwar ...

, Devon, and his Victoria Cross is displayed at the Regimental Museum of The Kings Own Scottish Borderers,

Berwick upon Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...

Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...

Notes

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Coulson, Gustavus Hamilton Blenkinsopp 1879 births 1901 deaths Second Boer War recipients of the Victoria Cross British Army personnel killed in the Second Boer War British recipients of the Victoria Cross King's Own Scottish Borderers officers People from Wimbledon, London Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Green Howards officers British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross People educated at Winchester College