Arthur George Hammond Colonel Sir Arthur George Hammond VC , KCB , DSO ( 28 September 1843 – 20 April 1919 ) was an 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 British and Commonwealth forces . Early life and career . Arthur Hammond was born in Dawlish , Devon on 23 September 1843 , the fifth son of Major T . G . Hammond , Abbey Grange , Sherborne , Dorset . Arthur attended Sherborne School as a day boy from 1852 to 1860 . After leaving Sherborne School he attended Addiscombe Military Seminary and in 1861 entered the Indian Staff Corps . After serving in the 82nd Regiment of Foot ( Prince of Wales ' s Volunteer Regiment ) he joined the Bengal Staff Corps and Queen Victoria ' s Own Corps of Guides . He served in the Jowaki Afridi Expedition with the Guides in 1877 ( mentioned in Despatches ) , and the Afghan War 1878 - 80 at Ali Musjid , Tahkt - i - Shan and Asmai Heights and Kabul . VC action . Hammond was 36 years old , and a captain in the Bengal Staff Corps , British Indian Army during the Second Anglo - Afghan War when the following deed took place on 14 December 1879 at the action on the Asmai Heights , near Kabul , Afghanistan , for which he was awarded the VC : Subsequent career and death . In addition to the Afghan War , he served in the Jowaki Campaign of 1877 - 1878 and also in the Hazara Campaigns of 1888 and 1891 ( CB and Mention ) , commanded BDe in the Isazai Expedition 1892 , Chitral Relief Force 1895 ( Mention and thanks of Indian Government ) , and the Tirah Campaign of 1897 - 1898 ( Commanded Peshawar Column ) . He became A . D . C . to Queen Victoria in 1890 and in 1903 was awarded a K . C . B . Following his long military career , Arthur Hammond retired to Camberley in Surrey where he named his residence Sherborne House . He died in April 1919 and is buried in St . Michael ' s Churchyard , Camberley . His obituary appeared in " The Shirburnian " , June 1919 : COL . SIR ARTHUR G . HAMMOND , V . C . , K . C . B . There is to be recorded in our present issue the death of a distinguished Old Shirburnian , who , with his brothers ( there were seven in all who owned allegiance to the School ) gained their entire school training at Sherborne - Col . Sir Arthur G . Hammond , V . C . , K . C . B . , the fifth son of Major T . Hammond , H . E . LC . S . , who lived at the Abbey Grange , Sherborne . Sir Arthur was born on September23rd , 1843 , and entered the School in August , 1852 , leaving it in 1860 to go to Addiscombe Military College ; whilst in that year he had played in the Cricket Eleven for the School . In September , 1861 , he entered the old Indian Staff Corps , being appointed Ensign in the Bengal Infantry , but was soon transferred to the Queen ' s Own Corps of Guides , with which distinguished Regiment he was connected during the greater Portion of his military career , and of which he became Commandant . Sir Arthur was in 1890 appointed A . D . C . to Queen Victoria , and being shortly afterwards Colonel on the Staff , had command of a Station . A short record of his war services may be given . In the Jowaki Afridea Expedition of 1877 - 78 he received the Medal with clasp , and was mentioned in despatches . For the Afghan War , 1878 - 80 ( Ali Musjid , Takht - i - Shan , Asmai , Kabul , and Charaziah ) he was twice mentioned in despatches and received the Afghan Medal with two clasps , while at the Asmai Heights he won the Victoria Cross on 14 December 1879 , ' For conspicuous coolness and gallantry , in defending the top of the hill with a rifle and fixed bayonet against large numbers of the enemy , while the 72ndHighlandersand Guides were retiring ; and again on the retreat down the hill , in stopping to assist in carrying away a wounded Sepoy , the enemy being not fifty yards off , firing heavily all the time . ' In the Hazarai Expedition of 1888 ( in command of the 3rd Sikhs ) he was mentioned in despatches , awarded a clasp , and made D . S . O . : commanded a Brigade in the Expedition of 1891 ( Hazarai ) , was again mentioned in despatches , received another clasp , and made C . B . The Isazai Expedition of 1892 followed , with the Relief Force Operations in Chitral of 1895 , where he had charge Of the Lines of Communications and afterwards of a Brigade ( despatches , medal and clasp , and the thanks of the Government ) , and , lastly , the Tirah Campaign , 1897 – 98 , where he commanded the Peshawar Column , receiving another mention in Despatches with the two clasps . Sir Arthur Hammond resided for several years at Sherborne House , Camberley , Surrey , where he took a great interest in local matters , but his health was failing him for some little time , and he passed away on Easter Sunday , having never completely recovered from a severe operation which he had to undergo . In him the OS Society has lost one of its Vice - Presidents . His VC is in private hands .