Forgotten Heroes

Irish Forums Member Location: UK

The Victoria Cross is the highest British decoration for bravery in the presence of the enemy instituted by Queen Victoria near the end of the Crimean War. This was awarded to many Irish men (120?) but cant remember any names except one from our family ancestry.

Around the same century was Brigadier-General Fitzclarence born at Bishopscourt, near Kill Co Kildare. His four sons joined the services, the youngest died in the Crimea, another was killed in action with the Egyption army, and his twin brother rose to the rank of Brigadier-General. The hero of the family, Charles Fitzclarence went from the militia into the Royal Fusiliers and accompanied Kitchener on the Khartoum campaign. When the regiment of the Irish Guards was formed in 1900 he transferred to it bringing with him no less than four recommendations for bravery in addition to 'The Demon, and a V.C. from his service in South Africa in the previous year.
Later he served as battalion, and then as regimental commander of the Guards and for a time he was stationed at the Curragh (currently a military camp, Co Kildare Ireland)
As a Brigadier-General he led the 1st Guards Brigade with the Expeditionary Force in France and there on Nov 11th 1914 moving along a country road in darkness, at the head of his men, he was killed.

Forgotten in Ireland because they were fighting for a foreign cause. And they were not and are not viewed as Irish heroes.

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Forgotten Heroes