George Bell Chicken
Encyclopedia
George Bell Chicken VC
(2 March 1833 – May 1860) 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. He was one of only five civilians, and the last, to be awarded the VC.
, Northumberland
, he became a Master Mariner at the early age of 20, and was 25 years old at the time of his action, and a civilian
volunteer in the Indian Naval Brigade during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 27 September 1858 at Suhejnee, near Peroo, Bengal
, Chicken attached himself to a mixed party of troopers of mounted police and cavalry. They routed a force of about 100 mutineers and in the pursuit which followed Chicken forged ahead and charged into the middle of about 20 of the enemy, killing five before he was knocked off his horse and badly wounded. He would have been cut to pieces if four of the troopers had not galloped up and rescued him.
His citation in the London Gazette
reads:
Chicken was lost at sea in May 1860 when his schooner Emily was reportedly lost with all hands in the Bay of Bengal
.
, London.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(2 March 1833 – May 1860) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces. He was one of only five civilians, and the last, to be awarded the VC.
Details
Born on 2 March 1833 at Howden Pans, WallsendWallsend
Wallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, he became a Master Mariner at the early age of 20, and was 25 years old at the time of his action, and a civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
volunteer in the Indian Naval Brigade during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 27 September 1858 at Suhejnee, near Peroo, Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, Chicken attached himself to a mixed party of troopers of mounted police and cavalry. They routed a force of about 100 mutineers and in the pursuit which followed Chicken forged ahead and charged into the middle of about 20 of the enemy, killing five before he was knocked off his horse and badly wounded. He would have been cut to pieces if four of the troopers had not galloped up and rescued him.
His citation in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
reads:
Further information
He was one of only five civilians, and the last, to be awarded the VC. His VC is described as "the only Naval VC to be won on horse-back".Chicken was lost at sea in May 1860 when his schooner Emily was reportedly lost with all hands in the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
.
The medal
The VC was sent to his father, a master mariner of Shadwell, on 4 March 1862. The VC and Mutiny medal came up for sale in Canada in 1997. The auctioneer was Bud Haynes of Alberta and the price was $C95,000. His VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War MuseumImperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
, London.