b. 05/02/1867 Montreal, Canada. d. 23/02/1900 Dordrecht, South Africa.
Raymond Harvey Lodge Joseph de Montmorency (1867-1900) was born in Montreal, Canada, the eldest son and heir of Major-General Reymond Hervey Frankfort de Montmorency 3rd Viscount Frankfort de Montmorency, KCB, a Representative Peer of Ireland, who served in the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, Abyssinia and the Mahdist War.
Raymond H L J De Montmorency VC
He entered the 21st Lancers in September 1887, and became Lieutenant in 1889, and Adjutant of the 21st Lancers in 1893. Five years later, he was heavily involved in the operations in the Sudan, and at the Battle of Khartoum on 2nd September 1898, he performed the actions which led to the award of the Victoria Cross on 15th November 1898.
At the Battle of Khartoum on the 2nd September 1898, Lieutenant de Montmorency, after the charge of the 21st Lancers, returned to assist Second Lieutenant R. G. Grenfell, who was lying surrounded by a large body of Dervishes. Lieutenant de Montmorency drove the Dervishes off, and, finding Lieutenant Grenfell dead, put the body on his horse which then broke away. Captain Kenna and Corporal Swarbrick then came to his assistance, and enabled him to re-join the Regiment, which had begun to open a heavy fire on the enemy.
De Montmorency received his VC from Queen Victoria at Osborne House, Isle of Wight on 6th January 1899. Shortly after his investiture, he was posted to South Africa and the beginning of the Second Boer War. He was promoted to Captain and saw action in the Cape Colony.
On 23rd February 1900 near to Stormberg, De Montmorency was killed in action whilst conducting a reconnaissance of a Boer position. He was hit whilst ascending a small kopje, and kept firing on the enemy whilst he was mortally wounded, trying to cover the retreat of his fellow reconnaissance party. De Montmorency was buried in Molteno Cemetery, Dordrecht, South Africa. His medals are not publicly held.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: NOT PUBLICLY HELD.
BURIAL PLACE: MOLTENO CEMETERY, DORDRECHT, SOUTH AFRICA.
Acknowledgement:
Derek Walker – De Montmorency’s Grave in Molteno Cemetery, Dordrecht, South Africa.