Major General Robert Montresor Rogers, (4 September 1834 – 5 February 1895) 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 Irish 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 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.
Details
He was 25 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
44th Regiment of Foot,
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 ...
during the
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War (), also known as the Second Anglo-Chinese War or ''Arrow'' War, was fought between the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the United States against the Qing dynasty of China between 1856 and 1860. It was the second major ...
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 21 August 1860 at the
Taku Forts
The Taku Forts or Dagukou Forts (大沽口炮台), also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River (Peiho River) estuary in the Binhai New Area, Tianjin, in northeastern China. They are located southeast of the Tianjin urban ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, Lieutenant Rogers, together with a private (
John McDougall) of his regiment and a lieutenant of the 67th Regiment (
Edmund Henry Lenon) displayed great gallantry in swimming the ditches and entering the North Taku Fort by an embrasure during the assault.
His citation reads:
Further information
He later achieved the rank of
major general. He died in
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England. It lies on the southwestern bank of the River Thames, which at this point forms the border with Buckinghamshire. In the 2021 Census, ...
, Berkshire, 5 February 1895 and he is buried in the churchyard at All Saints church, Boyne Hill, Maidenhead.
His Medal is displayed at the "Du Monde Traigue" Museum in Brussels.
References
External links
Location of grave and VC medal(Berkshire)
*http://www.lightinfantry.org.uk/regiments/perth/perth_co.htm
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rogers, Robert Montressor
1834 births
1895 deaths
Burials in Berkshire
19th-century Irish people
Irish officers in the British Army
Military personnel from Dublin (city)
Irish recipients of the Victoria Cross
British Army major generals
Companions of the Order of the Bath
British Army personnel of the Second Opium War
British Army personnel of the Crimean War
British Army personnel of the Anglo-Zulu War
44th Regiment of Foot officers
Cameronians officers
British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross