John Farrell was an 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.

Details

He was approx. 28 years old, and 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 Balaclava, Crimea (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 a troop sergeant major (John Berryman) and another sergeant (Joseph Malone) to move a severely wounded officer (who subsequently died) out of range of the guns.

He was killed in action, Secunderabad, India, on 31 August 1865.

Further information

He later achieved the rank of Quartermaster-Sergeant.

The medal

please update if you know where his medal is publicly displayed

Reference

• Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)
• Monuments To Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)

See also

External links

This page has been migrated from the Victoria Cross Reference (http://www.victoriacross.net) with permission.