Francis Aylmer Maxwell: Difference between revisions

Maxwell was attached to Roberts's Light Horse during the [[Second Boer War]] 1899-1900. By early March 1900 the British had captured the two capital cities of the Boer republics, and the war entered a new face with a Boer [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] campaign to hit the British supply and communication lines. The first engagement of this new form of warfare was at [[Sanna's Post]] on 31 March where 1,500 Boers under the command of [[Christiaan De Wet]] attacked [[Bloemfontein|Bloemfontein's]] waterworks about {{convert|23|mi|km|order=flip}} east of the city, and ambushed a heavily escorted convoy, which caused 155 British casualties and the capture of seven guns, 117 wagons, and 428 British troops.<ref>N. G. Speed, ''Born to Fight''</ref>

This Officer went out on five different occasions and assisted, to bring in two guns and three limbers, one of which he Captain Humphreys, and some Gunners, dragged in by hand.  

Maxwell was promoted to [[Captain (BARM)|captain]] on 10 July 1901. He was appointed [[Aide-de-camp]] to [[Herbert Kitchener|Lord Kitchener]], Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in South Africa. Following the end of hostilities in early June 1902, he left Cape Town on board the SS ''Orotava'' together with Lord Kitchener,<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |articlename=The Army in South Africa - Troops returning home |day_of_week=Thursday |date=26 June 1902 |page_number=10 |issue=36804| }}</ref> and arrived at [[Southampton]] the next month.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |articlename=Lord Kitchener′s return |day_of_week=Monday |date=14 July 1902 |page_number=6 |issue=36819| }}</ref> He received a [[Brevet (military)|brevet]] promotion to [[Major (British Army)|major]] on 22 August 1902.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue = 27490 |page=6907 | date = 31 October 1902 }}</ref>

When Kitchener went to India as commander-in-chief in November 1902, Maxwell joined him there as his Aide-de-Camp.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |articlename=Naval & Military intelligence - Lord Kitchener´s staff|day_of_week=Wednesday |date=27 August 1902 |page_number=4 |issue=36857| }}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27532 |date=6 March 1903 |page=1511}}</ref>

 

General Maxwell is commemorated with a plaque in [[St. Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh|St. Giles Cathedral]] on the [[Royal Mile]] in [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukniwm.org.uk/server/show/conMemorial.44613/fromUkniwmSearch/1|title=Brig Gen F A Maxwell Vc Csi Dso - Imperial War Museums|website=www.ukniwm.org.uk}}</ref> Maxwell's medals are now held in the Lord Ashcroft collection after sale at auction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/aaauctio.htm|title=SALES OF VICTORIA CROSSES|website=www.victoriacross.org.uk}}</ref>  His wife, Charlotte Maxwell, published a volume of his edited letters in 1921.<ref>{{cite book|last=Maxwell|first=Charlotte|title=Frank Maxwell Brig. General, V.C., C.S.I., D.S.O. A Memoir and Some Letters|year=1921|publisher=John Murray|location=London|pages=228}}</ref>