HAMPTON, HARRY,
Sergeant, was born at Crown Terrace, Richmond Surrey, on 14 December 1870,
son of Mr Samuel Hampton. He entered the 1st Battalion The King's
Liverpool Regiment at Aldershot 10 March, 1889, and became Corporal exactly
two years later/ He served in the West Indies, and also in Nova
Scotia, between 1891 and 1897, in South Africa in 1897, and throughout the
Boer War of 1899-1902, almost to its close, with the 1st Mounted Infantry
Company of his regiment, the King's Liverpool Regiment. He was present at
the Siege of Ladysmith, when his regiment acted on the 6th January 1900, as
support to the defenders of Wagon Hill, and were under a very heavy shell
and rifle fire the whole day. After the siege, as part of the 4th Division
Mounted Infantry, they took part in the advance through Natal and the
Eastern Transvaal, and were almost continuously engaged with the enemy. On
the 21st August 1900, at Van Wyk's Vlei, the unit was opposed by a very
superior force of Boers, and a portion of it was only able to withdraw from
the position it had taken up through the cool and gallant conduct of
Sergeant Hampton and Corporal H J Knight. Sergeant H Hampton was in command
of a small detached party of Mounted Infantry, and when he saw the men being
driven back by the superior force of the Boers, held on to his position—a
most important one—for some considerable time, in the face of large numbers
of the enemy. When he found that his position was untenable he was
compelled to retire, and the withdrawal was carried out in a most skilful
manner. He saw all his men into safety and—although himself wounded in the
head — supported Lance Corporal Walsh (who was badly wounded and unable to
walk) until the latter was again hit by a bullet and killed. Sergeant
Hampton was again wounded shortly afterwards. For these services Sergeant
Hampton was awarded the Victoria Cross, as related in the London Gazette,
and was decorated by King Edward VII at St James's Palace. His Victoria
Cross was gazetted 18 October 1901: "Harry Hampton, Sergeant, 2nd Battalion
The King's (Liverpool) Regiment. On the 21st August 1900, at Van Wyk's
Vlei, Sergeant Hampton, who was in command of a small party of Mounted
Infantry, held an important position for some time against heavy odds, and
when compelled to retire saw all his men into safety, and then, although he
had himself been wounded in the head, supported Lance Corporal Walsh, who
was unable to walk, until the latter was again hit and apparently killed,
Sergeant Hampton himself being again wounded some time after". He became
Colour-Sergeant; was Sergeant Instructor in Musketry, and was discharged on
pension. His was one of three Victoria Crosses won by his regiment in as
many days.
