Thomas Esmonde (VC)
Thomas Esmonde | |
|---|---|
 Depiction of the Siege of Sebastopol | |
| Born | 25 May 1829 Pembrokestown, County Waterford |
| Died | 14 January 1873 (aged 43) Bruges, Belgium |
| Buried | Bruges Cemetery |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |  British Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | 18th Regiment of Foot |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
Thomas Esmonde VC (25 May 1829 – 14 January 1873) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
He was born in Pembrokestown, County Waterford, the son of Sir Thomas Esmonde, 9th Baronet of the Esmonde baronets.[citation needed] He was a brother[citation needed] of the 10th Baronet.
Details
Esmonde was 26 years old, and a captain in the 18th Regiment of Foot (later The Royal Irish Regiment), British Army during the Crimean War when the following deed took place and for which he was awarded the VC.
On 18 June 1855 at Sebastopol, Crimean Peninsula, after being engaged in the attack on the Redan, Captain Esmonde repeatedly assisted, at great personal risk, in rescuing wounded men from exposed situations. Also, on 20 June while in command of a covering party he rushed to a spot where a fireball from the enemy had just lodged, and extinguished it before it could betray the position of his men, thus saving the party from a murderous fire of shell and grape which was immediately opened where the fireball had fallen.[1]
He later achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel. He died at Bruges, Belgium, on 14 January 1873 after his eye was infected by a branch.
See also
Thomas Esmonde was the great-uncle of Eugene Esmonde.
References
- ^ "No. 22043". The London Gazette. 25 September 1857.
- 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)
External links
- Use dmy dates from April 2012
- Crimean War recipients of the Victoria Cross
- British Army personnel of the Crimean War
- British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Burmese War
- Royal Irish Regiment (1684-1922) officers
- People from County Waterford
- 1829 births
- 1873 deaths
- Irish soldiers in the British Army
- Irish recipients of the Victoria Cross
- Esmonde family
- Younger sons of baronets
- British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross