Walter Norris Congreve
Captain, The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
- Register No.
- 241 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Captain all Captains →
- Unit
- The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) all Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) VCs →
- Date of action
- 15 December 1899 on this day → all of 1899 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second Boer War
- London Gazette
- 2nd February 1900 on this day → all of 1900 →
- Born
- 20th November 1862 at Congreve, Staffordshire
- Died
- 26th February 1927 at Malta
- Memorial / grave
- on a stone pillar between the temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra on south-coast of Malta; at Stow- by- Chartley Church, Staffordshire and on the Rifle Brigade Memorial, Winchester Cathedral
Digest of citation
On 15th December, 1899 at the Battle of Colenso, South Africa, Captain Congreve with several others, tried to save the guns of the 14th and 66 th Batteries, Royal Field Artillery, when the detachment serving the guns had all become casualties or been driven from their guns. Some of the horses and drivers were sheltering in a Donga about 500 yards behind the guns and the intervening space was swept with shell and rifle fire. Captain Congreve, with two other officers* helped to hook a team into a limber and then to limber up a gun. Although wounded himself, seeing one of the officers fall, he went out with an RAMC Major* and brought him in. and W. Baptie (reg No. 43)
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
CONGREVE, Walter Norris. (reg No. 241)
Captain . The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
London Gazetted on 2nd February 1900.
Born on 20th November 1862 at Congreve, Staffordshire.
Died on 26th February 1927 at Malta.
Memorials on a stone pillar between the temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra on south-coast of Malta; at Stow- by- Chartley Church, Staffordshire and on the Rifle Brigade Memorial, Winchester Cathedral.
Digest of Citation reads: On 15th December, 1899 at the Battle of Colenso, South Africa, Captain Congreve with several others, tried to save the guns of the 14th and 66 th Batteries, Royal Field Artillery, when the detachment serving the guns had all become casualties or been driven from their guns. Some of the horses and drivers were sheltering in a Donga about 500 yards behind the guns and the intervening space was swept with shell and rifle fire. Captain Congreve, with two other officers* helped to hook a team into a limber and then to limber up a gun. Although wounded himself, seeing one of the officers fall, he went out with an RAMC Major* and brought him in.
* F H S Roberts (reg No. 1060); H N Schofield (reg No. 1114 ) and W. Baptie (reg No. 43).
Additional information:. General Congreve was the father of Major W. la. T. Congreve VC. He was a Knight Commander of the Bath (KCB) and a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO). He was also the holder of the Legion d'Honneur ( France), the Order of St Anne, 1st Class (Russia). He served as the Governor of Malta from 1925-27
Additional information
General Congreve was the father of Major W. la. T. Congreve VC. He was a Knight Commander of the Bath (KCB) and a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO). He was also the holder of the Legion d'Honneur ( France), the Order of St Anne, 1st Class (Russia). He served as the Governor of Malta from 1925-27
* F H S Roberts (reg No. 1060); H N Schofield (reg No. 1114 )
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: on a stone pillar between the temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra on south-coast of Malta; at Stow- by- Chartley Church, Staffordshire and on the Rifle Brigade Memorial, Winchester Cathedral
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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