LORD“AESRHOC ORFO FT’S THE MONTH”
ENDURANCE
AGGRESSION • BOLDNESS INITIATIVE • LEADERSHIP SACRIFICE • SKILL
The many Victoria Crosses and George Crosses in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum in London are displayed under one of seven different qualities of bravery. Whilst Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Reginald Frederick Johnson Hayward VC, MC & Bar’s award is not part of the collection, Lord Ashcroft feels that it falls within the category of endurance:
“Endurance is the opposite of Aggression. It is all about ‘cold courage’, about knowing the cost and being prepared to pay it. It involves mental and physical resilience, not giving in and rising above the pain. It is almost infinite.”
REGINALD FREDERICK Johnson Hayward was born in Beersheba Mission Station, East Griqualand, South Africa, on 17 June 1891. He was the eldest son of Frederick Johnson Hayward, a stockbreeder whose family were originally from Wiltshire, and his wife, Gertrude.
While he lived in South Africa, Reginald was educated at Hilton College, Natal, and Durban Business College. At school and college he was a talented sportsman, excelling at rugby, football and cricket: indeed, in 1911, he represented Natal against vis…
