George Vincent Fosbery VC

Name: George Vincent Fosbery

Conflict: Umbeyla Campaign

Gazetted: July 7, 1865

Service: Indian Army

Place/date of birth: Devizes, Wiltshire/1833

Rank when awarded VC (and later highest rank): Lieutenant (later Colonel)

Date of bravery: October 30, 1863

London Gazette citation:

Late 4^th Bengal European Regiment. Lieutenant (now Captain) George Vincent Fosbery, Date of Act of Bravery, October 30^th, 1863.

For the daring and gallant manner in which, on the 30th of October, 1863, acting as a Volunteer at the time, he led a party of his Regiment to re-capture the Crag Picquet, after its Garrison had been driven in by the Enemy, on which occasion sixty of them were killed in desperate hand to hand fighting.

From the nature of the approach to the top of the Crag amongst the large rocks, one or two men only could advance at one time; and “whilst I ascended one path,” relates Lieutenant-Colonel Keyes, C.B., commanding the 1st Punjab Infantry, “I directed Lieutenant Fosbery, of the late 4th European Regiment, to push up another at the head of a few men. He led this party with the greatest coolness and intrepidity, and was the first man to gain the top of the Crag on his side of the attack.”

Subsequently, Lieutenant-Colonel Keyes being wounded, Lieutenant Fosbery assembled a party with which he pursued the routed enemy in the direction of the Lalloo ridge, inflicting on them further loss and confirming possession of the post.

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Other decorations: N/A

Place/date of death: Bath, Somerset (now Avon)/May 8, 1907

Grave/memorials: St Mary’s Cemetery, Bath, Somerset (now Avon)

Origin of VC to the Lord Ashcroft collection: Purchased from the Spink List, 1997

Current location of VC: Displayed on rotation at The Lord Ashcroft Gallery: Extraordinary Heroes exhibition, Imperial War Museum