[1] In June 1869 at Broadstairs he rescued three girls from drowning, for which he received the Bronze Medal of the Royal Humane Society.

[1] When the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80) broke out, the 59th Foot formed part of the southern Afghanistan Field Force, serving in and around Kandahar.

In October 1879 Sartorius was part of a British advance upon a large Ghilzais force assembling at Shahjui.

The nature of the ground made any sort of regular formation impossible, and Captain Sartorius had to bear the first brunt of the attack from the whole body of the enemy, who fell upon him and his men as they gained the top of the precipitous pathway; but the gallant and determined bearing of this Officer, emulated as it was by his men, led to the most perfect success, and the surviving occupants of the hill top, seven in number, were all killed.

[1] Due to wounds received during his VC action, Sartorius partially lost the use of his left hand.

[8] He succeeded his father as Count of Penhafirme in the Portuguese nobility, and was confirmed in the title by King Carlos I on 20 June 1903.