Christian Ferdinand Schiess

Christian Ferdinand Schiess VC (7 April 1856 - 14 December 1884) was a Swiss 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.

He was 22 years old, and a corporal in the Natal Native Contingent, South African Forces during the Zulu War. On 22 January 1879, at Rorke's Drift, Natal, Corporal Schiess, in spite of having been wounded in the foot a few days previously, displayed great gallantry when the garrison had retired to the inner line of defence and the Zulus had occupied the wall of mealie bags which had been abandoned. He crept along the wall in order to dislodge one of the enemy and succeeded in killing him and two others before returning to the inner defences.

Scheiss was the first man serving with South African Forces under British Command to receive the VC. He died in 1884 whilst aboard ship off the coast of Angola. His remains were buried at sea at approximately 13°00S/07°24W. It is unknown if there was a portrait of Corporal Schiess. According to some, in Lady Butler's painting of "Rorke's Drift" he is shown lying at left against the meale bags (see below).

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National Army Museum "(Chelsea, England)".

References

*Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
*The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)

External links

* [http://www.rorkesdriftvc.com/vc/schiess.htm Cpl. Christian Ferdinand Schiess] "(biography)"
* [http://freespace.virgin.net/sean.farrell/index.htm Rorke's Drift] "(information within Frederick Hitch site)"
* [http://www.rorkesdriftvc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=780&highlight=schiess Discussion that Schiess is depicted in Lady Elizabeth Butler's 1879 painting "The Defense of Roarke's Drift"] {For painting see [http://homepage.mac.com/dmhart/WarArt/StudyGuides/Butler.html] }