Harry Norton Schofield - Details

Details

Schofield was 34 years old, and a captain in the Royal Artillery (Royal Field Artillery), British Army during the Second Boer War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 15 December 1899, at the Battle of Colenso, South Africa, Captain Schofield with several others tried to save the guns of the 14th and 66th Batteries, Royal Field Artillery, when the detachments serving the guns had all become casualties or been driven from their guns by infantry fire at close range. Captain Schofield went out with two other officers (Walter Norris Congreve and Frederick Hugh Sherston (The Hon.) Roberts) and a corporal (George Edward Nurse) when the first attempt was made to extricate the guns and helped in withdrawing the two that were saved. Schofield was initially awarded the Distinguished Service Order, but this was subsequently upgraded to the VC, his citation reads:

At Colenso, on the 15th December, 1899, when the detachments serving the guns of the 14th and 66th Batteries, Royal Field Artillery, had all been killed, wounded, or driven from them by Infantry fire at close range, Captain Schofield went out when the first attempt was made to extricate the guns, and assisted in withdrawing the two that were saved.