Thomas Elsdon Ashford (1859 – 21 February 1913) 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

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and

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forces.

Early life

He was born in 1859 at 2 Peck's Cottage, All Saints, Newmarket, Suffolk, the illegitimate son of Thomas Ashford, a boot maker and Emma Elsdon. Thomas joined the Army at Woolwich for the 49th Brigade on 12 June 1877.

The VC action

He was about 21 years old, and a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

in The Royal Fusiliers,

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during the

Second Anglo-Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the latter was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dy ...

when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. Pre 1914 Victoria Cross Holders HU71321

On 16 August 1880 at Deh Khoja, near

Kandahar Kandahar is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city, after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118 in 2015. It is the capital of Kandahar Pro ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

, Private Ashford assisted Lieutenant William St. Lucien Chase in rescuing and carrying for a distance of over 200 yards under the fire of the enemy, a wounded soldier who had taken shelter in a block-house and finally brought the wounded man to a place of safety. His citation read: After his military service, Ashford settled in

Thringstone Thringstone is a village in the North West Leicestershire district, in Leicestershire, England. About north of Coalville, it lies in the English National Forest. Until 1875, Thringstone had been a township within the ancient parish of Wh ...

, Leicestershire and served as a postman for many years. He was married in Thringstone Church to Betsy Ann Sisson on 29 January 1891. He later moved to the neighbouring village of

Whitwick Whitwick is a large village and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district of Leicestershire, England, some two miles north of Coalville in the northwest of the county. It lies in an ancient parish which formerly included the equall ...

and died on 13 February 1913. He was laid to rest in

Cemetery, in the presence of thousands of mourners, though the grave lay unmarked for many years, until a monument was provided by the local

British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British Charitable organization, charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants. ...

. Three streets in Whitwick have since been named in his honour.

The Medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Fusiliers Museum in the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

References

Royal Fusiliers Recipients of the Victoria Cross
* "Elegant Extracts" - The Royal Fusiliers Recipients of the VC (J.P. Kelleher, 2001) *

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)

External links

Leicestershire's first VC
"Leicestershire"

"Royal Fusiliers Museum, London" * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ashford, Thomas Elsdon British recipients of the Victoria Cross Royal Fusiliers soldiers 1859 births 1913 deaths Burials in Leicestershire People from Newmarket, Suffolk Second Anglo-Afghan War recipients of the Victoria Cross Deaths from bronchitis British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross People from Thringstone People from Whitwick Military personnel from Suffolk 19th-century British Army personnel