|
|
|
|
|
Redvers Henry BullerSir Redvers Henry Buller (VC, GCB, GCMG) (7 December 1839-2 June 1908) was a British general and Victoria Cross holder. Details He was 39 years old, and a Brevet Lieutenant Colonel in the 60th Rifles (later The King's Royal Rifle Corps), British Army during the Zulu War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 28 March 1879 at lnhlobana (Hlobane), South Africa, during the retreat, Lieutenant Colonel Buller, while being hotly pursued by Zulus, rescued a captain of the Frontier Light Horse and carried him on his own horse until he overtook the rearguard. On the same day, under the same circumstances, he carried a lieutenant, whose horse had been killed under him, to a place of safety. Again, on the same day, he saved a trooper whose horse was exhausted, and who would otherwise have been killed by the Zulus who were within 80 yards of him. Further Information Redvers (pronounced 'Reevers') Buller was born at Crediton, Devonshire, the son of MP James Wentworth Buller. After completing his schooling at Eton he was commissioned into the 60th Rifles (King’s Royal Rifle Corps) in May 1858. He took part in the China campaign of 1860, and was promoted to captain before taking part in the Canadian Red River expidition of 1870. In 1873-1874 he was the intelligience officer under Lord Wolseley during the Ashanti campaign, during which he was slightly wounded at the Battle of Ordabai. He was promoted to major and awarded the C.B. He then served in South Africa during the Kaffir War of 1878 and the Zulu War of 1879. In the First Boer War of 1881 he was Sir Evelyn Woods' chief of staff and the following year was again head of intelligence, this time in the Egypt campaign, and was knighted. He had married Audrey, the daughter of the 4th Marquess Townshend, in 1882 and in the same year was sent to the Sudan in command of an infantry brigade and fought at the battles of El Teb and Tamai, and the expedition to relieve General Gordon in 1885. He was promoted to major-general. He was sent to Ireland in 1886, to head an inquiry into moonlighting by police personnel. He returned to the Army as Quartermaster General the following year and in 1890 promoted to Adjutant General, becoming a Lieutenant-general in 1891. Although expected to be made Chief of Staff of the British Army by Lord Rosebery's government on the retirement of the Duke of Cambridge in 1895 this did not happen because the government was replaced and Lord Wolseley appointed commander of the army instead. Buller became head of the troops stationed at Aldershot in 1898 and was sent as commander of the Natal field force in 1899 on the outbreak of the Second Boer War, arriving at the end of October. He was defeated at Colenso and because of his poor performance and negative reports was replaced as commander by Lord Roberts. (The troops sometimes called him "Reverse Buller".) He remained as second in command and suffered more failures in his attempts to relieve Ladysmith and at Spion Kop although he was more successful at Biggarsberg, Laings Nek and Lydenburg and on 28 February 1900, Ladysmith was finally reached. However his reputation had been damaged seriously and he returned to England to take command of Aldershot once more but continuing criticism of his performance in South Africa led to his retirement in October 1901. The town of Redvers, in Canada is named after him, as is The Royal Logistics Corps barracks at Aldershot. The medal His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Green Jackets Museum (Winchester, England). Reference External links This page has been migrated from the Victoria Cross Reference with permission. Buller, Redvers Henry
|
 |
|
| Copyright 2005-2009 OnPedia.com. All Rights Reserved |
|
|