Anglo-Zulu War Victoria Cross Recipient. A native of New Zealand, he was gazetted for the award on October 10, 1879 for his actions as a captain in the Frontier Light Horse, British South African Forces, on July 3, 1879 during the Battle of Ulundi in Ulundi, South Africa. Born in Wanganui, North Island, New Zealand, he was the son of a British officer who was stationed there with the 65th Regiment of the British Army. In 1860 he moved with the family to King William's Town, Eastern Cape Colony (now part of South Africa) when his father was transferred to the Cape Mounted Rifles. It is not known where he was educated or when he joined the British South African Forces. Following the Anglo-Zulu War, he also joined the Cape Mounted Rifles (then part of the Cape Colonial Forces) as a captain and participated in Basuto Gun War in 1880. The following April he resigned and disappeared. His body was supposedly discovered in a cave a year later but rumors circulated that he faked his death by switching his clothes with a dead man he found and went to Natal in South Africa where he lived out the rest of his life under an assumed name. His Victoria Cross citation reads: "On 3 July 1879 at Ulundi, South Africa, during a reconnaissance, Captain D'Arcy went to the rescue of Trooper Raubenheim of the Frontier Light Horse who had fallen from his horse as the troops were retiring. The captain waited for the man to mount behind him although the enemy were quite close, but the horse kicked them both off. Captain D'Arcy was hurt by the fall, and quite alone, but he still tried to lift the trooper, who was stunned, on to the horse, and only mounted and rode off when he was completely exhausted."
Anglo-Zulu War Victoria Cross Recipient. A native of New Zealand, he was gazetted for the award on October 10, 1879 for his actions as a captain in the Frontier Light Horse, British South African Forces, on July 3, 1879 during the Battle of Ulundi in Ulundi, South Africa. Born in Wanganui, North Island, New Zealand, he was the son of a British officer who was stationed there with the 65th Regiment of the British Army. In 1860 he moved with the family to King William's Town, Eastern Cape Colony (now part of South Africa) when his father was transferred to the Cape Mounted Rifles. It is not known where he was educated or when he joined the British South African Forces. Following the Anglo-Zulu War, he also joined the Cape Mounted Rifles (then part of the Cape Colonial Forces) as a captain and participated in Basuto Gun War in 1880. The following April he resigned and disappeared. His body was supposedly discovered in a cave a year later but rumors circulated that he faked his death by switching his clothes with a dead man he found and went to Natal in South Africa where he lived out the rest of his life under an assumed name. His Victoria Cross citation reads: "On 3 July 1879 at Ulundi, South Africa, during a reconnaissance, Captain D'Arcy went to the rescue of Trooper Raubenheim of the Frontier Light Horse who had fallen from his horse as the troops were retiring. The captain waited for the man to mount behind him although the enemy were quite close, but the horse kicked them both off. Captain D'Arcy was hurt by the fall, and quite alone, but he still tried to lift the trooper, who was stunned, on to the horse, and only mounted and rode off when he was completely exhausted."
Bio by: William Bjornstad
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