[3] His early career with his new regiment, however, was blighted by several bouts of illness and he spent much of his time in administrative and staff roles.

[5] In 1899 he volunteered to serve as a special service officer at Mafeking, South Africa and was given the duty of training a squadron of the Protectorate Regiment.

[4] FitzClarence was 34 years old, and a captain in the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), British Army, during the Second Boer War when the following deeds took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC): On the 14th October, 1899, Captain FitzClarence went with his squadron of the Protectorate Regiment, consisting of only partially trained men, who had never been in action, to the assistance of an armoured train which had gone out from Mafeking.

On the 27th October, 1899, Captain FitzClarence led his squadron from Mafeking across the open, and made a night attack with the bayonet on one of the enemy's trenches.

With reference to these two actions, Major-General Baden-Powell states that had this Officer not shown an extraordinary spirit and fearlessness the attacks would have been failures, and we should have suffered heavy loss both in men and prestige.

On the 26th December, 1899, during the action at Game Tree, near Mafeking, Captain FitzClarence again distinguished himself by his coolness and courage, and was again wounded (severely through both legs).

[4] He was promoted to colonel, dated March 1913,[14] and in July went on to command the Irish Guards and regimental district again taking over Nugent.

[15] Promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general in August 1914,[16][17] on 27 September he replaced Brigadier-General Ivor Maxse as commander of 1st Guards' Brigade with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).

In his Despatch of 20 November 1914, Sir John French said: "Another officer whose name was particularly mentioned to me was Brigadier-General FitzClarence, VC, commanding the 1st Guards' Brigade.

His most recent biographer, Spencer Jones, describes FitzClarence as exemplifying "...the best aspects of the post-Boer War [British] officer class" due to his "courage, professionalism, natural leadership, and willingness to act upon his own initiative.

"[4] He was killed in action, aged 49, at Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke, Belgium, on 12 November 1914 whilst commanding the 1st (Guards) Brigade.