| Date | 2 April 1997 |
|---|---|
| Source | The Observer |
| Reference | PN-0016 |
| Volume | People in the News |
| Collection | Press Clippings |
Transcript
Windsor honours a distinguished son
A PLAQUE commemorating a Windsor-born man who won the Victoria Cross for bravery in Sudan was unveiled on Tuesday.
Alexander Hore-Ruthven, later the 1st Earl of Gowrie, was one of only two men born in Windsor to have won the Victoria Cross.
The plaque was unveiled by Royal Borough mayor Cllr Ady Sheldon at Lord Gowrie’s birthplace, The Hermitage, in Hermitage Lane, Windsor.
Born in 1872 and educated at Eton College, Lord Gowrie was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1899 for saving the life of an Egyptian officer.
During action in Sudan, while serving with the Highland Light Infantry, Captain Hore-Ruthven saw the wounded officer lying within 50 yards of advancing Dervishes.
He picked up the officer and carried him to safety, stopping several times to fire at the enemy.
Lord Gowrie left the army in 1928 with the rank of Brigadier General and went on to become Governor General of Australia. In 1945 he was created the 1st Earl of Gowrie and Deputy Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle. He died at his home in Gloucestershire in 1955.
Also present at the unveiling on Tuesday were Lord Gowrie’s grandson, the present Lord Gowrie, who is chairman of the Arts Council; Brigadier Thursby Pelham, representing Lord Gowrie’s former regiment, the Welsh Guards, and historian Derek Hunt who discovered Lord Gowrie was born at The Hermitage.
Images
Additional Photography
Source: Derek Hunt
