Colonel James Morris Colquhoun Colvin VC (26 August 1870 – 7 December 1945) 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 a member of a

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 ...

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force.

Early life

Colvin was born in

Bijnor Bijnor () is a city and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India.United Provinces,

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

to James Colquhoun Colvin of the Manor House, Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, and Camilla Fanny Marie Morris, who was the eldest daughter of the Rev. Edward Morris. Colvin's father serviced with the Bengal Civil Service. He was awarded the India Mutiny medal for defending the House of

Arrah Arrah (also transliterated as Ara) is a city and a municipal corporation in Bhojpur district, India, Bhojpur district (formerly known as Shahabad district) in the Indian state of Bihar. It is the headquarters of Bhojpur district, India, Bhojpur ...

. The Colvin family had been involved for a long time in various capacities in the British

East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies) is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The ''Indies'' broadly referred to various lands in Eastern world, the East or the Eastern Hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainl ...

, serving as soldiers and administrators. Colvin's extended family members included Sir John Russell Colvin, Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Provinces during the Indian Mutiny, and his sons Sir Auckland, K.C.S.I. and Sir Elliot Graham, K.C.S.I. Their most notable cousin was the English writer and curator Sir Sidney Colvin, known for his friendship with the young

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

Military service

He was educated at Charterhouse and the

Royal Military Academy, Woolwich The Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army military academy for the training of Officer (armed forces), commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. It later also trained officers o ...

. There, for distinguished proficiency, he was awarded the Pollock Gold Medal and Memoir as a Cadet Senior Under Officer. He was also awarded the Regulation Sword for exemplary conduct. A travelling clock, aneroid barometer, thermometer and compass were awarded to him for maths and mechanics. H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge presented the awards after inspecting cadets at RMA Woolwich, on 26 July 1889. On 27 July 1889, Colvin joined the Royal Engineers as a second lieutenant. Three years later, he was promoted to

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 ...

on 27 July 1892. He served in the

Chitral Chitral () is a city situated on the Kunar River, Chitral River in northern area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Lower Chitral District, and was previously the capital of Chitral District, and before ...

Relief Force in 1895 with the 4th Company, Bengal Sappers and Miners. He served on the North West Frontier of India with the Malakand Field Force in 1897–1898, and took part in operations in Bajaur, and in the

Mohmand The Mohmand () or Momand is a prominent tribe of Pashtun people. Distribution They are based primarily in the Mohmand territory, which is located in Nangarhar, Afghanistan and Mohmand Agency, Pakistan. In Afghanistan, their areas of presence i ...

country and in Buner. He was mentioned in dispatches.

Mohmand Campaign

Colvin was 27 years old, and a

in the

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 ...

Corps of Royal Engineers during the Mohmand campaign of 1897–98 in

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 ...

when his actions resulted in him subsequently being awarded the

.
Colvin was in the Mohmand Valley, North West British India, with Lieutenant Thomas Colclough Watson on the night of 16/17 September 1897. Watson collected a party of volunteers and led them into the village of Bilot. They attempted to dislodge the enemy who were inflicting losses on the British. Although Watson had been incapacitated by his wounds, undeterred, Lieutenant Colvin made two additional attempts to clear enemy fighters from the village. "He was conspicuous during the whole night for his devotion to his men, in the most exposed positions and under very heavy fire." The award of the Victoria Cross was 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 ...

'' on 20 May 1898. The citation read; Queen Victoria invested Colvin with the Victoria Cross on 19th July 1898 at Windsor Castle. Two others who served with Colvin were also awarded a Victoria Cross—Lieutenant Thomas Colclough Watson and Corporal James Smith, The Buffs ( East Kent Regiment). Colvin served with the Malakand Field Force, 1897–98, where he took part in operations in Bajaur, the Mohmand Country and in Bruner (mentioned-in-Despatches L.G. 11 January 1898).

Second Boer War

Colvin was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on 1 April 1900, and served in

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 ...

in 1901–02 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 ...

as Special Service Officer. In May 1901 he was appointed an Aide-de-camp to Lieutenant-General Sir Bindon Blood, who was stationed in eastern Transvaal. He remained in South Africa until the war ended in May 1902, and left for

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

on the ''SS Umlazi'' two months later. For his service in the war, he was again mentioned in despatches (L.G. 22 August 1902), received the brevet promotion to

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 ...

and awarded the Queen's Medal with three clasps on 22 August 1902, and his name was noted as qualified for Staff employment.

Later service

* Appointed Staff Captain, Army Headquarters, Simla, India on 11 April 1903 to 15 March 1906 * Passed Staff College, Camberley, in 1909 * General Staff Officer 2nd Grade, Quetta Division on 7 May 1911 to 2 November 1915 * Promoted Lieutenant-Colonel on 18 January 1917 * Mentioned-in-Despatches (the Despatch, dated 20 August 1918, of Sir C.C. Munro) vide p. 13907 of London Gazette No. 31031, dated 26 November 1918. * Appointed Commandant, 3rd Sappers and Miners, Kirkey, India

Orders and medals

* Victoria Cross * India General Service Medal 1895–1902 with clasps 'Relief of Chitral 1895', 'Punjab Frontier 1897–98' * Queen's South Africa Medal(1899–1902) with clasps 'Transvaal', 'South Africa 1901', and 'South Africa 1902' * British War Medal (1914–20) * King George VI Coronation Medal (1937)

Family

Colvin married Katharine Way, youngest daughter of Colonel George Augustus Way, CB on 23 January 1904 in

Simla Shimla, also known as Simla (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Himachal Pradesh, the official name until 1972), is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summe ...

India. They had three children: * Katharine Camilla Colvin, who married Noel Beresford-Peirse * James Bazett Colvin * John Alexander Colvin, born 9 July 1913

Death details

James Colvin died at Stanway, near Colchester on 7 December 1945, aged 75. He was cremated at Ipswich Crematorium on 11 December, and his ashes scattered in the Old Garden of Rest.

Notes

References

External links

Royal Engineers Museum
Sappers VCs

(Suffolk) {{DEFAULTSORT:Colvin, James Morris Colquhoun People educated at Charterhouse School 1870 births 1945 deaths British recipients of the Victoria Cross Royal Engineers officers Bengal Sappers and Miners personnel Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich British military personnel of the Chitral Expedition British Army personnel of the Second Boer War British military personnel of the Malakand Frontier War British Army personnel of World War I British military personnel of the First Mohmand Campaign Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross