Victorian VC graves

[SteveMc1958]

I've started a new project recently to find and photograph the gravesites of Victorian VC winners. Sounds a bit morbid when I write it like that. But then it gets me out...

If members find this interesting I'll post the photos on here as I take them. I'm focussing on my part of the world (southwest England) in the first instance, plus a few from elsewhere I had previously visited. If other members have similar photos that they want to add to this string, I'd be interested to see them.

First three offerings are all from Cheltenham Cemetary, which is the last resting place of no less than 6 VC, three of them from the Victorian era. Captions to the photos show their regiment and rank at time of winning the VC (not at time death - many made it quite a lot further in the promotion stakes, as their headstones note!) and the location of the action in which they won the award.

I should add that all details are from Kevin Brazier's excellent "The Complete Victoria Cross", which I warmly recommend.

Steve

[The Scorer]

I have two photographs of the grave of Colour Sergeant John Byrne VC DCM in Newport - see the entry on the Crimean War section for more details.

I don't think that I can post them on here at the moment, but If you'd like to PM me with an e-mail address, I'll let you have them.

I've also been meaning for some while to take some photographs of the grave of Private John Williams (Fielding), who was awarded his Victoria Cross after the action at Rorke's Drift. This is in Llantarnam, between Newport and Cwmbran, and when I do, I'll let you have them.

Best wishes!

[SteveMc1958]

Many thanks. I'll send you a PM with my e-mail address.

I have actually already "visited" John Fielding and the other Rorke's Drift grave which are local to me - I was planning to post their photos up next anyway so that one and some of his colleagues are below. As I can only upload 5 photos at a time, I'll put the one that happens to be closest to me, Henry Hook, up next time!

Steve

[SteveMc1958]

Next series of photos below.

[SteveMc1958]

Haven't managed to add any more of these in a while, but with thanks to VWF member Tim Needham, who provided all the photos attached to this post, here are another batch. Hopefully I will be able to add a few more from Tim and from my own collection in the next couple of days.

[Nick_Britten]

The grave of Private David Bell VC. He is buried in a cemetery close to where I live...

[Graves1879]

Exwick Cemetery, Exeter, Devon.

[Mark]

Great pics and great thread, guys!

Mark

[wertypop]

This is a topic close to my heart as I've managed to locate a lost VC winner
Wertypop

[Philip Wilson]

A very commendable project with excellent photos.

The late David Harvey wrote Monuments to Courage - Victoria Cross Headstones and Memorials in 1999, which set out to redress errors in earlier publications. Over a period of thirty six years with the help from others David provided accurate locations of all but a dozen of the then 1,322 deceased recipients final resting places, including the then lost 300 who lie in unmarked paupers ' graves. Since 1999 others have ensured that some of those in unmarked graves now have a fitting headstone.

It is worth comparing these colour images with the black and white images in David's two volume book; likewise those of you in this Forum who are members of the VC Society will be aware of their excellent half yearly Journal which includes images of previously unmarked graves.

[Rural53]

John Thornton Down VC
(2 March 1842 – 27 April 1866)





It has a bronze plaque that appears to have been added later that says “New Zealand’s 1st VC”

The grave is located in the Old Otahuhu Cemetery (Old Holy Trinity Cemetery), Auckland, New Zealand.





Note this cemetery is not straight forward to locate. There are several “Old” cemeteries and several “Holy Trinity” sites in Otahuhu. The location is on the corner of Church and Luke Streets, on the east side of Church Street, opposite the modern cemetery. http://goo.gl/maps/lezIo

[colsjt65]

Thanks for the Down photos, J.
Reminded me to add this link to another 'New Zealander' - Edward McKenna VC
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?GRid=7996438&page=gr