Ernest Vaux

Lieutenant-Colonel Ernest Vaux, CMG, DSO, VD, DL (5 March 1865 – 21 November 1925) was a British Army officer and businessman.

A member of the Vaux Breweries family, his grandfather Cuthbert Vaux (1779-1850) established the brewery in 1806. Vaux was born in Bishopwearmouth, the son of John Storey Vaux (1834–1881) and his wife, Harriet, née Douglas (1837–1901). He was educated at the Worcester College for the Blind Sons of Gentlemen and joined the Durham Royal Garrison Artillery Volunteers.

Vaux was a Major in the Durham Voluntary Artillery when he volunteered for service with the Imperial Yeomanry during the Second Boer War. He was appointed Machine Gun Commander, with the temporary rank of Lieutenant in the Army from 3 February 1900, the day after he left Liverpool for South Africa on the SS Monteagle. He served in the 5th Battalion, where commanded the Maxim guns and took part in over 80 operations in the Transvaal, the Orange River Colony and the Cape Colony. He was mentioned in despatches 7 times, received the Queen's South Africa Medal with four clasps, and was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in November 1901. In 1903, he received the Volunteer Officers' Decoration.