The Crimean War,
(1853–1856) was fought
between the Russian Empire on one side and an alliance of France, the
United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the Ottoman Empire on the
other. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major
European powers for influence over territories of the declining Ottoman
Empire. Most of the conflict took place on the Crimean Peninsula, with
additional actions occurring in western Turkey, and the Baltic Sea
region.
The Crimean War is sometimes considered to be the first
"modern" conflict and "introduced technical changes which affected the
future course of warfare."
Source: From Wikipedia
Private James Brennan - Reg No. 1251, 13th Light
Dragoons
- Born in Carlow, Ireland
- Enlisted at Kilbeggan on the 9th of May 1846.
- Age: 17.
- Height: 5’ 7”.
- Trade: Labourer.
- Died “of disease” in the Crimea on the 20th of October 1854.
- Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for the Alma.
- His name is not to be found on the Sebastopol clasp roll.
Source: LIVES OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
The Battle of the Alma
(September 20, 1854), which is usually
considered the first battle of the Crimean War (1853–1856), took place
in the vicinity of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force
under General St. Arnaud and Lord Raglan defeated General Menshikov's
Russian army, which lost around 6,000 troops.
Source: From Wikipedia
John Lyons VC (1823-1867)
Crimean War Victoria Cross Recipient. Born in Carlow, County Carlow,
Ireland c1823 and died in Naas Co. Kildare in Apr. 20, 1867. He
was a painter in civilian life before enlisting with his brother Edward
on the 18th July 1842 into the 19th Regiment of Foot (later the
Yorkshire Regiment). Between 1842 and 1851 he was posted to Malta and
Corfu in the Mediterranean, Barbados and St Vincent in the West Indies,
and Montreal and Ottawa in Canada before returning to England where he
served on garrison duty at Winchester, Weymouth, and Gosport, and with
the Grenadier Company at the Tower of London.
During the Crimean War he
took part in the Battle of Alma on the 20th September and the Battle of Inkerman on 5th November 1854 before his VC action. From his citation:
"For conspicuous gallantry in the trenches before Sevastopol on 10 June
1855. When a live shell fell in his traverse, he ran forward, picked it
up, and threw it out, thus saving the lives of many of his comrades."
He
was promoted to corporal and posted to India where his unit helped
suppress the Indian Mutiny. He returned to England in 1861 on the sick
list and was discharged on medical grounds in 1862. It is known that he
died at Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, at the age of approximately 44,
but the rest of the last few years of his life are a total mystery,
including the location of his grave.
His medals, including the French
the Légion d'Honneur, were purchased at auction in 1897 by a former
colonel of his regiment and are now on display at the Green Howards
Museum, Richmond, Yorkshire.
(bio by: Paul F. Wilson)
