Howard Crauford Elphinstone
Lieutenant, Corps of Royal Engineers
- Register No.
- 379 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Lieutenant all Lieutenants →
- Unit
- Corps of Royal Engineers all Corps of Royal Engineers VCs →
- Date of action
- 18 June 1855 on this day → all of 1855 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Crimean War
- London Gazette
- 21st June and 21st December 1855 and receive the Medal on this day → all of 1855 →
- Born
- 12th December 1829 at Sunzel, Riga, Russia
- Died
- 8th March 1890 near Ushant
- Memorial / grave
- Devonport chapel, Devon; Bagshot Parish Church, Surrey;
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
ELPHINSTONE, Howard Crauford. (reg No. 379).
Lieutenant Corps of Royal Engineers.
London Gazetted on 2nd June 1858.
Born on 12th December 1829 at Sunzel, Riga, Russia.
Died on 8th March 1890 near Ushant.
Memorial at Devonport chapel, Devon; Bagshot Parish Church, Surrey; Exeter Cathedral and St George's Garrison Church, Aldershot.
Digest of Citation reads: On the 18th June 1855 at Sebastopol, Crimea, on the night following the unsuccessful attack on the Redan, Lieutenant Elphinstone commanded a party of volunteers who searched for the scaling ladders left behind after the repulse. While performing this task he also conducted a search close to the enemy for wounded men, 20 of whom he rescued and took back to the trenches.
Additional information:. He was the fourth son of Captain Alexander Francis Elphinstone, Royal Navy. He was educated abroad and also at Woolwich. On 18th December 1847 at the age of 18 he received his first commission in the Royal Engineers,becoming a Lieutenant on 11th November 1851. In 1853 he attended Military Reviews in Prussia in an official capacity. He was employed on Ordnance Survey in Scotland until March 1854. He went to Malta, Bulgaria and the Crimea, reaching Balaclava on 29th September 1854, where he served in the trenches of the Right Attack. Here he spent 81 days and 91 nights on trench duty. He was prominent in the assault on the Quarries before the Redan on 18th June also taking part in the final assault on Sebastopol on the 8th September. It was here that he lost the sight of the left eye caused by a splinter. He was mentioned in despatches, Gazetted on 21st June and 21st December 1855 and receive the Medal and clasps. Promotions were:. Captain on 20th April 1856; Brevet- Major on 26th December, 1856; Major on 5th July 1862; Brevet- Lieutenant Colonel, 9th April 1868 and Colonel on 23rd May, 1873. As a Major General (29th of January 1887), he was assigned to the training of Prince Arthur aged eight years. (Duke of Connaught). To the very last he was the Treasurer and Comptroller of the Duke of Connaught's household. He was a Knight Commander of the Bath (KCB); a Companion of St Michael and St George (CMG) and a Military Companion of (the Order of) the Bath (CB). His tragic death came, on the 8th March 1890, whilst aboard a New Zealand Shipping Company's Steamer on a journey to New Zealand, with his wife and one of his daughter's, when he was swept overboard by a wave and drowned. He was survived by his wife and four daughters.
Alf's notes on his life
Exeter Cathedral and St George's Garrison Church, Aldershot. Digest of Citation reads: On the 18th June 1855 at Sebastopol, Crimea, on the night following the unsuccessful attack on the Redan, Lieutenant Elphinstone commanded a party of volunteers who searched for the scaling ladders left behind after the repulse. While performing this task he also conducted a search close to the enemy for wounded men, 20 of whom he rescued and took back to the trenches.
Additional information
He was the fourth son of Captain Alexander Francis Elphinstone, Royal Navy. He was educated abroad and also at Woolwich. On 18th December 1847 at the age of 18 he received his first commission in the Royal Engineers,becoming a Lieutenant on 11th November 1851. In 1853 he attended Military Reviews in Prussia in an official capacity. He was employed on Ordnance Survey in Scotland until March 1854. He went to Malta, Bulgaria and the Crimea, reaching Balaclava on 29th September 1854, where he served in the trenches of the Right Attack. Here he spent 81 days and 91 nights on trench duty. He was prominent in the assault on the Quarries before the Redan on 18th June also taking part in the final assault on Sebastopol on the 8th September. It was here that he lost the sight of the left eye caused by a splinter. He was mentioned in despatches,
and clasps.
Promotions were:. Captain on 20th April 1856; Brevet- Major on
26th December, 1856; Major on 5th July 1862; Brevet- Lieutenant
Colonel, 9th April 1868 and Colonel on 23rd May, 1873. As a Major
General (29th of January 1887), he was assigned to the training
of Prince Arthur aged eight years. (Duke of Connaught). To the
very last he was the Treasurer and Comptroller of the Duke of
Connaught's household.
He was a Knight Commander of the Bath (KCB); a Companion of St
Michael and St George (CMG) and a Military Companion of (the Order
of) the Bath (CB). His tragic death came, on the 8th March 1890,
whilst aboard a New Zealand Shipping Company's Steamer on a journey
to New Zealand, with his wife and one of his daughter's, when
he was swept overboard by a wave and drowned.
He was survived by his wife and four daughters.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: Devonport chapel, Devon; Bagshot Parish Church, 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.
Research this recipient further
Would you like to honour Howard Crauford Elphinstone by sponsoring this page from £1 a month — in memory of someone, in your own name or for your company? Sponsor this page.