Angus Buchanan (VC)
{{Short description|Recipient of the Victoria Cross (1894–1944)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix =
|name = Angus Buchanan
|honorific_suffix =VC MC
|native_name =
|native_name_lang =
|image =Angus Buchanan VC.jpg
|image_size =
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|birth_date ={{birth date|1894|09|11|df=y}}
|death_date ={{Death date and age|1944|03|01|1894|08|11|df=y}}
|birth_place =Coleford, Gloucestershire
|death_place =Gloucester, Gloucestershire
|placeofburial =Coleford Cemetery
|placeofburial_label =
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|allegiance ={{flag|United Kingdom|23px}}
|branch ={{army|United Kingdom|23px}}
|serviceyears =1914–1917
|rank =Captain
|servicenumber =
|unit =South Wales Borderers
|commands =
|battles =World War I
|battles_label =
|awards =30px Victoria Cross
Military Cross
Order of St. Vladimir 4th Class with Swords (Russia)
|spouse =
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|laterwork =Solicitor
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}}
Angus Buchanan, {{post-nominals|VC|MC}} (11 August 1894 – 1 March 1944) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Early life
Buchanan was the son of a doctor from Coleford, Gloucestershire.{{cite web|url=http://www.fweb.org.uk/Dean/towns/colefordproject/people/buchanan.html|title=Coleford People – Angus Buchanan|format=contains photographs of Buchanan and his medals|accessdate=2007-07-15|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926232729/http://www.fweb.org.uk/Dean/towns/colefordproject/people/buchanan.html|archivedate=26 September 2007}} He was educated at Monmouth School, where he was head boy.{{cite web|url=http://www.habs-monmouth.org/index.cfm?fuseAction=SM.nav&UUID=92BDED94-9601-546E-E2F7AB82FF0BAA75&navStoreID=92BDED94-9601-546E-E2F7AB82FF0BAA75|title=History of the CCF at Monmouth School: A Brief History|format=contains a photograph of Buchanan laying a wreath at the war memorial in 1921|publisher=Monmouth School|accessdate=2007-07-15|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705095647/http://www.habs-monmouth.org/index.cfm?fuseAction=SM.nav&UUID=92BDED94-9601-546E-E2F7AB82FF0BAA75&navStoreID=92BDED94-9601-546E-E2F7AB82FF0BAA75|archivedate=5 July 2007|url-status=dead}} In 1913 he went to Jesus College, Oxford to study classics. One of his tutors described him as "thoroughly Scotch and rather reserved, but a hard worker & likely to be a good influence in the Coll[ege]".{{cite journal|journal=Jesus College Newsletter |title=From the Archives: A Jesus College VC |last=Dunhill |first=Rosemary |date=2006 |type=Trinity Term |accessdate=2007-07-15 |url=http://alumni.jesus.ox.ac.uk/NewsletterTT06.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701181516/http://alumni.jesus.ox.ac.uk/NewsletterTT06.pdf |archivedate=1 July 2007 |url-status=dead }} He rowed for the college in 1914, played rugby and was Secretary of the Athletics Club. He then joined the army, where he served at Gallipoli and in Mesopotamia. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1916,{{London Gazette|issue=29608|supp=y|pages=5570–5571|date=2 June 1916}} and was mentioned four times in despatches.{{London Gazette|issue=29664|supp=y|page=6948|date=11 July 1916}}{{London Gazette|issue=29789|supp=y|page=10051|date=17 October 1916}}
Award of the Victoria Cross
Buchanan was 21 years old, and a temporary captain in the 4th Battalion, South Wales Borderers, British Army during the First World War when the action for which he received his Victoria Cross took place, in the attempts to relieve the British forces besieged at Kut. On 5 April 1916 at the Falauyah Lines he rescued two wounded men while under heavy enemy fire. The award was announced in a supplement to The London Gazette of 26 September 1916:
{{quote box|width=25em|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|align=center|quote=
War Office, 26th September, 1916.,
His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to award the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned Officers, Non-commissioned Officers and Men:—
Lt. (temp. Capt.) Angus Buchanan, S. Wales Bord.
