Stewart Walter Loudoun-Shand

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Stewart Walter Loudoun-Shand VC (8 October 1879-1 July 1916) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was educated at Dulwich College between 1891 and 1897.

He was 36 years old, and a Temporary Major in the 10th Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own), British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 1 July 1916 near Fricourt, France, when Major Loudoun-Shand's company attempted to climb over the parapet to attack the enemy's trenches, they were met by very fierce machine-gun fire which temporarily stopped their progress. The major immediately leapt on the parapet, helped the men over it and encouraged them in every way until he was mortally wounded. Even then, he insisted on being propped up in the trench and went on encouraging his men until he died.

He was born in Ceylon but moved to South London for his schooling, he lived at 27 Alleyn Park Road Dulwich, and attended Dulwich College where he excelled at sport, especially Cricket. When the Boer War broke out in 1899 he immediately volunteered and served with the Pembroke Yeomanry as a Lance Corporal in South Africa.

He is commemorated at nearby West Norwood Cemetery, and buried at Becordel-Becourt CWGC cemetery near the Somme

[edit] References

• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• VCs of the First World War - The Somme (Gerald Gliddon, 1994)