Hampden Zane Churchill Cockburn (19 November 1867 – 12 July 1913) was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

soldier who won 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 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. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

forces, for his actions during the Battle of Leliefontein 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 ...

Early life

Born in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Canada, Cockburn was a graduate of

Upper Canada College Upper Canada College (UCC) is an independent day and boarding school for boys in Toronto, Ontario, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The college is widely described as Canada's most prestigious preparatory school, and ha ...

in Toronto. On 20 November 1891, Cockburn joined the

Canadian Militia The Canadian Militia is a historical title for military units raised for the defence of Canada. The term has been used to describe sedentary militia units raised from local communities in Canada; as well as the regular army for the Province of Ca ...

and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant with The Governor General's Body Guard.

Second Boer War

When the

broke out in 1899, Cockburn, then a 32-year-old

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 ...

, volunteered for service in The Royal Canadian Dragoons, Canadian Militia, and was posted to South Africa with the regiment, where the action took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 7 November 1900, during the Battle of Leliefontein near the

Komati River The Komati River, also known as the Inkomati River or Incomati River (in Mozambique, from Portuguese Rio Incomati), is a river in South Africa, Eswatini and Mozambique. Originating in north-western Eswatini, it is joined by the Crocodile Riv ...

, a large force of Boer commandos sought to encircle a retreating British column whose rearguard comprised two troops of Royal Canadian Dragoons and two 12-pounder guns of "D" Battery, Royal Canadian Field Artillery. Cockburn and Lieutenant Richard Turner commanded a small group of troopers who repulsed the Boers at close range, allowing the two field guns to escape capture. Sergeant Edward Holland of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, ably assisted them with good machine-gun work, finally fleeing in the face of superior Boer force with the machine gun under his arm to avoid its capture. All the men under Cockburn's command were either killed, wounded or captured. Cockburn was also wounded during the action. Following the battle, three men of the Royal Canadian Dragoons were awarded the Victoria Cross: Cockburn, Turner and Holland. The citations were published in the ''

London Gazette London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Tha ...

'' of 23 April 1901. Cockburn's read:

Return to Canada

Following the Boer War, Cockburn returned to Canada, and eventually achieved the rank of

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

. He died in a horse-riding accident in Grayburn, Saskatchewan, in 1913, and was buried at St. James Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario, with a headstone at Hill A, Section S 1/2, Lot 11.

Medal

Cockburn's Victoria Cross and sword were, for many years, displayed in the lobby of his alma mater, Upper Canada College. In 1977, the school had a high-quality copy made for display, and moved the original to safe-keeping.

Gallery

Cockburn VC f&b.JPG, Obverse and reverse of Cockburn's Victoria Cross Lt. Hampden Cockburn, Royal Canadian Dragoons.jpg, Cockburn as a lieutenant Cockburn Family Plot photo by Djuradj Vujcic.jpg, The grave site of Cockburn (and his parents) at St. James Cemetery, Toronto

References

Sources

Monuments to Courage David Charles Harvey (29 July 1946 – 4 March 2004) was a British 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 ...

(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 f ...

(This England, 1997) * Victoria Crosses of the Anglo-Boer War (Ian Uys, 20

External links

Anglo-Boer War.com

Legion Magazine article on Hampden Zane Churchill Cockburn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cockburn, Hampden 1867 births 1913 deaths Hampden People from Old Toronto Upper Canada College alumni Canadian Militia officers Royal Canadian Dragoons officers Governor General's Horse Guards officers Canadian military personnel of the Second Boer War Second Boer War recipients of the Victoria Cross Canadian recipients of the Victoria Cross Accidental deaths in Saskatchewan Deaths by horse-riding accident in Canada Burials at St. James Cemetery, Toronto