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	\|name=James Morris Colquhoun Colvin		\|name=James Morris Colquhoun Colvin
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	==Family==		==Family==
	Colvin married Katharine Way, youngest daughter of Colonel George Augustus Way, CB on 23 January 1904 in [[Simla]] India.<ref name="VCO"/> They had three children:<ref>{{Cite web \|url=https://www.geni.com/people/James-Morris-Colquhoun-Colvin-VC/6000000016530579214 \|title=James Morris Colquhoun Colvin \|website=geni.com \|url-status=live \|access-date=13 April ~~2022~~}}</ref>		Colvin married Katharine Way, youngest daughter of Colonel George Augustus Way, CB on 23 January 1904 in [[Simla]] India.<ref name="VCO"/> They had three children:<ref>{{Cite web \|url=https://www.geni.com/people/James-Morris-Colquhoun-Colvin-VC/6000000016530579214 \|title=James Morris Colquhoun Colvin \|website=geni.com \|url-status=live \|access-date=13 April 2020}}</ref>
	* Katharine Camilla Colvin, who married [[Noel Beresford-Peirse]]		* Katharine Camilla Colvin, who married [[Noel Beresford-Peirse]]
	* James Bazett Colvin		* James Bazett Colvin

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{{short description|British army major}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=James Morris Colquhoun Colvin
|birth_date=26 August 1870
|death_date= 7 December 1945
|birth_place=[[Bijnor]], [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh|United Provinces]], [[India]]
|death_place=[[Stanway, Essex]]
|placeofburial=
|image=
|caption=
|nickname=
|allegiance= {{UK}}
|serviceyears=
|rank=[[Colonel]]
|branch={{army|United Kingdom}}
|commands=
|unit=[[Royal Engineers]]
|battles=[[Chitral Expedition]] [[Mohmand campaign of 1897–98|Mohmand Campaign]] [[Siege of Malakand|Malakand Frontier War]] [[Second Boer War]] [[World War I]]
|awards= [[Victoria Cross]]
|relations=Sir [[Noel Beresford-Peirse]] (son-in-law)
}}
Colonel '''James Morris Colquhoun Colvin''' [[Victoria Cross|VC]] (26 August 1870 – 7 December 1945) was an [[England|English]] recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to a member of a [[United Kingdom|British]] or [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] force.

==Early life==
Colvin was born in [[Bijnor]], [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh|United Provinces]], [[British India]] to James Colquhoun Colvin of the Manor House, [[Sutton Veny]], Wiltshire, and Camilla Fanny Marie Morris, who was the eldest daughter of the Rev. Edward Morris. Colvin's father serviced with the [[Bengal Civil Service]]. He was awarded the [[India Mutiny]] medal for defending the House of [[Arrah]]. The Colvin family had been involved for a long time in various capacities in the British [[East Indies]], serving as soldiers and administrators. Colvin's extended family members included Sir [[John Russell Colvin]], Lieutenant-Governor of the [[North-West Provinces]] during the Indian Mutiny, and his sons [[Auckland Colvin|Sir Auckland]], [[K.C.S.I.]] and Sir Elliot Graham, K.C.S.I.<ref name="VCO">{{Cite web |url=http://www.vconline.org.uk/james-m-c-colvin-vc/4586227191 |title=James Morris Colquhoun Colvin VC |website=vconline.org.uk |url-status=live |access-date=13 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190914034817/http://www.vconline.org.uk/james-m-c-colvin-vc/4586227191 |archive-date=14 September 2019 }}</ref> Their most notable cousin was the English writer and curator Sir [[Sidney Colvin]],<ref>{{cite book |chapter=15 |page=112 |title=The Corbould Genealogy |year=1935 |first=George C. B. |last=Poulter |work=Suffolk Institute of Archaeology |publisher=W.E. Harrison & Sons |location=Ipswich |url=http://www.corbould.com/tcgbook/pdf/TCG-15_Way_of_Spaynes_Hall.pdf |format=PDF |access-date=6 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708192348/http://www.corbould.com/tcgbook/pdf/TCG-15_Way_of_Spaynes_Hall.pdf |archive-date=8 July 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> known for his friendship with the young [[Robert Louis Stevenson]].

