The Green Howards, - VCs and GCs Won by the Regiment

Alfred Atkinson was the youngest of five children of James and Margaret Atkinson born in Arrnley, Leeds, Yorkshire on 6th February 1874. In October 1873, his father had been discharged from the Royal Artillery at Aldershot, where he had been a Farrier Sergeant. Both parents had been in the Crimean War and it is credited that James Atkinson was one of the small band of mounted artillery who captured the bronze Russian cannon at Sebastopol, from which VCs were subsequently cast.
Alfred enlisted in Leeds in November 1891 and was posted to the Green Howards in Richmond. After basic training, he joined the 1st Battalion The Princess ofWales's Own Yorkshire Regiment - the full title for the Green Howards at Portsmouth where he was promoted to Corporal in February 1892. He took his Certificate of Musketry with the new .303 Lee Enfield rifle at Fort Gomer near Portsmouth and on 16th November was promoted to Lance Sergeant. The battalion sailed to Jersey to take up residence in Fort Regent and St Peter's near St Helier where he was promoted to the full rank of Sergeant in E Company. On the 16th December 1897, Sergeant Atkinson completed his seven years service with the colours and transferred to the Reserve.
Along with 450 reservists, he joined the Green Howards in Albuera Barracks, Aldershot on 22nd November 1899 and sailed from Southampton on 24th November 1899 for Cape Town. 3264 Sergeant Alfred Atkinson was awarded the posthumous Victoria Cross for gallantry at Paardeberg on 18th February 1900. He was buried at Gruisbank near Paardeberg on 21st February 1900. There is a Green Howard Memorial close to the battlefield and one in York both erected in 1904. The VC was sent by post to his parents on the 28th April 1902 but not announced in The London Gazette until 8th August 1902. Both Sergeant Atkinson's and his father's medals were sold at Sotheby's to Messrs Spinks & Co for £70 in November 1911. In 1959, they were purchased by the Regiment from a collector for £650 and are now held by the Green Howards Regimental Museum.

	During the Battle of Paardeberg, on 18 February 1900, Sergeant Atkinson went out seven times under heavy and close fire to obtain water for the wounded. At the seventh attempt he was himself wounded in the head, and died a few days afterwards.
	(Right) Sergeant Atkinson crawls down to the Modder River, within 50 yards of the Boer marksmen, to fetch water for the wounded soldiers lying on the battlefield at Paardeberg, an action he performed seven times before he was mortally wounded - 18th February 1900.

Sergeant Alfred Atkinson, VC