Robert Hope Moncrieff Aitken

The grave of Col Robert H M Aitken, Eastern Cemetery, St Andrews

Colonel Robert Hope Moncrieff Aitken Template:Post-nominals (8 February 1826 – 18 September 1887) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details of Nomination

He was 31 years old, and a lieutenant in the 13th Bengal Native Infantry, Bengal Army during the Indian Mutiny when the following deeds took place for which he was awarded the VC: Template:Blockquote<ref>London Gazette</ref>

Later life

In later life he achieved the rank of colonel.

He died in 1887 and is buried in the Eastern Cemetery at St Andrews on the upper terrace.

Family

Robert was the son of John Aitken and Jane Christie, of Cupar, Fife, Scotland. He came from a long line of army personnel. His cousin Robert Digby-Jones also received the Victoria Cross (posthumously) for actions at Ladysmith in 1900.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Legacy

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His Victoria Cross is now part of the collections at the National Army Museum (Chelsea, England).<ref>[1] National Army Museum catalogue</ref> He is unique in that the decoration ceremony took place at the same location, the Residency at Lucknow, nearly at the exact spot where several of his V.C. actions had occurred. However, he did not receive the actual medal on this occasion, as it had been mislaid.

A memorial was erected at the Residency in Lucknow. It reads: Template:Blockquote

Publications

• Monuments To Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• Scotland's Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995)

External links

• Burial location of Robert Aitken (Fife)
• Location of Robert Aitken's Victoria Cross National Army Museum, London