HERO OF THE MONTH | BY LORD ASHCROFT BY LORD ASHCROFT | HERO OF THE MONTH

Another disaster occurred while Henry, LEFT A depiction of Raby's VC act. (AUTHOR'S COLLECTION) his father Arthur and mother Henrietta (née Smith) were travelling around Europe in BELOW Attaque de mamelon vert, by Paul Alexandre 1824 – their much-loved home in Llanelli, Protais, depicting the French attack on two forts during Cae Mawr Cottage, was destroyed in a fire. the Battle of Malakoff, part of the Siege of Sebastopol. Raby Jnr was educated at Sherborne School in Dorset before he joined the on would endure the full might of the defensive Rear Admiral March 8, 1842, aged 14. A Volunteer First fire. Indeed, ladder parties from years earlier Class, he was assigned to HMS Monarch. had been known as the ‘Forlorn Hope’ For the next 12 years he served on various because, for many, inclusion meant almost Henry James Raby VC, CB ships and enjoyed several promotions. certain death in battle. On October 23, 1854, with the Crimean In the event, Raby was assigned to duties War raging, Lord Raglan called for naval in the trenches besieging Sebastopol. On June assistance to reinforce land troops whose 17, 1855, some 800 Allied guns began firing numbers had been ravaged by disease. in a massive bombardment of the Russian A Naval Brigade was formed with sailors forces. Although the latter’s resistance was from four ships, including HMS Wasp, on formidable, its soldiers soon started to run which Raby served. short of ammunition and the Allies began Raby, by then 27 and a lieutenant, arrived to get the upper hand. The next day, the with the Naval Brigade in the Crimea in Anglo-French force started a major offensive October 1854 and served on land, rather targeting both the Malakoff and the Redan. than at sea, for the remainder of the war. Both attacks went badly for the allies, with enry Raby was a remarkable man On November 5 that year he fought in the the men of the Naval and Rifle Brigades, in many ways. Not only was he the decisive Battle of Inkerman, which broke the along with the 57th Regiment, taking H very first recipient will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies heavy casualties. ever to be presented with his award by in the field. It was on June 18 that Raby took part in an Queen Victoria, but he was also the only action for which he would be awarded the one to be ‘wounded’ during an investiture. HARD FIGHTING VC. During the attack on the Redan, a soldier While he was from a traditional British In June 1855, the Naval Brigade was serving with the 57th Regiment became family, Henry James Raby was born in instructed to provide manpower to form stranded in no-man’s land having been Boulogne, France, on September 26, some of the ladder parties for the assault on seriously wounded. He had been shot through 1827. He came from a line of influential Sebastopol. This involved a two-pronged both legs but, despite clearly being in great industrialists: his grandfather, Alexander, Anglo-French attack on the Malakoff, a pain, was sitting up and calling for assistance. had built a fortune around the iron industry two-storey stone tower and the Redan, a Raby, along with another officer who had in south Wales. However, after the triangular, purpose-built fort. The ladder seen what had happened, seized the initiative depression that followed the Napoleonic parties faced a daunting challenge because and decided to rescue the wounded man, Wars, the Raby family had hit hard times. they were at the front of the assault and accompanied by two other seamen. B “Indeed, ladder parties from years earlier had been known as the ‘Forlorn Hope’ because, for many, inclusion meant almost certain death in battle” HERO of the MONTH By Lord Ashcroft

