ENGLISH, WILLIAM JOHN,
Lieutenant, was born 6 October 1882, and served in the ranks. He served
with the Scottish Horse in South Africa in the Boer War of 1899 to 1902, and
was promoted Lieutenant in 1901. He won the Victoria Cross, and also
received the Queen's Medal with five clasps. His VC was gazetted 4 October
1901: "William John English, Lieutenant, 2nd Scottish Horse. This officer,
with five men, was holding the right of the position at Vlakfontein, on the
3rd July, 1901, during an attack by the Boers. Two of his men were killed
and two wounded, but the position was still held, largely owing to
Lieutenant English's personal pluck. When the ammunition ran short he went
over to the next party and obtained more; to do this he had to cross some
fifteen yards of open ground under a heavy fire at a range of from twenty to
thirty yards". He became Lieutenant Army Service Corps, 1907, and Captain
in 1914.
