Robert Digby-Jones

Plaque to Robert Digby-Jones VC in St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh

Robert James Thomas Digby-Jones (27 September 1876 – 6 January 1900) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross,<ref>Royal Engineers Museum Template:Webarchive Sappers VCs</ref> the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details

The Digby Jones memorial, Dean Cemetery

He was born at Chester Street in Edinburgh<ref name="memorialstovalour">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the son of Charles Digby Jones (1844–1911) and his wife, Aimee Susanna Christie. He was educated at Alnmouth and then Sedbergh School.<ref name="angloboerwar">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1894 he was sent to the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and trained as an officer in the Royal Engineers. He is recorded as a keen and popular sportsman, both in golf and rugby.<ref name="northeastmedals.co.uk">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

When he was 23 years old, and a lieutenant in the Corps of Royal Engineers, British Army during the Boer War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 6 January 1900 during the attack on Wagon Hill (Ladysmith), South Africa, Lieutenant Digby-Jones and a trooper (Herman Albrecht) of the Imperial Light Horse led the force which re-occupied the top of the hill at a critical moment, but both were killed in the ensuing mêlée. For their actions they cited jointly: Template:Quote

Digby-Jones is buried in Ladysmith Cemetery.

He is also memorialised on his parents grave in Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh.

Memorials and the medal

• Digby-Jones's Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Engineers Museum (Chatham, England).
• A memorial to Digby-Jones stands in his old school, Sedbergh, commemorating his brave deeds.
• A brass plaque to Digby-Jones lies on the south aisle of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh. The plaque states that it was erected by his parents and brothers.
• A cairn was erected at Waggon Hill at the spot where he died
• A memorial plaque to his memory also stands in Alnmouth Parish Church

Family

He came from a long line of military personnel and another cousin, Robert Hope Moncrieff Aitken had already won a Victoria Cross.<ref name="northeastmedals.co.uk"/>

Further reading

• Scotland's Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• The Sapper VCs (Gerald Napier, 1998)
• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• Victoria Crosses of the Anglo-Boer War (Ian Uys, 2000)

External links

• Photo of memorial in Ladysmith cemetery listing Robert James Thomas Digby-Jones, from Genealogical Society of South Africa online library.