Matthew Fontaine Maury Meiklejohn
Captain, 2nd Battalion. Gordon Highlanders
- Register No.
- 855 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Captain all Captains →
- Unit
- 2nd Battalion. Gordon Highlanders all Gordon Highlanders VCs →
- Date of action
- 21 October 1899 on this day → all of 1899 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second Boer War
- London Gazette
- 20th July 1900 on this day → all of 1900 →
- Born
- 27th November, 1870 at Clapham, London
- Died
- 4th July, 1913 at the Middlesex Hospital, the result of
- Memorial / grave
- at Brookwood Cemetery, Woking, Surrey
Digest of citation
At the Battle of Elandslaagte, South Africa on 21st October 1899, after the main position, occupied by the Boers, had been taken, some soldiers of the Gordon Highlanders were exposed to a heavy crossfire as they were about to advance. Having lost their leaders, they began to waver under the onslaught. Captain MEIKLEJOHN rushed to the front of the body of men and encouraged the men to follow him and he led them against the enemy's position. Here he fell with four severe wounds
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
MEIKLEJOHN, Matthew Fontaine Maury. (reg No. 855).
Captain. 2nd Battalion. Gordon Highlanders.
London Gazetted on 20th July 1900.
Born on 27th November, 1870 at Clapham, London.
Died on 4th July, 1913 at the Middlesex Hospital, the result of a riding accident in Hyde Park.*.
Memorial on grave at Brookwood Cemetery, Woking, Surrey.
Digest of Citation reads: At the Battle of Elandslaagte, South Africa on 21st October 1899, after the main position, occupied by the Boers, had been taken, some soldiers of the Gordon Highlanders were exposed to a heavy crossfire as they were about to advance. Having lost their leaders, they began to waver under the onslaught. Captain MEIKLEJOHN rushed to the front of the body of men and encouraged the men to follow him and he led them against the enemy's position. Here he fell with four severe wounds.
Additional information:. Captain MEIKLEJOHN was Mentioned in Despatches, and was awarded the Queen's Medal. He was the Garrison Adjutant at St Helena in 1901. He entered the Staff College and was later on the General Staff at Army Headquarters, during which time he was promoted to Major. He married the daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Lionel Marshall, Miss Vera Marshall, in 1904 , giving issue to one son and two daughters.
*Handicapped by the fact that he only had one arm, he was forced, when his horse bolted, to guide the animal against the railings of Rotten Row, Hyde Park, where some children, with their nurse, were walking on the path. His action saved the children from severe injury, or even death. The children's mother, in a letter to the Times on the 7th of July 1913, praised the bravery of Major MEIKLEJOHN. She told how her nurse, being the only witness to the accident, had been walking in Hyde Park near Knightsbridge Barracks when the runaway horse came suddenly from between the trees. Seeing the children, he turned his horse against the railings of Rotten Row, which he had little chance of clearing, thereby giving his life for the children's. She went on to write, that it added one more great deed, to his already long roll of brave and unselfish acts.
Additional information
Captain MEIKLEJOHN was Mentioned in Despatches, and was awarded the Queen's Medal. He was the Garrison Adjutant at St Helena in 1901. He entered the Staff College and was later on the General Staff at Army Headquarters, during which time he was promoted to Major. He married the daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Lionel Marshall, Miss Vera Marshall, in 1904 , giving issue to one son and two daughters. when his horse bolted, to guide the animal against the railings of Rotten Row, Hyde Park, where some children, with their nurse, were walking on the path. His action saved the children from severe injury, or even death. The children's mother, in a letter to the Times on the 7th of July 1913, praised the bravery of Major MEIKLEJOHN. She told how her nurse, being the only witness to the accident, had been walking in Hyde Park near Knightsbridge Barracks when the runaway horse came suddenly from between the trees. Seeing the children, he turned his horse against the railings of Rotten Row, which he had little chance of clearing, thereby giving his life for the children's. She went on to write, that it added one more great deed, to his already long roll of brave and unselfish acts.
*Handicapped by the fact that he only had one arm, he was forced,
a riding accident in Hyde Park.*.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: at Brookwood Cemetery, Woking, Surrey
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