At the height of his fame he was known throughout the world as the 'hero of Ladysmith' although he had won his VC in Afghanistan – a country which continues to test the courage of soldiers of all nations to this very day.

Although he and his family are traditionally associated with Broughshane, Sir George himself was born at Rock Castle Portstewart.
He was educated at King William's College on the Isle of Man.

After graduating from Sandhurst, White was commissioned into the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot and saw service in the Indian Mutiny. He fought in the Second Afghan War in 1879 as second-in-command of the 92nd Regiment of Foot (later The Gordon Highlanders).
He was 44 years old when was awarded the VC.

"On 6 October 1879 at Charasiah, Afghanistan, Major White led an attack on a strongly fortified hill where the enemy force outnumbered the major's by about eight to one. When his men became exhausted and immediate action seemed necessary, he took a rifle and, running forward alone, shot the enemy leader. This decided the issue and the enemy fled. Again, at the battle of Kandahar Major White led the final charge and personally captured one of the two guns held by the enemy, immediately after which the latter retired."

Later life

He became the commanding officer of the 92nd Foot in 1881 and was knighted in 1886 for his military service in Burma.
One of the plum jobs in the Empire fell in his lap when he became Commander-in-Chief, India in 1893.

As one of the nation's most famous warriors, he was assigned a leading role in the war against the Boers in South Africa and was commander of the garrison at the Siege of Ladysmith 1899–1900 during the Second Boer War.

While the Victorian press lauded White for his 'staunch defence' of Ladysmith, his military peers judged that he had been ill-equipped both physically and mentally for a wartime post.

Lord Roberts felt White had ignored orders and allowed himself to be 'bottled up' at Ladysmith by a smaller force of Boers. The British army lost heavily in its attempts to relieve the outpost.

He became governor of Gibraltar (1900–1904) and was made field marshal in 1903. He died in the Chelsea Hospital , London on 24 June, 1912.
His son Jack White became a famous Irish republican and anarchist, broke off from the family (founding the Irish Citizens Army) and opposed most of what Sir George White had stood for.

A statue of White is currently located at Portland Place, London.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Gordon Highlanders Museum (Aberdeen, Scotland).