The 3rd (and last) of 3 Victoria Cross holders commemorated in Malta - with a known memorial and a grave in the sea between two islands. Access to above location is via a Neolithic site whose stone temples pre-date the Great Pyramid at Giza. note: 6 images attached. On 15 December 1899 at the Battle of Colenso, Captain Congreve with several others, tried to save the guns of the 14th and 66th Batteries, Royal Field Artillery, when the detachments serving the guns had all become casualties or been driven from their guns. Some of the horses and drivers were sheltering in a donga (gully) about 500 yards behind the guns and the intervening space was swept with shell and rifle fire. Captain Congreve, with two other officers (The Hon. Frederick Hugh Sherston Roberts and Harry Norton Schofield), and Corporal George Edward Nurse retrieved two of the guns. All four received the VC for this action. (F.S.H. Roberts was the son in one of the two other father and son pairs of VC winners.) Then, although wounded himself, seeing one of the officers fall, Congreve went out with Major William Babtie, RAMC, who also received the VC for this action, and brought in the wounded man. Above data via: Walter Norris Congreve - Wikipedia More data here: General Sir Walter Norris Congreve, VC, KCB, MVO (1862 - 1927) - Genealogy His letters concerning Christmas 'Truce' of WW1 here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2860468/WWI-General-Sir-Walter- Congreve-s-letter-reveals-reluctance-join-Christmas-truce-fearing-shot-fraternising-Germans.html What an astonishing man - who lived life to the full - even in his choice of burial location etc. I wonder why no-one has written a biography of him? Tony Buckley nt872b(at)hotmail.com
Apart from their military and links to Royalty, I could not find any such 'connection' between these 2 men but, given that William had 4 sons (2 illegitimate) and a daughter, anything is/was possible in those days. Quiet a character! Sir William Congreve, 2nd Baronet - Wikipedia Tony Buckley nt872b(at)hotmail.com
