Lieutenant FREDERICK DRUMMOND BATTYE
1847 – 1895. Brother of Wigram and Legh Battye
Eagle House, 1855
Bengal Army. Queen’s Own Guides
Killed on active service, 13 April 1895
Major ALEXANDER S COBBE G.C.B. K.C.S.I. D.S.O.
Eagle House 1880 – 82, Wellington College, Royal Military College Sandhurst
South Wales Borderers; served in Chitral Relief Force
He was 32 years old, and a lieutenant colonel in the Indian Army, attached to King's African Rifles during the Second Somaliland Expedition when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
It was at Erigo (or Erego) that Cobbe won his Victoria Cross. The announcement of the award was made in the London Gazette of 20 January 1903 with the description of his act of courage as follows: “During the action at Erego, on 6 October, 1902, when some of the Companies had retired, Lieutenant-Colonel Cobbe was left by himself in front of the line, with a Maxim gun. Without assistance he brought in the Maxim, and worked it at a most critical time. He then went out under an extremely hot fire from the enemy about 20 yards in front of him, and from his own men (who had retired) about the same distance behind, and succeeded in carrying in a wounded Orderly.”
Poppy images taken by Jeff Lawrence CPAGB