Major-General Henry Edward Colvile was born on 10 July 1852 and educated at Eton before entering the military in 1870.
He served in the South African War (1899-1900) and saw action at the Battles of Modder River and Magersfontein. He was part of the force that occupied Bloemfontein, but on the advance to Johannesburg, he was in command of a battalion which was cut off near the present day Roodepoort, and forced to surrender.
When released by the Boers, Colville was made the scapegoat for the surrender and sent back to the U.K.
He retired from the army in 1902 and died in a motor cycle accident in 1907.