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which are already known to you [and] will Having returned home after the war, be pleased to use your influence to procure Victoria Cross Heroes Volume II Raby wrote directly to Lushington telling the Honour of ‘The Victoria Cross’ for him him: “I have only on my return to England and those others concerned. I feel that by Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC is a become aware of your having already the family of my friend the late Lt D’Eath businessman, philanthropist, author forwarded to Admiral Sir Edward Lyons, nothing would be more highly prized than and pollster. His sixth book on Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean such a testimony to his bravery.” gallantry Victoria Cross Heroes Fleet, the names of such officers and men Volume II was published in hardback amongst those who had the honour of A NEW AWARD in 2016 and is now available in serving under your command in the Royal At the actual time of Raby’s heroism, the paperback. For more information, Navy Brigade who you consider to have Victoria Cross did not exist, although, in visit www.victoriacrossheroes2.com deserved the distinction of the ‘Victoria fact, a new decoration, for everyone from Lord Ashcroft’s VC and GC collection is on public display at the Imperial War Cross’ by any special act of ‘valour or the lowest ranks to the most senior officers, Museum . For more information, visit www.iwm.org.uk/heroes and devotion to their country’ in the presence was under active consideration. The VC details of his VC collection may be found at www.lordashcroftmedals.com of the enemy during the late war. was eventually founded by a Royal Warrant For more information on Lord Ashcroft’s work, visit www.lordashcroft.com “Under these circumstances, I have the of January 29, 1856 which, with 15 ‘rules Follow him on Twitter: @LordAshcroft honour to request that you will allow me, and ordinances’, created a new decoration in justice to the memory of my lamented to reward “individual instances of merit comrade and brother officer the late and valour”. medal recipients in a ceremony attended was being rewarded, as the Queen pinned Lieutenant Edward Hughes D’Eath, RN It is likely that Lushington knew when he by an estimated 4,000 troops and 12,000 the medal straight into his chest.” of Her Majesty’s ship Sidon, to bring the drew up his report that the VC was not able spectators – just one of the recipients would Raby is said not to have flinched as the following action to your notice. to be bestowed posthumously at that point, go in the history books as the first ever pin went deep into his skin but, in his “On the 18 June 1855, Lt D’Eath and so had not mentioned D’Eath in it. man to receive the VC. latter years, joked that he had survived the commanded the 4th party of seamen The lieutenant had died on August 7, 1855, That honour was given to Henry Raby, VC action unscathed only to be wounded detailed to carry the scaling ladders to thereby making him ineligible for the medal. then just three months short of his 30th by the Queen. Raby received several which party I had also the honour of being In the event Raby, Taylor and Curtis were birthday. By virtue of being the most senior other decorations from foreign countries, attached. In the morning soon after the all honoured with the VC. officer in the most senior service (the Royal including the Légion d’honneur (3rd Class) repulse of the troops from the Redan, I Eventually, the first awards of the Victoria Navy), he was chosen as the first person to from France for his valour during the war. was standing in the advanced sap [trench] Cross, including Raby’s, were announced whom the Queen bent down towards from Raby went on to enjoy a distinguished in front of the Quarries when Lt D’Eath in the London Gazette on February 24, 1857. her horse in order to pin the VC firmly on career in the Royal Navy. While serving came to me and said that there was a Four months later, on June 26, there was a his chest. on the West Africa Station, he carried soldier laying out in front of the sap badly wonderful gathering in Hyde Park for the In fact, she was a little too firm as out work against the slave trade. In April wounded who he thought we might get first giving of the medals. Queen Victoria she thrust the medal forward and the 1861, he commanded the gunboats that in, and asked me if I would assist him to herself was on horseback and dressed investiture pin of Raby’s medal shot seized and destroyed Porto Novo, the do so, to which I agreed readily. Lt D’Eath in scarlet jacket, black skirt and plumed through the thick jacket of his uniform and large slaving fort. During this fighting, he on again looking at the man considered hat as she prepared for one of the most pierced his skin. As J D Davies notes in his was involved in spiking one of the guns that from his being wounded in the legs it remarkable investitures in the history of book Britannia’s Dragon: A Naval History of when it exploded, leaving him with facial would require more than ourselves to bring the Royal Family. Her Majesty was about Wales: “The investiture proved to be rather injuries. him in, he therefore asked John Taylor and to bestow the award on 62 of the initial 111 more painful than the action for which he He was promoted to captain in Henry Curtis if they would volunteer to go November 1862, the year before he Climbing out of the forward trench, aware of Lushington’s report and tried to with us, they immediately assented. “Raby is said not to have flinched as the pin went married Judith Foster in Holt Parish Raby and the other men faced a daunting correct what he felt had been an injustice in “As Lt D’Eath unfortunately fell victim Church, Wiltshire. The couple went on to challenge: the injured soldier was fully 70 the nomination because Lt Edward D’Eath, to cholera soon after this event, I as the deep into his skin but, in his latter years, joked have three sons, including two who served yards (64m) away and the enemy had opened the first man to see that a soldier needed survivor take the liberty of laying this in the armed forces. In October 1875, after up a heavy fire from a position looking rescuing, had not been given sufficient simple statement of the facts before you that he had survived the VC action unscathed more than 33 years’ military service, Raby down on where he lay. Somehow the rescue credit for his bravery and nor had the two trusting that you consider it worthy of only to be wounded by the Queen” was appointed a Companion of the Order party succeeded in reaching the trooper, other sailors. being classed with those ‘deeds of valour’ of the Bath (CB). He was placed on the lifting him up and, after supporting his retired list in 1877 but early the following injured legs, started scurrying back to their year he was promoted to rear admiral. own lines. The enemy fire continued but Raby never forgot his Llanelli links: at they eventually managed to get their casualty the time of his investiture, he is believed back to a place of safety. to have owned 36 cottages in the town. In 1878, a year after retiring, he returned MODEST HERO to Llanelli and was welcomed by an Sir Stephen Lushington (Raby’s affectionate crowd. commanding officer) later prepared a report In retirement, he spent most of his of the incident that noted the bravery of remaining years living in Southsea, Raby and others. However, Raby became Hampshire, where he was involved in several charities. He died on February 13, ABOVE British troops assault the Redan. (TOPFOTO) 1907, aged 79, and was buried in Highland Road Cemetery, Portsmouth, with full RIGHT Raby's medal group – note the blue VC ribbon, military honours. awarded to naval recipients until 1918. (AUTHOR) I purchased Raby’s medal group privately in 2011 and I feel privileged to own the OPPOSITE French troops clamber to storm one gallantry and service medals of a man who of Sebastopol's towers. (TOPFOTO) will always have such a prominent place in any history of the VC.

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