Claud Thomas Bourchier

He seized Russian rifle pits and held them through the night

Claud Thomas Bourchier was born on 22 April 1831 at Brayford, Devon, into a military family. He entered the Rifle Brigade in 1849 and served in southern Africa in 1852-53 before the Crimean War. As a lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, he fought at Alma, Balaklava and Inkerman and in the siege of Sevastopol.

On 20 November 1854, Bourchier joined an assault on Russian rifle pits threatening the British siege positions. The attackers drove out their opponents, but their commander, Lieutenant Henry Tryon, was killed. Bourchier and Lieutenant William Montgomery-Cuninghame kept control of the captured ground despite the ensuing counterattacks and held it until relieved the following day. Both received the Victoria Cross. Queen Victoria decorated Bourchier at the first investiture in Hyde Park on 26 June 1857.

His subsequent service included the Indian uprising of 1857-59, with operations at Lucknow, Nawabgunge and Fort Oomerea. In 1863 he served on the North West Frontier near Peshawar. He progressed through brevet and substantive appointments to colonel and became an aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria in April 1869.

After retiring, he lived on the south coast. He died aged 46 on 19 November 1877 at 38 Brunswick Road, Hove, and was buried at St Andrew's Churchyard, Buxton, Norfolk.