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Brig.Gen. Charles FitzClarence VC, MID.
British Army General Staff
from:Belgrave Square, London
(d.12th Nov 1914)
Brigadier General Charles FitzClarence served with the General Staff during WW1 and died on the 12th November 1914, Age: 49. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Belgium. He was the husband of Mrs. V. FitzClarence, of 12, Lowndes St., Belgrave Square, London.
At the most critical moment of the Battles of Ypres, 1914 (on the 31st October), he directed the counter-attack of the 2nd Worcesters which recaptured Gheluvelt.
An extract taken from The London Gazette, dated 6th July, 1900, records the following:-
On the 14th October 1899 Captain Fitzclarence went, with his squadron of the Protectorate Regiment consisting of only partially trained men who had never been in action, to the assistance of an armoured train which had gone out from Mafeking. The enemy were in greatly superior numbers and the squadron was for a time surrounded, and it looked as if nothing could save them from being shot down. Captain Fitzclarence, however, by his personal coolness and courage inspired the greatest confidence in his men, and, by his bold and efficient handling of them, not only succeeded in relieving the armoured train, but inflicted a heavy defeat on the Boers, who lost 50 killed and a large number wounded. The moral effect of this blow had a very important bearing on subsequent encounters with the Boers. On the 27th October 1899, Captain Fitzclarence led his squadron from Mafeking across the open, and made a night attack with the bayonet on one of the enemy's trenches. A hand-to-hand fight took place in the trench, while heavy fire was concentrated on it from the rear. The enemy was driven out with heavy loss. Captain Fitzclarence was the first man into the position and accounted for four of the enemy with his sword. The British lost 6 killed and 9 wounded. Captain Fitzclarence was himself slightly wounded. With reference to these two actions, Major-General Baden-Powell states that had his Officer not shown an extraordinary spirit and fearlessness the attacks would have been failures, and we should have suffered heavy loss both in men and prestige. On the 26th December 1899, during the action at Game Tree, near Mafeking, Captain Fitzclarence again distinguished himself by his coolness and courage, and was again wounded (severely through both legs).
