Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Robert Hope Moncrieff Aitken (8 February 1826 – 18 September 1887) was a Scottish 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

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.

Details of Nomination

He 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 13th Bengal Native Infantry,

Bengal Army The Bengal Army was the army of the Bengal Presidency, one of the three presidencies of British India within the British Empire. The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company (EIC) until the Gover ...

during the Indian Mutiny when the following deeds took place for which he was awarded the VC:

Later life

In later life he achieved the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

. He died in 1887 and is buried in the Eastern Cemetery at

St Andrews St Andrews (; ; , pronounced ʰʲɪʎˈrˠiː.ɪɲ is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fourth-largest settleme ...

on the upper terrace.

Family

Robert was the son of John Aitken and Jane Christie, of Cupar, Fife, Scotland. He came from a long line of army personnel. His cousin Robert Digby-Jones also received the

(posthumously) for actions at Ladysmith in 1900.

Legacy

His Victoria Cross is now part of the collections at the

National Army Museum The National Army Museum is the British Army's central museum. It is located in the Chelsea district of central London, adjacent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the " Chelsea Pensioners". The museum is a non-departmental public bod ...

''(Chelsea, England)''.
National Army Museum catalogue He is unique in that the decoration ceremony took place at the same location, The Residency, Lucknow, the Residency at Lucknow, nearly at the exact spot where several of his V.C. actions had occurred. However, he did not receive the actual medal on this occasion, as it had been mislaid. A memorial was erected at the Residency in Lucknow. It reads:

References

Publications

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) *Scotland's Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995)

External links

Burial location of Robert Aitken
''(Fife)''

''National Army Museum, London'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Aitken, Robert Hope Moncrieff British recipients of the Victoria Cross Indian Rebellion of 1857 recipients of the Victoria Cross British Indian Army officers British East India Company Army officers 1826 births 1887 deaths Companions of the Order of the Bath People from Cupar British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Sikh War British people in colonial India Military personnel from Fife British colonels