Euston Sartorius

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox military person Major General Euston Henry Sartorius Template:Post-nominals (6 June 1844 – 19 February 1925) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. His brother Reginald was also awarded the VC.

Life

Sartorius was educated at Victoria College, Jersey, then the Royal Naval School, New Cross. He then decided on an army career and attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, followed by the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. In 1862 he joined the 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot as an ensign.<ref name=ODNB>Template:Cite ODNB</ref> In June 1869 at Broadstairs he rescued three girls from drowning, for which he received the Bronze Medal of the Royal Humane Society.<ref name=VChistory>History of the Victoria Cross</ref>

In the 1870s, he spent four years as military surveying instructor at Sandhurst, and then travelled for a year overland, via Persia, to India to rejoin his regiment.<ref name=ODNB/> When the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80) broke out, the 59th Foot formed part of the southern Afghanistan Field Force, serving in and around Kandahar. In October 1879 Sartorius was part of a British advance upon a large Ghilzais force assembling at Shahjui. Under fire from British artillery, the Ghilzais retreated, taking refuge in an old hill-top fort. Sartorius won his VC for leading a small force that captured this fort.<ref name=ODNB/>

VC action

Sartorius was a 35 year old captain in the 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot (later The East Lancashire Regiment), British Army, during the Second Anglo-Afghan War when the following deed took place on 24 October 1879 at Shahjui, Afghanistan for which he was awarded the VC: Template:Quote

For his Afghan service, he was also made brevet major, and twice mentioned in dispatches.<ref name=ODNB/>

Later career

Due to wounds received during his VC action, Sartorius partially lost the use of his left hand. Unable to continue as an active field officer, he was appointed to a staff post at Aldershot. In the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War he was made deputy assistant adjutant-general and quartermaster-general, responsible for base and communications. For this, he was made brevet lieutenant-colonel, mentioned in dispatches,<ref name=ODNB/> and received the fourth-class Order of Osmanieh.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He became a colonel in 1886, and was assistant adjutant-general in Portsmouth from 1891 to 1894. In 1896 he was made a companion of the Order of the Bath,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and went to Japan as military attaché. After promotion to major general in 1899, he retired in August 1901 but continued as colonel of the South Lancashire Regiment in November 1909, taking over from Major General Sir Frederick Solly-Flood.<ref name=ODNB/><ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>

In retirement he lived at Holmbury St Mary, Surrey, and in London. Following a short illness he died at his residence in Chelsea, London, on 19 February 1925. He was buried at St Peter and St Paul's Churchyard, Ewhurst, Surrey.<ref name=Bioi/>

Family

His father was Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Rose Sartorius. He had two elder brothers, both of whom also entered the army: George Conrad Sartorius, who retired as a colonel, and Major General Reginald William Sartorius, who was also awarded the VC.<ref name=ODNB/> One of Victoria College Jersey's five Houses was later named 'Sartorius' after the three brothers, all of whom attended the school.<ref name="schoollife">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

He succeeded his father as Count of Penhafirme in the Portuguese nobility, and was confirmed in the title by King Carlos I on 20 June 1903. On 22 December 1874 he married Emily Jane, daughter of Sir Francis Cook, 1st Viscount of Monserrate; their son Euston Francis Frederick Sartorius was born in 1882 and served in the Grenadier Guards.<ref>Marquis of Ruvigny, The Nobilities of Europe (London, 1909) pp. 14–15.</ref>

The medal

His Victoria Cross is held by the National Army Museum, Chelsea, London.<ref name=Bioi>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

References

• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)

External links

• Location of grave and VC medal (Surrey)