==Military service==
He was educated at [[Charterhouse School|Charterhouse]] and the [[Royal Military Academy, Woolwich]]. There, for distinguished proficiency, he was awarded the Pollock Gold Medal and Memoir as a Cadet Senior Under Officer. He was also awarded the Regulation Sword for exemplary conduct. A travelling clock, aneroid barometer, thermometer and compass were awarded to him for maths and mechanics. [[Prince George, Duke of Cambridge|H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge]] presented the awards after inspecting cadets at RMA Woolwich, on 26 July 1889.<ref name="VCO"/>

On 27 July 1889, Colvin joined the Royal Engineers as a [[second lieutenant]]. Three years later, he was promoted to [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|lieutenant]] on 27 July 1892. He served in the [[Chitral (princely state)|Chitral]] [[Chitral expedition|Relief Force]] in 1895 with the 4th Company, [[Bengal Sappers and Miners]].<ref name="VCO"/><ref>Hart′s Army list, 1903</ref> He served on the North West Frontier of India with the Malakand Field Force in 1897–1898, and took part in operations in [[Bajaur District|Bajaur]], and in the [[Mohmand District|Mohmand]] country and in [[Buner District|Buner]]. He was mentioned in dispatches.<ref name="VCO"/>

===Mohmand Campaign===
Colvin was 27 years old, and a [[lieutenant]] in the [[British Army]] [[Corps of Royal Engineers]] during the [[Mohmand campaign of 1897–98]] in [[India]] when his actions resulted in him subsequently being awarded the [[Victoria Cross]]. 
Colvin was in the [[Mohmand Valley]], North West British India, with Lieutenant [[Thomas Colclough Watson]] on the night of 16/17 September 1897. Watson collected a party of volunteers and led them into the village of Bilot. They attempted to dislodge the enemy who were inflicting losses on the British. Although Watson had been incapacitated by his wounds, undeterred, Lieutenant Colvin made two additional attempts to clear enemy fighters from the village. "He was conspicuous during the whole night for his devotion to his men, in the most exposed positions and under very heavy fire."<ref name="VCOO">{{Cite web |url=http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/bbcolvij.htm |title=James Colvin, VC |website=victoriacross.org.uk |url-status=live |access-date=13 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708123532/http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/bbcolvij.htm |archive-date=8 July 2017 }}</ref>. 

The award of the Victoria Cross was published in the ''[[London Gazette]]'' on 20 May 1898. The citation read;

{{Quote|Lieutenant James Morris Colquhoun Colvin, Lieut., Royal Engineers. On the same occasion, after Lieutenant Watson had been incapacitated by his wounds from further effort, Lieutenant Colvin continued the fight and persisted in two more attempts to clear the enemy out of the dark and still burning village. He was conspicuous during the whole night for his devotion to his men in the most exposed positions under a heavy fire from the enemy.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=26968|pages=3165–3165|date=20 May 1898}}</ref>}}
Queen Victoria invested Colvin with the Victoria Cross on 19th July 1898 at Windsor Castle.<ref name="VCO"/>

Two others who served with Colvin were also awarded a Victoria Cross—Lieutenant Thomas Colclough Watson and Corporal [[James Smith (VC)|James Smith]], The Buffs ( East Kent Regiment ).{{efn| The ''London Gazette'' citation for Watson reads:"This Officer, on the 16th September 1897, at the village of Bilot, in the Mamund Valley, collected a few men of the Buffs ( East Kent Regiment ) and of No. 4 Company, Bengal Sappers and Miners, and led them into the dark and burning village to dislodge some of the enemy who were inflicting loss on our troops. After being wounded and driven back, he made a second attempt to clear the village, and only desisted after a second repulse and being again hit and severely wounded."}}

{{efn|The citation for Smith reads:"On the night of the 16th-17th September 1897, Corporal Smith, with a party of the Buffs, responded to Lieutenant Watson's call for volunteers, and followed that Officer into the burning village of Bilot, driving off the enemy with the bayonet. Afterwards, although wounded, he continued firing steadily and coolly, and also helped to carry the wounded to the place prepared for them. When Lieutenant Watson left, in order to fetch assistance for the wounded, Corporal Smith held the position till that Officer's return, exposing his life freely in watching the enemy and directing the fire of his men."}}<ref name="VCOO"/>

Colvin served with the Malakand Field Force, 1897–98, where he took part in operations in Bajaur, the Mohmand Country and in Bruner (mentioned-in-Despatches L.G. 11 January 1898).

