North-east soldier's Victoria Cross comes up for auction
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The unique and exceptional 1891 ’Capture and Defence of Thobal’ Victoria Cross group of five awarded to 30-year-old lieutenant, later colonel, C J W Grant of the 12th Regiment (2nd Burma Battalion) Madras Infantry will be offered by auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb in their live/ online auction of Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria on Wednesday, June 23.
It is expected to fetch in the region of £300,000-400,000.
Charles James William Grant was born in Bourtie near Oldmeldrum in 1861, the son of lieutenant-general P C S St. J Grant, and was educated privately and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
He was commissioned lieutenant in the Suffolk Regiment on 10 May 1882, and joined the Madras Staff Corps in 1884.
After a long military career, he spent his later years in Sidmouth in Devon, where he died in 1932, aged 71 years.
As, Mark Quayle, associate director and medal expert at dix Noonan Webb explained: “We are very excited to be offering this outstanding VC group and important archive in our June sale.
"The action fought by lieutenant Grant and his small band of Gurkhas in 1891 on the North East Frontier of India was a great epic of empire which brought him fame during his lifetime as the ‘Hero of Manipur’.
"His storming of the defences at Thobar was remarkable in itself but it is no exaggeration to say that the subsequent defence of that place for eight days with just 80 men against an estimated 2000 of the enemy is a feat that probably ranks alongside Rorke’s Drift in the history of famous defences against overwhelming odds.”
The VC is to be sold together with a substantial associated archive of historical importance - items of particular significance including: Grant’s unpublished leather bound ‘Officer’s Field Note and Sketch Book and Reconnaissance Aide-Memoire’ in which he meticulously records the march to Manipur and the capture and subsequent defence of Thobal, illustrated by several detailed sketches of both actions and positions; and a file of original letters, including the negotiations between Grant and the Manipuris and a coded message from Grant in Greek characters to the relief force.
Upon hearing of the treachery at Manipur in March 1891, Grant immediately set out to relieve the presumed British captives and exact retribution; advancing his 80 man Tammu detachment, comprising 40 Ghurkas and 40 Punjabi troops, towards Manipur under continued desultory opposition, he stormed the enemy position at the head of his men under a heavy fire at Thobal, driving the 800 strong foe from their entrenched defences.
The story continues: Taking up a defensive position within improvised fortifications, Grant then became surrounded by an estimated 2000 of the returning enemy which attacked the small besieged force over a period of eight days.
Holding out against overwhelming odds, Grant led a number of brilliant sallies to dislodge and disperse the Manipuris each time they approached and then, in negotiations over the release of prisoners, deceived them into thinking they were facing a much larger force – he recalled in his notes that he ‘borrowed two stars from a jemadar’s shoulder straps and placed them on his own.
He was no longer a Subaltern commanding a small detachment, but a Colonel, with his regiment at his back.
With dwindling ammunition and growing disease among his ranks, Grant successfully withdrew his force to link up with reinforcements, and, leading his men to the attack once more in taking an enemy fort.
Badly wounded, he recalled ‘the bullet had gone through the root of my neck just above the shoulder and carried all the cloth of my collar and shirt right thro’ the wound leaving it quite clean’ - after which he was carried triumphantly into Manipur by his men and those concerned in the murder of British officers were brought to justice and punished.
Two months later, the London Gazette stated that the VC had been awarded ‘For the conspicuous bravery and devotion to his country displayed by him in having, upon hearing on the 27th March, 1891, of the disaster at Manipur, at once volunteered to attempt the relief of the British Captives, with 80 Native Soldiers, and having advanced with the greatest intrepidity, captured Thobal, near Manipur, and held it against a large force of the enemy.
Lieutenant Grant inspired his men with equal heroism, by an ever-present example of personal daring and resource.’
A Gurkha also paid tribute to Lieutenant Grant, by saying: “How could we be beaten under Grant Sahib? He is a tiger in fight.
"When hundreds of Manipuris were coming close he just took ten men out to stop them, and in a minute they had beaten the enemy back.
"We could not help winning under such a sahib.”
After the gazetting of his VC on May 26,1891, he was presented with his medal on July 6, 1891 by the Governor of Madras, Lord Wenlock, at Octacamund, India.
He was then appointed Aide-de-Camp to lieutenant-general Sir J C Dormer, Commander in Chief, Madras.
In the same year, he married Mary, daughter of T Denton Scholes and widow of J W Langlois.
He became lieutenant-colonel in June 1904, and brevet colonel in June 1907, before he retired in October 1913.
During the Great War, he was DCO, attached to 3rd Royal Scots.
In retirement, he lived in Devon, and enjoyed fishing and shooting.
He died at his home in Sidmouth, Devon on November 23,1932, aged 71.
He was buried in Sidmouth Cemetery.
Sadly, the grave over the years became in a state of disrepair, until October 2014, when it was renovated following the work of the Sidmouth Royal British Legion.
His medals were sold 10 years ago at Spinks in 2011 for a hammer price of £230,000 to an anonymous buyer
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration, awarded for valour in the face of the enemy.
Since its introduction in 1856 there have been 1354 recipients and Charles James William Grant was the 406th recipient.
