Frederick William Lumsden Brigadier General Frederick William Lumsden VC , CB , DSO & Three Bars ( 14 December 1872 – 4 June 1918 ) was a British officer in Royal Marine Artillery and later the General Staff , during the First World War . During his service he was decorated four times for valourous service and saw action in several major campaigns before he was killed just months before the war ' s end in June 1918 with the rank of Brigadier - General . Amongst his decorations was the Victoria Cross , the most prestigious award available to British or Commonwealth troops . Early life . Frederick William Lumsden was born into a military family in Frizabad , India on 14 December 1872 . His father , James Foot Lumsden , worked in the Indian Civil Service . At a young age he returned to Britain and attended Bristol Grammar School . Military career . At the age of eighteen , Lumsden joined the Royal Marine Artillery as a junior officer . Serving in the Marine Service until 1907 , Lumsden then entered the Staff College , qualifying in 1910 . He then became the second staff officer at Singapore , not returning home until called home for war service in the months leading up to the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914 . Awards and decorations . On 1 January 1917 , Major Lumsden was awarded his first Distinguished Service Order " " for distinguished service in the field " " . On 8 June 1917 , the awarding of the Victoria Cross to Major Lumsden was approved . This was for actions that took place between 3 and 4 April 1917 in Francilly , France . The citation in the London Gazette reads as follows : Maj . Frederick William Lumsden , D . S . O . , R . M . A . For most conspicuous bravery , determination and devotion to duty . Six enemy field guns having been captured , it was necessary to leave them in dug - in positions , 300 yards in advance of the position held by our troops . The enemy kept the captured guns under heavy fire . Maj . Lumsden undertook the duty of bringing the guns into our lines . In order to effect this , he personally led four artillery teams and a party of infantry through the hostile barrage . As one of these teams sustained casualties , he left the remaining teams in a covered position , and , through very heavy rifle , machine gun and shrapnel fire , led the infantry to the guns . By force of example and inspiring energy he succeeded in sending back two teams with guns , going through the barrage with the teams of the third gun . He then returned to the guns to await further teams , and these he succeeded in attaching to two of the three remaining guns , despite rifle fire , which had become intense at short range , and removed the guns to safety . By this time the enemy , in considerable strength , had driven through the infantry covering points , and blown up the breach of the remaining gun . Maj . Lumsden then returned , drove off the enemy , attached the gun to a team and got it away . Death and remembrance . He was killed in action at Blairvill , near Arras , France , on 4 June 1918 . He is buried in the Berles New Military Cemetery , Berles - au - Bois , France . In 1920 , the Mess of the Royal Marines commissioned H . Donald Smith to paint two portraits of Lumsden . The work is now housed in the Royal Marines Museum in the Royal Marine Artillery Barracks , Southsea , Portsmouth , England . His Victoria Cross is also displayed at the museum .