James Hills
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General Sir James Hills-Johnes (added Johnes after his marriage) VC
, GCB
(20 August 1833 – 3 January 1919) was a Welsh
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
, India
, the son of James Hills and was educated at the Edinburgh Academy
and the Addiscombe Military Academy
. He entered the Bengal Artillery in 1853 and served in the Indian Mutiny (1857-8), winning the Victoria Cross at the siege of Delhi. He also fought in the Afghanistan war, (1878–80) and was made military governor of Kabul.
He was awarded a KCB in 1881 and GCB in 1893.
in the Bengal Horse Artillery, Bengal Army
during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place at the siege of Delhi
on 9 July 1857 for which he and Henry Tombs
were awarded the Victoria Cross:
Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Tombs, C.B., and Lieutenant James Hills
Date of Act of Bravery, 9 July 1857
For very gallant conduct on the part of Lieutenant Hills before Delhi, in defending the position assigned to him in case of alarm, and for noble behaviour on the part of Lieutenant-Colonel Tombs in twice coming to his subaltern's rescue, and on each occasion killing his man.
(See despatch of Lieutenant-Colonel Mackenzie, Commanding 1st Brigade Horse Artillery, dated Camp, near Delhi, 10 July 1857,
published in the Supplement to the London Gazette of the 16th January, 1858.)
He later achieved the rank of Lieutenant General
serving with the Royal Artillery
.
in 1886 and made an honorary freeman of the town of Carmarthen in 1910.
He died in 1919 at his Dolaucothi Estate
, being buried at Caio, Carmarthenshire
. He had married in 1882, Charlotte , daughter and coheiress of John Johnes of Dolaucothi, Carmarthenshire and assumed the additional surname of Johnes. He was the brother-in-law of Lieutenant W.G. Cubitt VC.
, London.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(20 August 1833 – 3 January 1919) was a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Biography
He was born in Neechindipur in BengalBengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the son of James Hills and was educated at the Edinburgh Academy
Edinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy is an independent school which was opened in 1824. The original building, in Henderson Row on the northern fringe of the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of the Senior School...
and the Addiscombe Military Academy
Addiscombe Military Academy
The East India Company Military Seminary, colloquially known as Addiscombe Seminary, Addiscombe College, or Addiscombe Military Academy was a British military academy at Addiscombe, Surrey, in what is now the London Borough of Croydon. It was established in 1809, and closed in 1861...
. He entered the Bengal Artillery in 1853 and served in the Indian Mutiny (1857-8), winning the Victoria Cross at the siege of Delhi. He also fought in the Afghanistan war, (1878–80) and was made military governor of Kabul.
He was awarded a KCB in 1881 and GCB in 1893.
VC Details
He was 23 years old, and a Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Bengal Horse Artillery, Bengal Army
Bengal Army
The Bengal Army was the army of the Presidency of Bengal, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia. Although based in Bengal in eastern India, the presidency stretched across northern India and the Himalayas all the way to the North West Frontier Province...
during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place at the siege of Delhi
Siege of Delhi
The Siege of Delhi was one of the decisive conflicts of the Indian rebellion of 1857.The rebellion against the authority of the British East India Company was widespread through much of Northern India, but essentially it was sparked by the mass uprising by the sepoys of the units of the Army which...
on 9 July 1857 for which he and Henry Tombs
Henry Tombs
Major General Sir Henry Tombs VC KCB was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
were awarded the Victoria Cross:
Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Tombs, C.B., and Lieutenant James Hills
Date of Act of Bravery, 9 July 1857
For very gallant conduct on the part of Lieutenant Hills before Delhi, in defending the position assigned to him in case of alarm, and for noble behaviour on the part of Lieutenant-Colonel Tombs in twice coming to his subaltern's rescue, and on each occasion killing his man.
(See despatch of Lieutenant-Colonel Mackenzie, Commanding 1st Brigade Horse Artillery, dated Camp, near Delhi, 10 July 1857,
published in the Supplement to the London Gazette of the 16th January, 1858.)
He later achieved the rank of Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
serving with the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
.
Later life
He was High Sheriff of CarmarthenshireHigh Sheriff of Carmarthenshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Carmarthenshire. Carmarthenshire was originally created by the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284. It became an administrative county in 1889 with a county council following the Local Government Act 1888...
in 1886 and made an honorary freeman of the town of Carmarthen in 1910.
He died in 1919 at his Dolaucothi Estate
Dolaucothi Estate
The Dolaucothi Estate, or as it was often later spelt, Dolaucothy Estate is situated about one mile north-west of the village of Caio in the upper reaches of the picturesque Cothi valley in the parish of Cynwyl Gaeo, Carmarthenshire...
, being buried at Caio, Carmarthenshire
Caio, Carmarthenshire
Caeo or Caio is a village in the county of Carmarthenshire, south-west Wales, sited near to the Dolaucothi Gold Mines.-Location:It is located between Llandovery and Lampeter, 1 mile north-east of the A482 that connects these two towns. Caeo lies at the confluence of the Afon Annell and the Nant Frena...
. He had married in 1882, Charlotte , daughter and coheiress of John Johnes of Dolaucothi, Carmarthenshire and assumed the additional surname of Johnes. He was the brother-in-law of Lieutenant W.G. Cubitt VC.
The medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Artillery Museum, WoolwichWoolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
, London.