George Ravenhill - Military Service

Military Service

Ravenhill was born in Aston, Birmingham in 1872. In May 1889 Ravenhill joined the 1st Battalion of the The Royal Scots Fusiliers at Birr, Ireland. He served near six years in India then two years with the 2nd Battalion in South Africa. He gained the Queen's and the King's medals, with clasps, for Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal and Cape Colony.

Ravenhill was 27 years old, and a private in the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Scots Fusiliers, British Army during the Second Boer War when the following deed took place on 15 December 1899 at the battle of Colenso, South Africa for which he was awarded the VC. His citation reads:

At Colenso, on the l5th December, 1899, Private Ravenhill went several times, under a heavy fire, from his sheltered position as one of the escort to the guns, to assist the officers and driver's who" were trying to "withdraw the guns of the 14th and 66th Batteries, Royal Field Artillery, when the detachments serving them had all been killed, wounded, or driven from them by infantry fire at close range, and helped to limber up one of the guns that were saved.

He was wounded at Colenso due to being shot through the forearm.