Euston Henry Sartorius
Captain, 59th Regiment
- Register No.
- 1107 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Captain all Captains →
- Unit
- 59th Regiment (register: 59th Regiment of Foot) all 59th Regiment of Foot VCs →
- Date of action
- 24 October 1879 on this day → all of 1879 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second Afghan War
- London Gazette
- the 16th May, 1881 on this day → all of 1881 →
- Born
- 6th June 1844 at Cintra, Portugal
- Died
- 19th February 1925 at Chelsea, London
- Memorial / grave
- at St Peter and St Paul's Churchyard, Ewhurst, Surrey
- Medal held by
- the National Army Museum, Chelsea, London
Digest of citation
During and the Afghan War, on the 24th October 1879 at Shahjui, Captain Sartorius led a party of five or six men, of the 59th Regiment, against an enemy of unknown strength, who were occupying a position at the top of a precipitous hill, which was almost inaccessible. Any kind of regular formation was made impossible by the surrounding landscape's nature. As they gained the top of this perilous path way, Captain Sartorius had to bear the brunt of the attack as a whole body of the enemy fell upon him and his men. Although he himself was wounded, by sword cuts in both hands, and one of his men killed, the bearing of this officer, gallant and determined, his action, emulated as it was by his men, led to the most successful action as they killed the last seven survivors of the enemy holding the hilltop
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
SARTORIUS, Euston Henry. (reg No. 1107).
Captain. 59th Regiment. * London Gazetted on the 16th May, 1881.
VC Medal's Custodian is the National Army Museum, Chelsea, London.
Born on 6th June 1844 at Cintra, Portugal.
Died on 19th February 1925 at Chelsea, London.
Memorial on grave at St Peter and St Paul's Churchyard, Ewhurst, Surrey.
Digest of Citation reads: During and the Afghan War, on the 24th October 1879 at Shahjui, Captain Sartorius led a party of five or six men, of the 59th Regiment, against an enemy of unknown strength, who were occupying a position at the top of a precipitous hill, which was almost inaccessible. Any kind of regular formation was made impossible by the surrounding landscape's nature. As they gained the top of this perilous path way, Captain Sartorius had to bear the brunt of the attack as a whole body of the enemy fell upon him and his men. Although he himself was wounded, by sword cuts in both hands, and one of his men killed, the bearing of this officer, gallant and determined, his action, emulated as it was by his men, led to the most successful action as they killed the last seven survivors of the enemy holding the hilltop.
* East Lancashire Regiment.
Additional information:. Major General Euston Sartorius was a Companion of the Order of the Bath. (CB). He was the third son of Admiral Sir G. Sartorius GCB. He was the brother of Major General Reginald W. Sarotius VC. Educated at Woolwich and at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. In 1874 he married Emily Cook, who died in January 1915, they had two daughters and a son. The son died of wounds three months after his mother's death, in April 1915. Further research required
Additional information
Major General Euston Sartorius was a Companion of the Order of the Bath. (CB). He was the third son of Admiral Sir G. Sartorius GCB. He was the brother of Major General Reginald W. Sarotius VC. Educated at Woolwich and at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. In 1874 he married Emily Cook, who died in January 1915, they had two daughters and a son. The son died of wounds three months after his mother's death, in April 1915. Further research required
* East Lancashire Regiment.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: at St Peter and St Paul's Churchyard, Ewhurst, Surrey
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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