For most conspicuous bravery. During an attack an officer was lying out in the open severely wounded about 150 yards from cover. Two men went to his assistance and one of them was hit at once. Captain Buchanan, on seeing this, immediately went out and, with the help of the other man, carried the wounded officer to cover under heavy machine gun fire. He then returned and brought in the wounded man, again under heavy fire.|source=–London Gazette{{London Gazette|issue=29765|supp=y|pages=9417–9418|date=26 September 1916}}}}
On 8 November 1917 he was invested with the Victoria Cross and the Military Cross at a ceremony on Durdham Downs, Bristol, by King George V. The ceremony was recorded by Pathé News (see External links). Buchanan had previously been awarded the Russian decoration of the Order of St. Vladimir 4th Class (with Swords) in July 1916.{{London Gazette|issue=30070|supp=y|page=4725|date=15 May 1917}}
Later life
On 13 February 1917 Buchanan was shot in the head by a sniper and permanently blinded. He attributed his survival to the care of his batman, Private Mark Perry.{{cite web|url=http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/bbbuchan.htm|title=Captain Angus Buchanan|publisher=Victoria Cross.org|access-date=2 May 2022}} He rejoined Jesus College after the war and read law, rowing for the college in 1919 despite his blindness. After graduating in 1921, he worked in a solicitor's office in Oxford before returning to Coleford to work until his death in 1944. In 1921 he attended Monmouth School for the ceremony marking the dedication of the school's war memorial, which he unveiled. Funds were raised in Coleford to mark his bravery and, at Buchanan's request, were used to purchase a playing field for the use of the local children.{{cite web|url= https://forestofdeanhistory.org.uk/learn-about-the-forest/angus-buchanan-recreation-ground-coleford/|title=Angus Buchanan Recreation Ground, Coleford|publisher=Forest of Dean Local History Society|access-date=30 April 2022}} Buchanan died on 1 March 1944 and was buried in Coleford Cemetery, next to the recreation field named in his honour.
In addition to the playing field at Coleford, Buchanan is also remembered at Monmouth School, where the Upper Sixth Form boarding house, Buchanan House, commemorates him.{{cite web|url=https://www.habsmonmouth.org/captain-angus-buchanan-vc-remembered/|title=Captain Angus Buchanan VC remembered|date=9 November 2018 |publisher=Haberdashers' Monmouth Schools|access-date=30 April 2022}} His Victoria Cross was displayed at the Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh in Brecon but, following its purchase by Michael Ashcroft in 2013, is now in the Lord Ashcroft VC Collection at The Imperial War Museum.{{cite web|url= https://www.lordashcroftmedals.com/collection/angus-buchanan-vc/|title=Angus Buchanan VC|publisher=Lord Ashcroft Medal Collection|access-date=30 April 2022}}{{cite web|title=Grave locations for holders of the Victoria Cross in the County of Gloucestershire |url=http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/gloucest.htm |format=contains a photograph of his grave |access-date=15 July 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070822214645/http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/gloucest.htm |archivedate=22 August 2007 |url-status=dead }}
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book|last=Gliddon|first=Gerald|year=2005|title=The Sideshows|series=VCs of the First World War|location=Gloucestershire, England|publisher=Sutton Publishing|isbn=978-0-7509-2084-1}}
External links
- [http://www.britishpathe.com/video/royal-visit-to-bristol-and-bath-investiture-at-dur/query/bristol Pathe News coverage of Buchanan's investiture ceremony]
{{Royal Welsh}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buchanan, Angus}}
Category:People from Coleford, Gloucestershire
Category:British Army personnel of World War I
Category:South Wales Borderers officers
Category:Recipients of the Military Cross
Category:British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross
Category:Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford
Category:Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class
Category:People educated at Monmouth School for Boys
Category:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross
Category:British lawyers with disabilities