Talk:Valentine Bambrick/Archives/2013/September

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The Times, London, of 27th August 2002 (obituaries page) carried a lengthy article about the above soldier, headed "Rifleman's tale of valour and remorse". It begins:

'On September 10 a plaque in memory of Rifleman Valentine Bambrick is to be unveiled in St. Pancras and Islington Cemetery. The citation for the award of Bambrick's Victoria Cross must be one of the briefest on record: "For conspicuous bravery at Bareilly, on 6th of May 1858, when in a Serai, he was attacked by three Ghazees, one of whom he cut down. He was wounded twice on this occasion".

Then follows a detailed account of Bambrick's (military) family background, and of the fighting at Bareilly in which he was involved as a member of the 1st/60th Rifles; also details of other troops involved.

The article goes on

---quote----

'After the action at Bareilly, Bambrick continued to serve with the 1st/60th at Seetapore, but when the battalion left for Engand in August 1860 he elected to stay in India and transferred to the 87th Foot, later the Royal Irish Fusiliers. He served with the 87th at the Curragh in Ireland and was discharged at Aldershot on November 16, 1863, when his luck changed.

On the very day of his discharge, he intervened when he saw one Private Russell of the Commissariat Corps beating a woman, and a fight ensued. Bambrick's opponent had removed his own medals before the fight, and afterwards found them to have gone. Bambrick and the woman he had fought to protect, were accused of the theft, and Bambrick was tried at Windsor Assizes on December 3, 1863.

Bambrick was found guilty and sentenced to three years penal servitude in Pentonville Prison.

Both verdict and sentence appear unjust, but the record states that Bambrick verbally abused the judge during the trial, scarcely helping his case. Worse was to follow. As he had been convicted of a felony, he forfeited his Victoria Cross under Royal Warrant on December 3, 1863. The total disgrace into which he had fallen resulted in his hanging himself in Pentonville on April 4, 1864. A letter he left behind made clear that his suicide was in remorse at losing his VC.'

The final paragraph reads:

'The unveiling of the plaque in memory of Rifleman Valentine Bambrick,VC, on September 10 is due to be attended by the Mayor of Islington, Councillor Margot Dunn, members of the Finchley Society and The King's Royal Rifle Corps Old Comrades Association. The plaque will be unveiled by Lieutenant General Sir Christopher Wallace, chairman of the 60th Rifles Officers' Club'.