John Brown Hamilton

Who was John Brown Hamilton?

John Brown Hamilton VC was a Scottish 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.

He was 21 years old, and a lance-corporal in the 1/9th Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry, British Army during the First World War, and was awarded the Victoria Cross foe his actions during the Battle of Passchendaele:

On 25/26 September 1917 north of the Ypres-Menin Road, Belgium, great difficulty was experienced in keeping the front and support line supplied with small arm ammunition, owing to the intense artillery fire. At a time when this supply had reached a seriously low level, Lance-Corporal Hamilton on several occasions, on his own initiative, carried bondoliers of ammunition through the enemy's belts of fire and then, in full view of their snipers and machine-guns which were lying out in the front of our line at close range, he distributed the ammunition.