John Farrell (VC)
John Farrell VC (March 1826, Dublin – 31 August 1865) was a British Army soldier and Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
He was born in March 1826 in Dublin, Ireland. In 1843 he joined the Army, serving first with the 85th Foot and then the 17th Lancers, with whom he travelled to the Crimea in 1854.[1]
Farrell was a sergeant in the 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own), British Army during the Crimean War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC:
On 25 October 1854 at Balaklava, Crimea during the Charge of the Light Brigade, Sergeant Farrell, whose horse had been killed under him, stopped on the field and amidst a storm of shot and shell helped Troop Sergeant Major John Berryman and Sergeant Joseph Malone to move a severely wounded officer (who subsequently died) out of range of the guns.[2]
After serving in the Indian Mutiny in 1858 and achieving the rank of Quartermaster-Sergeant, Farrell transferred to the 2nd Light Cavalry, Indian Army. He was serving with that unit at Secunderabad India when on 31 August 1865 he died from a liver abscess.[1] He is buried in Secunderabad Cemetery.[3]
His VC is not publicly owned.[3]
References
- ^ a b "Biographic Profile". VC & GC Association. 7 February 2025.
- ^ "No. 22065". The London Gazette. 20 November 1857. p. 3920.
- ^ a b "Known grave Locations for Holders of the Victoria Cross in India". victoriacross.org.uk. 7 February 2025.
Bibliography
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
- Clarke, Brian D. H. (1986). "A register of awards to Irish-born officers and men". The Irish Sword. XVI (64): 185–287.
- Ireland's VCs (Dept of Economic Development, 1995)
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)