Sir Robert Chambre Hill Kt

Robert Chambre Hill was a younger brother of General Rowland Hill. He was born on 25 Mar 1778, the fourth son of Sir John Hill, 3rd Bt, a Shropshire landowner. His mother was Mary Chambre, from Petton, Shropshire. He was educated at Rugby School and commissioned as a cornet into the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons on 29 July 1795. He transferred to the Royal Horse Guards on 15 Nov 1805 with the rank of major. In the Peninsula War he had command of the Blues at some stage, and was given command of the Household Brigade at the Battle of Vitoria. He was knighted in 1812, and on 13 May 1813 promoted to lieutenant-colonel.
He commanded the regiment at the Battle of Waterloo where he was wounded. He was confronted by French chasseurs near La Haie Sainte and a bullet hit him in the shoulder and passed through his arm. He was surrounded, but rescued by his trumpeter, Tom Evans. Evans was overweight and had been forbidden to accompany the regiment into action, but luckily for Hill he joined them anyway and killed four Frenchmen until his sword broke. He used the hilt as a knuckle-duster to knock out a fifth. Despite his wound, Hill stayed until the end of the battle.
Robert Hill was rewarded with a CB, made a Knight of the Russian Order of St George, and a Knight of the Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa. He retired in 1823, handing over command of the Blues to his brother Clement Hill. He lived in Shropshire where he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant and magistrate as well as a Commissioner of Income and Property Taxes.
He was married to Eliza Lumley in Feb 1801 and they had four children. He died on 5 March 1860.

Regimental details | Commanding Officers