Eustace Jotham
Captain, 51st Sikhs. Indian Army
- Register No.
- 660 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Captain all Captains →
- Unit
- 51st Sikhs. Indian Army all 51st Sikhs VCs →
- Date of action
- 7 January 1915 on this day → all of 1915 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 24th July, 1915 on this day → all of 1915 →
- Born
- the 28th November, 1883 at Kidderminster, Worcestershire
- Died
- in action 7th January 1917 at Spina Khaisora, India
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- on the Delhi Memorial, India, at the Garrison Church Whittington Barracks, Lichfield, Staffs., and at St Luke's Church, Chelsea, London
Digest of citation
On the 7th January 1915 at Spina Khaisora in the Tochi Valley, India, during operations against the Khostwal tribesmen, Captain Jotham, who was commanding a party consisting of about a dozen of the North Waziristan Militia, was attacked in a nullah* and almost surrounded by an overwhelming force of some 1500 tribesmen. Captain Jotham gave the order to retire and could have escaped himself, but sacrificed his life in trying to rescue one of his own men who had lost a horse
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
JOTHAM, Eustace. (reg No. 660).
Captain. 51st Sikhs. Indian Army.
London Gazetted on 24th July, 1915.
Born on the 28th November, 1883 at Kidderminster, Worcestershire.
Killed in action 7th January 1917 at Spina Khaisora, India.
Memorials on the Delhi Memorial, India, at the Garrison Church Whittington Barracks, Lichfield, Staffs., and at St Luke's Church, Chelsea, London.
Digest of Citation reads: On the 7th January 1915 at Spina Khaisora in the Tochi Valley, India, during operations against the Khostwal tribesmen, Captain Jotham, who was commanding a party consisting of about a dozen of the North Waziristan Militia, was attacked in a nullah* and almost surrounded by an overwhelming force of some 1500 tribesmen. Captain Jotham gave the order to retire and could have escaped himself, but sacrificed his life in trying to rescue one of his own men who had lost a horse.
*A dried-up river bed or Ravine.
*A dried-up river bed or Ravine.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: on the Delhi Memorial, India, at the Garrison Church Whittington Barracks, Lichfield, Staffs., and at St Luke's Church, Chelsea, London
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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