Henry James Raby
| Henry James Raby | |
|---|---|
 Depiction of the Siege of Sebastopol |
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| Born | 26 September 1827 Boulogne, France |
| Died | 13 February 1907 (aged 79) Southsea, Portsmouth |
| Buried at | Highland Road Cemetery, Portsmouth |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  Royal Navy |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Battles/wars | Crimean War |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Order of the Bath Légion d'honneur (France) Medal of Military Valour (Sardinia) |
Rear-Admiral Henry James Raby VC, CB (26 September 1827 – 13 February 1907) was a 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.
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[edit] Details
Raby was 27 years old, and a lieutenant in the Royal Navy serving with the Naval Brigade during the Crimean War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 18 June 1855 in the Crimea, immediately after the assault on Sebastopol, a soldier of the 57th Regiment, who had been wounded in both legs, was observed sitting up and calling for help. At once Lieutenant Raby and seamen Henry Curtis and John Taylor left the shelter of their battery works and ran forward a distance of 70 yards, across open ground, through heavy gunfire and succeeded in carrying the wounded man to safety.
[edit] Further information
Raby was the first man to actually receive the VC from The Queen at the first investiture on 26 June 1857. He was later awarded the rank of Rear-Admiral.
[edit] The medal
His medal is on display at the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth.
[edit] References
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
- Scotland's Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995)
- Profile
