James Hills-Johnes
| Sir James Hills-Johnes | |
|---|---|
 Sir James Hills-Johnes c. 1900s | |
| Birth name | James Hills |
| Born |
20 August 1833 Neechindipur, British India |
| Died |
3 January 1919 (aged 85) Dolaucothi Estate, Carmarthenshire, Wales |
| Buried | Caio, Carmarthenshire |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
Bengal Army British Indian Army |
| Years of service | 1853–1888 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Unit |
Bengal Horse Artillery Royal Artillery |
| Commands held |
3rd Division, Northern Afghanistan Field Force Military Governor of Kabul Kohat District Peshawar Mountain Battery |
| Battles/wars |
Indian Mutiny Abyssinian War Second Anglo-Afghan War |
| Awards |
Victoria Cross Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Mentioned in Despatches (4) |
| Relations |
William George Cubitt VC (brother-in-law) Lewis Pugh Evans VC (nephew) |
Lieutenant General Sir James Hills-Johnes, VC, GCB (20 August 1833 – 3 January 1919) was a British Indian Army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Early life
Born James Hills on 20 August 1883 in Neechindipur, Bengal, India, he was son of James and Charlotte Hills. He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and the Addiscombe Military Seminary, and was commissioned into the Bengal Artillery. Hills changed his surname to Hills-Johnes in 1882 on his marriage to Elizabeth Johnes, the younger daughter and coheiress of John Johnes of Dolaucothi, Carmarthenshire.
Military career
Hills-Johnes was a 23 years old second lieutenant in the Bengal Horse Artillery 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 16 January 1858.)[1]
Hills-Johnes was also present at the Siege of Lucknow (1858), fought in the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80), and was made military governor of Kabul. Appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1881 and advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 1893, he later achieved the rank of lieutenant general in the service of the Royal Artillery.
Later life
Hills-Johnes was High Sheriff of Carmarthenshire in 1886 and made an honorary freeman of the town of Carmarthen in 1910. He died on 3 January 1919, aged 85, at his Dolaucothi Estate and was buried at Caio, Carmarthenshire.
Hills-Johnes' family history says his younger brother Charles Hills (1847–1935) was the real father of Hollywood actress Merle Oberon.[2] He was the brother-in-law of Lieutenant William George Cubitt VC and uncle of Brigadier Lewis Pugh Evans VC.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Artillery Museum, Woolwich, London.
References
- ↑ "No. 22131". The London Gazette. 27 April 1858. p. 2050.
- ↑ MacNair, Miles (2013). Indigo & Opium: two remarkable families and fortunes won and lost. Studley: Brewin Books. ISBN 9781858585178.
Further reading
- Vetch, R.H.; Stearn, Roger T. (reviewer) (2011) [2004]. "Hills, Sir John (1834–1902)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 21 November 2010. (includes details of Sir James Hills-Johnes) (subscription required)
- Vibart, H.M. (1894). Addiscombe: its heroes and men of note. Westminster: Archibald Constable. pp. 608–13.
