1362 Private Frederick Hitch VC
Private of the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment (later The South Wales Borderers). He was born in Edmonton, London on 28th November 1856 and died in Chiswick, London on 7th January 1913. His replacement (see below) VC is on display at The Royal Regiment of Wales Museum.
Account of deed: On 22nd and 23rd January 1879 at Rorke's Drift, Natal, South Africa, Private Hitch and another man (William Wilson Allen) kept communication with hospital open, despite being severely wounded. Their determined conduct enabled the patients to be withdrawn from the hospital and when incapacitated by their wounds from fighting, they continued, as soon as their wounds were dressed, to serve out ammunition to their comrades during the night.
Account of Deed taken from 'The Register of the Victoria Cross', published by This England.
Victoria Cross Reference Web Site - Frederick Hitch
Rorke's Drift website - Fred Hitch
Fred Hitch joined the army in 1877, giving his trade as a bricklayer's labourer. He was severely wounded at Rorke's Drift with a bullet wound in the right shoulder. He was sent home to the Royal Victoria Military Hospital at Netley, near Southampton. It was here that he received his Victoria Cross from Queen Victoria on 12th August 1879. Shortly after this he was invalided out of the army. Whilst working as a commissionaire at the Royal United Services Institute, his VC was stolen from his coat and a replacement was awarded to him in 1908. After this he became a cab driver in London and the 'Fred Hitch Gallantry Award' for cab drivers is still presented today. He lived at 62 Cranbrook Road, Chiswick and died there of pleuro-pneumonia and heart failure in 1913.
Fred Hitch is buried at St. Nicholas' Churchyard, Old Chiswick, London
Burial Location VC Holders Web Site - Frederick Hitch