Field Marshal The Lord Roberts VC KG
A Victorian and Edwardian example.
Frederick Sleigh Roberts was born at Cawnpore on 30 September 1832. In early childhood in India he nearly died of an illness the family called brain fever
. When doctors had given up hope, his father tried a traditional cooling treatment. The boy lived — but the illness took the sight of his right eye.
Fifteen years later the surgeons at Addiscombe passed him fit. He went on to serve for more than half a century: a Victoria Cross in 1858, the march to Kandahar in 1880, Commander-in-Chief in India and South Africa, and finally the last Commander-in-Chief of the British Army.
He lost the sight of his right eye in early childhood and went on to serve for more than half a century.
“As a young child in India, Frederick Roberts suffered a severe illness described in family accounts as ‘brain fever’ and lost the sight of his right eye. He retained sight in his other eye and went on to serve as a senior British commander.”