1899, Battle of Colenso
RAVENHILL, GEORGE, Private (at first gazetted as Charles), was the son of Mr T Ravenhill, Warren Road, Washwood, and was born at Birmingham on 21 February 1872. In May 1889, he joined the 1st Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, and served in India for nearly six years, and with the 2nd Battalion for two years in the South African Campaign of 1899-1902. He was awarded the DCM for the action at Fredrickstad; the Medal was, however, cancelled when he won the Victoria Cross even thought it was for a completely different action. He also received the Queen's and King's Medals with clasps for the Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal and Cape Colony. He won his Victoria Cross under the command of Colonel E E Carr CB, and in General Geoffrey Barton's Brigade. The decoration was presented to him by HRH the Duke of York at Pietermaritzburg on 4 June 1901. His Victoria Cross was gazetted 4 June 1901: "C [sic] Ravenhill, Private, 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers. At Colenso, on the 15th December 1899, Private Ravenhill went several times, under a heavy fire, from his sheltered position as one of the escort to the guns to assist the officers and drivers who were trying to withdraw the guns of the 14th and 66th Batteries, The Royal Field Artillery, when the detachments serving them had all been killed, wounded, or driven from them by infantry fire at close range, and helped to limber up one of the guns that were saved". Living in poverty in later life, his first three children were sent to foster homes in the USA and Canada. A conviction for theft led to the forfeiting on his VC on 24 August 1908. He was imprisoned for seven days as he could not pay the fine of ten shilling fine that was imposed. Ravenhill died in Birmingham on 14 April 1921 at the age of 49. He was buried at Witton Cemetery.
His VC is located in the Royal Scots Fusiliers Regimental Museum.
VC, IGS, QSA (3) RofL, Tr CC, KSA (2), 1911 Coronation Medal. Sotheby's 1909 £43.
