John Freeman (VC)
John Freeman | |
|---|---|
| File:Victoria Cross Medal without Bar.png | |
| Born | 1833 |
| Died | 1 July 1913 (aged 79–80) Hackney, London |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom |
| Branch | File:Flag of the British Army.svg British Army |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit | 9th Lancers |
| Conflicts | Indian Mutiny |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
John Freeman VC (1833 – 1 July 1913) was an English 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.
Background
[edit | edit source]John Freeman was born in Sittingbourne, Kent in 1833.[1] He died in Hackney, east London on 1 July 1913 and was buried in Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington.[1]
Military career
[edit | edit source]Freeman was approximately 25 years old, and a private in the 9th Lancers (The Queen's Royal) Regiment, British Army during the Indian Mutiny when he was awarded the VC for an act of conspicuous bravery at Agra.
The despatch from Major-General Sir James Hope Grant, KCB, dated 8 April 1858 reads:
"For conspicuous gallantry on the 10th of October, 1857, at Agra, in having gone to the assistance of Lieutenant Jones, who had been shot, killing the leader of the enemy's cavalry, and defending Lieutenant Jones against several of the enemy."
In The London Gazette dated 3 August 1858, the Nominal Return of Casualties, in action, in Her Majesty's Troops at Bareilly, on 5, 6 and 7 May 1858 indicates that Freeman was "dangerously wounded".[3]
His VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum, London.
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b Grave location for holders of the Victoria Cross in North London Archived 2004-10-27 at the Wayback Machine.
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- 1833 births
- 1913 deaths
- 9th Queen's Royal Lancers soldiers
- British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross
- British recipients of the Victoria Cross
- Indian Rebellion of 1857 recipients of the Victoria Cross
- People from Sittingbourne
- Military personnel from Kent
- Burials at Abney Park Cemetery
- 19th-century British Army personnel