Captain Lewis Halliday & The Boxer Revolution
At the turn of the twentieth century, Sir Lewis Stratford Tollemache Halliday showed heroism in the field of battle in a quintessentially English manner.
The man was a recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions during the Boxer Revolution in China. Halliday was 30 years old at the time.
Stationed in Peking, China, Halliday was a captain of the Royal Marine Light Infantry (RMLI) when on June 24th 1900, the British Legation (a bureaucratic office much like an Embassy) was stormed by the Boxers.
The attackers set fire to the stables and occupied some of the other buildings. British government workers were also trapped inside.
To drive the enemy out, a hole was smashed into the Legation wall and 20 marines, led by Captain Halliday went inside.
Halliday was involved in close range fighting with the enemy from the moment he ventured inside the Legation, the fire and smoke making visibility very difficult.
During battle, Halliday was shot at point blank range, the bullet blowing away part of his left shoulder and puncturing his lung.
This did not stop the marine however.
Despite his critical wounds, Captain Halliday killed three of his assailants, and a true Englishman to the core, told his men to “carry on and not mind him” before walking back to the hospital unaided.
He refused the escort and aid so as not to diminish the number of his men attempting to vanquish the Legation, which after several hours of conflict forced the Boxers into submission.
He was promoted to brevet major for his part in the legation’s defence, and returned to the United Kingdom to receive the Victoria Cross from King Edward in 1901.
He continued his services to the military throughout WW1 and by the time he took voluntary retirement in 1930 had reached the position of Adjutant General of the British Royal Marines.
We can then assume that the man, along with his vintage titanium balls enjoyed the remainder of his life in relative tranquility. He finally reached the battlefield in the sky in March 1966, at 96 years of age.
