George Crespigny Brabazon Vivian, 4th Lord Vivian, DSO TD (21 January 1878 — 28 December 1940) was a British soldier who served with distinction in both the Second Anglo-Boer War and World War I.
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He was born at Connaught Place, London, on 21 January 1878 to Hussey Vivian, 3rd Baron Vivian and Louisa Duff.
He was educated at Eton College where he rowed in the VIII and was elected into Pop. He subsequently joined the British Army serving as a cavalry officer with considerable distinction in both the Second Anglo-Boer War and World War I.[1]
On 17 September 1901, Smuts' commando encountered the 17th Lancers in the vicinity of Tarkastad. Smuts realised that the Lancers' camp was their one opportunity to re-equip themselves with horses, food and clothing. A fierce fight, subsequently to be known as the Battle of Elands River took place with the Lancers being caught in a cross-fire and suffering heavy casualties. Stunned by the onslaught, the remaining Lancers put up a white flag. Deneys Reitz, a younger commando member, encountered Captain Victor Sandeman, the Lancers' commander, and Vivian, who was his lieutenant, among the wounded.[2]
In his book Commando, Reitz recounts how Vivian pointed out his bivouac tent and told him it would be worth his while to take a look at it. Reitz, who had been wearing a grain-bag and using an old Mauser rifle with only two rounds of ammunition left, emerged dressed in a cavalry tunic and riding breeches and armed with a Lee-Metford sporting rifle. Reitz thanked Vivian and indicated that he did not feel justified in taking them. Reitz recorded Vivian's reply:[2]
| “ | "It's the fortunes of war, boy just the fortunes of war. You can't worry about such things, they just happen. If you don't take them, somebody else will. Besides, if I give them to you they will be a gift - which is better than loot" | ” |
This story has a sequel. In his introduction to the 1983 Jonathan Ball edition of Commando, Thomas Pakenham recounted the following story:
Forty years after the Battle of Elands River, in 1943, when Reitz was South African High Commissioner in London, he met Vivian again. Vivian appeared at South Africa House in London, carrying a brown paper parcel, and was taken to Reitz's office. He told him that they had met before in less auspicious circumstances, and perhaps he would recognise what was in the parcel. He then placed on the desk Reitz's old Boer War Mauser rifle - with his name carved on the butt, and with all the scratches and cuts made by his knife when he had cut his biltong, still visible. Reitz was absolutely speechless.[3]
That the Mauser rifle Reitz had discarded during the battle was returned to him in England is not disputed. However, it could not have been returned to him by Lord Vivian in 1943 as claimed because Vivian died in 1940![4]
On 1 August 1903 Vivian married Barbara Cicely Fanning. They had a daughter, Daphne Winifred Louise who was born on 11 Jul 1904 and a son, Anthony Crespigny Claude Vivian, 5th Baron Vivian, born on 4 March 1906. They divorced in 1907. The co-respondent was Alfred Curphey.[5] He then married Nancy Lycett Green (died 6 May 1970) on 5 January 1911.[6] A daughter, Ursula Vanda Maud, was born on 16 June 1912 and a son, Douglas David Edward, on 16 January 1915.[7]
Among his medals were the DSO, the Legion of Honour, and the Croix de Guerre. He was appointed aide-de-camp to King Albert I of Belgium.[1] He was also awarded the Ordre de Leopold avec Palme, Officier.[8] [9]
He died on 28 December 1940, aged 62.[6]
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Baron Vivian |
George Vivian 1893–1940 |
Succeeded by Anthony Vivian |