===Second Boer War===
Colvin was promoted to [[Captain (BARM)|captain]] on 1 April 1900, and served in [[South Africa]] in 1901–02 during the [[Second Boer War]] as Special Service Officer. In May 1901 he was appointed an [[Aide-de-camp]] to [[Sir Bindon Blood|Lieutenant-General Sir Bindon Blood]],<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27357 |date=20 September 1901 |page=6172}}</ref> who was stationed in eastern [[Colony of Transvaal|Transvaal]]. He remained in South Africa until the war ended in May 1902, and left for [[Calcutta]] on the ''SS Umlazi'' two months later.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Army in South Africa - Troops returning home |date=16 July 1902 |page=11 |issue=36821}}</ref> For his service in the war, he was again mentioned in despatches (L.G. 22 August 1902), received the [[Brevet (military)|brevet]] promotion to [[Major (British Army)|major]] and awarded the Queen’s Medal with three clasps<ref name="VCO"/> on 22 August 1902,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27490|date=31 October 1902 |page=6900}}</ref> and his name was noted as qualified for Staff employment.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27490 |page=6910 |date=31 October 1902}}</ref>

===Later service===

* Appointed Staff Captain, Army Headquarters, Simla, India on 11 April 1903 to 15 March 1906
* Passed Staff College, Camberley, in 1909
* General Staff Officer 2nd Grade, Quetta Division on 7 May 1911 to 2 November 1915
* Promoted Lieutenant-Colonel on 18 January 1917
* Mentioned-in-Despatches (the Despatch, dated 20 August 1918, of Sir C.C. Munro) vide p. 13907 of London Gazette No. 31031, dated 26 November 1918.
* Appointed Commandant, 3rd Sappers and Miners, Kirkey, India<ref name="VCO"/>

===Orders and medals===
* Victoria Cross
* [[India Medal|India General Service Medal]] 1895-1902 with clasps 'Relief of Chitral 1895', 'Punjab Frontier 1897–98'
* [[Queen's South Africa Medal]](1899–1902) with clasps 'Transvaal', 'South Africa 1901', and 'South Africa 1902'
* British War Medal (1914–20)
* King George VI Coronation Medal (1937)<ref name="VCO"/>

==Family==
Colvin married Katharine Way, youngest daughter of Colonel George Augustus Way, CB on 23 January 1904 in [[Simla]] India.<ref name="VCO"/> They had three children:<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.geni.com/people/James-Morris-Colquhoun-Colvin-VC/6000000016530579214 |title=James Morris Colquhoun Colvin |website=geni.com |url-status=live |access-date=13 April 2022}}</ref>
* Katharine Camilla Colvin, who married [[Noel Beresford-Peirse]]
* James Bazett Colvin
* John Alexander Colvin, born 9 July 1913

==Death details==
James Colvin died at Stanway, near Colchester on 7 December 1945, aged 75. He was cremated at Ipswich Crematorium on 11 December, and his ashes scattered in the Old Garden of Rest.<ref name="VCO"/>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===See also===

* [[Monuments to Courage]] (David Harvey, 1999)

* [[The Register of the Victoria Cross]] (This England, 1997)
* [[The Sapper VCs]] (Gerald Napier, 1998)
* Paul Woodness
* ''The Victoria Cross 1856–1920'' (Hayward)
* ''The History of the Victoria Cross'' (Philip A. Wilkins)

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060810230716/http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_vc.htm#1c#1c Royal Engineers Museum] Sappers VCs
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041204085616/http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/suffolk.htm Location of grave and VC medal] ''(Suffolk)''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colvin, James Morris Colquhoun}}
[[Category:People educated at Charterhouse School]]
[[Category:1870 births]]
[[Category:1945 deaths]]
[[Category:British colonels]]
[[Category:Military personnel of British India]]
[[Category:British recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:Royal Engineers officers]]
[[Category:Bengal Sappers and Miners personnel]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Chitral Expedition]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the Second Boer War]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Malakand Frontier War]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the First Mohmand Campaign]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley]]
[[Category:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross]]

James Morris Colquhoun Colvin - Revision history

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