Robert James Thomas Digby-Jones
27 September 1876 - 6 January 1900
Place of birth	Edinburgh, Scotland
Place of death	Ladysmith, South Africa
Resting place	Ladysmith Cemetery
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1896 - 1900  †
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	Royal Engineers
Battles/wars	Second Boer War
Awards	Victoria Cross
Other work	Royal Engineers A.F.C. player

Robert James Thomas Digby-Jones (27 September 1876 - 6 January 1900) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross ^[1], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

[edit] Details

He was 23 years old, and a lieutenant in the Corps of Royal Engineers, British Army during the South African War (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, just as the three foremost attacking Boers reached it. The leader was shot by Lieutenant Digby-Jones and the two others by the trooper.^[2]

A memorial to him stands in his old school, Sedbergh, commemorating his brave deeds.

[edit] The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Engineers Museum (Chatham, England).

[edit] References

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

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Royal Engineers Museum Sappers VCs
2. ^ London Gazette: no. 27462, p. 5085, 8 August 1902. Retrieved on 27 October 2009.

[edit] External links

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

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