Colonel George Vincent Fosbery VC, 1890 (c)

Photograph, 1890 (c).

After attending Eton College, Fosbery (1833-1907) entered the Bengal Army in 1852. He was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) for his actions on 30 October 1863 during the Umbeyla Campaign whilst a lieutenant in the 4th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry. According to the 'London Gazette' of 7 July 1865 it was:

'For the daring and gallant manner in which, on 30 October 1863, when aged about 30 years, and acting as a volunteer at the time, he led a party of his regiment to recapture the Crag Piquet, 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.

"Whilst I ascended one path," relates Lieutenant-Colonel Keyes, CB., commanding the 1st Punjab Infantry, "I directed Lieutenant Fosbery to push up another at the head of a few men. He led this party with great 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.'

Fosbery was also a designer and inventor of firearms, patenting in 1895 a self-cocking revolver, which was taken up by the Webley & Scott Revolver & Arms Company. The Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver was subsequently produced as a six-shot .455 calibre and an eight-shot .38 calibre.

From a collection of six photographs of winners of the Victoria Cross, 1833-1949.