George Edward Nurse

George Edward Nurse VC (14 April 1873 – 25 November 1945) was born in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland. He was educated in the Channel Islands where both his parents had been born. He was an Irish 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.

Details

He was 26 years old, and a corporal in the 66th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, British Army during the South African War (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, Corporal Nurse, 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. Some of the horses and drivers were sheltering in a donga about 500 yards behind the guns and the intervening space was swept with shell, and rifle fire. Corporal Nurse, with three officers (Walter Norris Congreve, Frederick Hugh Sherston (The Hon.) Roberts and Harry Norton Schofield) helped to hook a team into a limber and then to line up a gun. Then, on his own, he managed to limber up a second gun.

Further information

He achieved the rank of Lieutenant during World War I. He died in Liverpool, Lancashire on 25 November 1945.

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Artillery Museum "(Woolwich, England)".

References

Listed in order of publication year
* The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
* The Irish Sword (Brian Clarke 1986)
* Irelands VCs ISBN 1-899243-00-3 (Dept of Economic Development 1995)
* Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
* Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)

ee also

* List of Channel Islands Victoria Cross recipients

External links

* [http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/liverpoo.htm Location of grave and VC medal] "(Liverpool)"
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