John Buckley (soldier)
Encyclopedia
Major John Buckley VC
(24 May 1813 – 14 July 1876) 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.
of Ordnance in the Commissariat Department (Bengal Establishment
) of the British East India Company
during the Indian Mutiny when the following took place on 11 May 1857 at Delhi
, India
for which he was awarded the VC. Deputy Assistant Commissary Buckley was one of nine men who defended the ammunition storehouse for more than five hours against large numbers of mutineers. When the wall was being scaled hope of outside help was gone, they blew up the ammunition, killing many of the mutineers. Of the defenders, five died in the explosion and one shortly afterwards, while Buckley, George Forrest
, and William Raynor
survived. His citation in the London Gazette reads:
He was captured by the enemy and later found out that his wife and children had been killed by the rebels.
, Surrey, England.
.
Buckley Barracks, home of 9 Supply Regiment Royal Logistic Corps
(formed from the amalgamation of the RAOC/RCT) at Hullavington
, Wiltshire has been named after John Buckley VC, and his VC is part of the badge for the unit. Buckley House, the official residence of the commander of Bicester Garrison is also named after John Buckley VC.
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....
(24 May 1813 – 14 July 1876) 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.
Details
Buckley was 43 years old, and a Deputy Assistant CommissaryCommissary
A commissary is someone delegated by a superior to execute a duty or an office; in a formal, legal context, one who has received power from a legitimate superior authority to pass judgment in a certain cause or to take information concerning it.-Word history:...
of Ordnance in the Commissariat Department (Bengal Establishment
Bengal Army
The Bengal Army was the army of the Presidency of Bengal, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia. Although based in Bengal in eastern India, the presidency stretched across northern India and the Himalayas all the way to the North West Frontier Province...
) of the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
during the Indian Mutiny when the following took place on 11 May 1857 at Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
for which he was awarded the VC. Deputy Assistant Commissary Buckley was one of nine men who defended the ammunition storehouse for more than five hours against large numbers of mutineers. When the wall was being scaled hope of outside help was gone, they blew up the ammunition, killing many of the mutineers. Of the defenders, five died in the explosion and one shortly afterwards, while Buckley, George Forrest
George Forrest (VC)
George Forrest VC was born St Michael's, Dublin and was an Irish 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....
, and William Raynor
William Raynor
William Raynor VC 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...
survived. His citation in the London Gazette reads:
He was captured by the enemy and later found out that his wife and children had been killed by the rebels.
The medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the The Royal Logistic Corps Museum at CamberleyCamberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
, Surrey, England.
Commemorations
A blue plaque to commemorate the life of John Buckley is sited at the Travellers Call Public House, Wakefield Road, StalybridgeStalybridge
Stalybridge is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 22,568. Historically a part of Cheshire, it is east of Manchester city centre and northwest of Glossop. With the construction of a cotton mill in 1776, Stalybridge became one of...
.
Buckley Barracks, home of 9 Supply Regiment Royal Logistic Corps
Royal Logistic Corps
The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army, comprising around 17% of its strength...
(formed from the amalgamation of the RAOC/RCT) at Hullavington
Hullavington
Hullavington is an English village in Wiltshire, just to the north of the M4 motorway, 5 miles south-south-west of Malmesbury and 7 miles north of Chippenham.-History:Hullavington is first attested as Hunlavintone in the Domesday Book of 1086...
, Wiltshire has been named after John Buckley VC, and his VC is part of the badge for the unit. Buckley House, the official residence of the commander of Bicester Garrison is also named after John Buckley VC.
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (E. London)
- Article