>Lettler: Adding local short description: "Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross", overriding Wikidata description "Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross" (Shortdesc helper)

2020-09-08T16:37:11Z

Adding local short description: "Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross", overriding Wikidata description "Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross" (Shortdesc helper)

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{{short description|Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=Robert Blair
|honorific_suffix=
|birth_date={{birth date|df=y|1834|3|13}}
|death_date={{death date and age|df=y|1859|3|28|1834|3|13}}
|birth_place=[[Linlithgow]], [[Scotland]]
|death_place=[[Cawnpore]], [[India]]
|placeofburial=Old British Cemetery, Cawnpore
|image=File:Robert Blair VC.jpg
|image_size=
|caption=Robert Blair
|nickname=
|allegiance={{flag|United Kingdom}}
|serviceyears=1855-1859
|rank=[[Captain (land and air)|Captain]]
|branch={{army|United Kingdom}}
|commands=
|unit=
{{plainlist|
*[[2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)]]
*[[9th Lancers]]
}}
|battles=[[Indian Mutiny]]
|awards= [[Victoria Cross]]
|laterwork=
|relations=[[James Blair (VC)|James Blair]] (cousin)
}}
'''Robert Blair''' [[Victoria Cross|VC]] (13 March 1834 – 28 March 1859) was a [[Scotland|Scottish]] recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.

He was 23 years old, and a [[lieutenant]] in the [[2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)]], [[British Army]], attached to [[9th Lancers]] (The Queen's Royal) during the [[Indian Mutiny]] when the following deed took place on 28 September 1857 at [[Bulandshahr|Bolandshahr]], [[India]], for which he was awarded the VC.
{{quote|Lieutenant Robert Blair. Date of Act of Bravery, 28th September, 1857<br>
" A most gallant feat was here performed by Lieutenant Blair, who was ordered to take a party of one sergeant and twelve men and bring in a deserted ammunition waggon. As his party approached, a body of fifty or sixty of the enemy's horse came down upon him, from a village, where they had remained unobserved: without a moment's hesitation he formed up his men, and, regardless of the odds, gallantly led them on, dashing through the rebels. He made good his retreat without losing a man, leaving nine of them dead on the field. Of these he killed four himself; but, to my regret, after having run a native
officer through the body with his sword, he was severely wounded, the joint of his shoulder being nearly severed."<br>
Despatch from Major-General James Hope Grant, K.C.B., dated 10th January, 1858.}}<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=22154|page=2960|date=18 June 1858}}</ref>

Blair was a graduate of [[University of Glasgow]] and a [[Snell exhibitioner]] at [[Balliol College, Oxford]]. Blair joined the army in 1855 in the service of the [[9th Lancers]] and later transferred to the [[2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)|2nd Dragoon Guards]]. He later achieved the rank of [[Captain (land and air)|captain]] and died of [[smallpox]] in [[Cawnpore]], [[India]], on 28 March 1859. He was the cousin of another Indian Mutiny VC recipient [[James Blair (VC)|James Blair]].<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/snellexhibitionf00addiuoft/snellexhibitionf00addiuoft_djvu.txt "The Snell Exhibition, from the University of Glasgow to Balliol College, Oxford"]</ref>

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Queen's Dragoon Guards Regimental Museum in [[Cardiff Castle]], [[Wales]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*[[Monuments to Courage]] (David Harvey, 1999)
*[[The Register of the Victoria Cross]] (This England, 1997)
*[[Scotland's Forgotten Valour]] (Graham Ross, 1995)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blair, Robert}}
[[Category:1834 births]]
[[Category:1859 deaths]]
[[Category:2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) officers]]
[[Category:British recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:Indian Rebellion of 1857 recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:People from Linlithgow]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Glasgow]]
[[Category:Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford]]
[[Category:Deaths from smallpox]]
[[Category:Infectious disease deaths in India]]
[[Category:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross]]

Robert Blair (VC) - Revision history

>Lettler: Adding local short description: "Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross", overriding Wikidata description "Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross" (Shortdesc helper)