{{Short description|Recipient of the Victoria Cross}} {{for|the Governor of Malta|Arthur Borton (British Army general)}} {{Use British English|date=November 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = Lieutenant-Colonel |name=Arthur Borton |honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|VC|CMG|DSO}} |birth_date={{birth date|df=y|1883|7|1}} |death_date={{death date and age|df=y|1933|1|5|1883|7|1}} |birth_place=Cheveney, Kent |death_place= Southwold, Suffolk |burial_place=Hunton Parish Burial Ground, Hunton, Maidstone, Kent |image=Arthur Borton VC.jpg |image_size= |caption= |nickname= |allegiance={{flag|United Kingdom}} |service_years=1902–1908<br/>1914–1919 |rank=Lieutenant Colonel<br />Lieutenant Commander |branch={{army|United Kingdom}}<br />{{Navy|United Kingdom}} |commands= |unit= {{plainlist| *King's Royal Rifle Corps *Royal Flying Corps *RNAS Armoured Cars *London Regiment }} |battles= {{plainlist| *Second Boer War *First World War *Russian Civil War }} |awards= {{plainlist| *Victoria Cross *Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George *Companion of the Distinguished Service Order *Order of the Nile (Egypt) *Order of St. Vladimir (Russia) }} |relations=General Arthur Borton (grandfather)<br>Air Vice Marshal Amyas Borton (brother) }} Lieutenant-Colonel '''Arthur Drummond Borton''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|VC|CMG|DSO}} (1 July 1883 – 5 January 1933) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

==Biography== Borton was born at Cheveney, Kent to British officer Arthur Close Borton, the eldest son of Sir Arthur Borton and Adelaide Beatrice Drummond, a grandchild of Robert Kaye Greville. Borton was educated at Eton College and Sandhurst, before being commissioned into the King's Royal Rifle Corps in 1902 with whom he served in the Second Boer War. In 1908 he left the Army as unfit for general service.<ref name="Times46335" />

At the start of the First World War, Borton was fruit farming in the United States. He returned to England and re-joined The King's Royal Rifles in 1914.<ref name="Times46335" /> After further service with the regiment he became an observer with The Royal Flying Corps in France, where he broke his neck in three places when his aircraft crashed and was declared unfit. Despite this he went to Gallipoli as a lieutenant commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, where he won the Distinguished Service Order serving with the RNAS Armoured Cars.<ref>[http://www.naval-history.net/WW1Battle1503Dardanelles5.htm DSO information]</ref> Borton was appointed Second-in-Command of the 2nd/22nd London Regiment (The Queen's) in June 1916, serving in France and Palestine.

He was a 34-year-old lieutenant colonel in the 2/22nd (County of London) Battalion, the London Regiment, British Army, when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 7 November 1917 at Palestine, Borton deployed his battalion for attack and at dawn led his companies against a strongly held position. When the leading waves were checked by withering fire, he moved freely up and down the line under heavy fire and then led his men forward, capturing the position. At a later stage he led a party of volunteers against a battery of field-guns in action at point-blank range, capturing the guns and the detachments. His fearless leadership was an example to the whole brigade.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=30433|supp=y |date=14 December 1917 |page=13221}}</ref>

He died on 5 January 1933 at Southwold in Suffolk, aged 49.<ref>Birmingham Daily Gazette, 6 January 1933. p. 1.</ref>

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment Museum, Clandon Park, Guildford, Surrey.<ref name='QRS'/>

Borton's younger brother was Air Vice Marshal Amyas Borton. He married Lorna Lockhart in 1915.<ref name="Times46335" />

==Honours and awards== {| class="wikitable" |- |40px || Victoria Cross (VC)<ref name='QRS'>{{cite web|url=http://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/vc/vc12.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305010615/http://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/vc/vc12.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 March 2016|title=Lt Col A D Borton|publisher=Queen's Royal Surreys (Archived)|accessdate=21 June 2020}}</ref> || |- |40px || Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)<ref name=QRS/> || |- |40px || Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)<ref name=QRS/> || 1915 as an officer in the RNVR |- |40px || Queen's South Africa Medal<ref name=QRS/> || with three bars |- |40px || 1914–15 Star<ref name=QRS/> || |- |40px || British War Medal<ref name=QRS/> || |- |40px || Victory Medal<ref name=QRS/> || |- |40px || Knight of the Order of the Nile<ref name=QRS/> || (Egypt) |- |40px || 4th Class of the Order of St. Vladimir<ref name=QRS/> || (Russia) |}

==References== <references>

<ref name="Times46335"> {{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Lieut.-Colonel Borton, VC – A Born Leader of Men |department=Obituaries |date=6 January 1933 |page=14 |issue=46335 |column=B }}</ref>

</references>

==Bibliography== *{{cite book|last=Ingleton|first=Roy|title=Kent VCs|publisher=Pen and Sword Books|year=2011|isbn=978-1848844094}}

==External links== * [http://www.kentfallen.com/PDF%20REPORTS/BORTON%20A.D.pdf Kent Fallen] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20041214222822/http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/kent.htm Location of grave and VC medal] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070509091149/http://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/militia_vol_territorial/mvt31_1.html The Queen's Royal Surrey Regimental Association entry on Borton] *[http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/tellelsheria.htm Memoirs & Diaries – Tell-El-Sheria Diary entry that mentions Borton]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Borton, Arthur}} Category:1883 births Category:1933 deaths Category:Territorial Force officers

Category:People from Hunton, Kent Category:People educated at Eton College Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Category:Royal Navy officers of World War I Category:British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross Category:British Army personnel of the Second Boer War Category:British Army personnel of World War I Category:London Regiment officers Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:King's Royal Rifle Corps officers Category:Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War I Category:British Army personnel of the Russian Civil War Category:Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class Category:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross Category:Military personnel from Kent Category:Military personnel from Suffolk Category:Lieutenant colonels