At the battle of Ulundi during the Zulu War of 1879, Captain Lord William Beresford, on detachment from the 9th Lancers, earned the Victoria Cross for his gallant conduct. This citation was published in the London Gazette of 23 Aug 1879:
‘In having, at great personal risk, during the retirement of the reconnoitring party across the White Umvolosi River of the 3rd July 1879, turned to assist Sergeant Fitzmaurice, 1st battalion 24th Foot, (whose horse had fallen with him), mounted him behind him on his horse, and brought him away in safety under the close fire of the Zulus who were in great force, and coming on quickly [assisted by Sgt Edmond O’Toole VC of the Frontier Light Horse]. Lord William Beresford’s position was rendered most dangerous from the fact that Sergeant Fitzmaurice twice nearly pulled him from his horse.’
Lord William Leslie de la Poer ‘Ulundi’ Beresford was born on 20 July 1847, at Mullaghbrack, County Armagh. He was the third son, out of 5, of John de la Poer Beresford, the 4th Marquis of Waterford. His mother was Christiana, daughter of Colonel Charles Powell Leslie from County Monaghan. He was educated at Eton. When the 9th Lancers were stationed at Dublin, Lord Beresford joined as a cornet, on 8 June 1867, was a lieutenant on 6 Jul 1870 and captain on 1 June 1877. He excelled at riding, and when the regiment went to India in 1875 he played polo and became one of their best players. But in 1876 he left regimental life behind to join the staff of the Viceroy as ADC.
However, Lord Beresford took leave from this safe job to go on active service. He was on the Jowaki Expedition of 1877 which was organised to punish the Afghan Jowaki Afridis for disloyalty. He remained on the Northwest Frontier for the Second Afghan War of 1878-80. He then went to South Africa to fight in the Zulu War of 1879. After the battle of Ulundi where he won the VC, he took leave in England and received his medal from the Queen at Osborne House on 24 Aug 1879.
He returned to India to resume his duties in the office of the Viceroys of India, appointed Military Secretary in 1882. He was promoted to major on 15 Dec 1884 and made his last appearance on the army list of the 9th Lancers in 1890. He became interested in horse racing and ownership of horses, so that when he left India in 1894 he carried on in the racing business. On 30 April 1895 he married Lilian Warren, daughter of Cicero Price, Commodore of the US Navy. She was the widow of George Charles Spencer-Churchill, the 8th Duke of Marlborough. They had a son, William Warren de la Poer on 4 Feb 1897. The family home was ‘Deepdene’ in Dorking, Surrey in which the Prince of Wales stayed as their guest in October 1895. Lieutenant-Colonel Lord William Beresford was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE). He died of peritonitis on 28 December 1900 at the age of 53.
