John Norwood

He rode back under fire to carry a fallen trooper to safety.

John Norwood was born at Beckenham, Kent, in 1876, the son of a hop merchant. He attended school in Beckenham, Rugby School and Exeter College, Oxford. He entered the Army through the Duke of Wellington's Regiment before transferring to the 5th Dragoon Guards in February 1899. That autumn he went to South Africa.

On 30 October 1899, outside Ladysmith, Norwood led a small patrol which came under heavy Boer fire. As the patrol withdrew, a trooper fell. Norwood galloped back across several hundred yards of exposed ground, dismounted and lifted the man onto his back. Leading his horse with one hand, he carried the casualty beyond the enemy's range. His rescue earned the Victoria Cross, presented by Lord Roberts at Pretoria in October 1900.

Norwood endured the siege of Ladysmith and a serious attack of enteric fever, then returned to campaigning. He married Lilian Collen in India in 1904 and had three children. He became a captain, later left regular service and joined the Westminster Dragoons. In civilian life he was a director of Gartons and helped find work for former soldiers through the regimental association.

At the outbreak of the First World War he returned to the 5th Dragoon Guards and went to France in August 1914. He served during the retreat from Mons and the advance to the Marne. He was killed at Sablonnières on 8 September, his thirty-eighth birthday, and was buried in the village's communal cemetery.

Official Victoria Cross citation

On the 30th October, 1899, this Officer went out from Ladysmith in charge of a small patrol of the 5th Dragoon Guards. They came under a heavy fire from the enemy, who were posted on a ridge in great force. The patrol, which had arrived within about 600 yards of the ridge, then retired at full speed. One man dropped, and Second Lieutenant Norwood galloped back about 300 yards through heavy fire, dismounted, and picking up the fallen trooper, carried him out of fire on his back, at the same time leading his horse with one hand. The enemy kept up an incessant fire during the whole time that Second Lieutenant Norwood was carrying the man until he was quite out of range.

The London Gazette of 20 July 1900, Numb. 27212, p. 4509