William Raynor
Encyclopedia
William Raynor VC
(July 1795 – 13 December 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 is the oldest recipient of the Victoria Cross at 61 years old.
in the Bengal Veteran Establishment, Bengal Army
during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 11 May 1857 in the Siege of Delhi
, India
, Lieutenant Raynor 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 Raynor, George Forrest
, and John Buckley survived. His citation in the London Gazette reads:
, Camberley
, Surrey
.
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....
(July 1795 – 13 December 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 is the oldest recipient of the Victoria Cross at 61 years old.
Details
Raynor was about 61 years old, and a lieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Bengal Veteran Establishment, Bengal Army
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...
during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 11 May 1857 in the Siege of Delhi
Siege of Delhi
The Siege of Delhi was one of the decisive conflicts of the Indian rebellion of 1857.The rebellion against the authority of the British East India Company was widespread through much of Northern India, but essentially it was sparked by the mass uprising by the sepoys of the units of the Army which...
, 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...
, Lieutenant Raynor 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 Raynor, 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 John Buckley survived. His citation in the London Gazette reads:
Further information
He is thought to be the oldest winner of the VC at 61 years 10 months. He later achieved the rank of captain and died in India.The medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Logistic Corps MuseumRoyal Logistic Corps Museum
The Royal Logistic Corps Museum or RLC Museum at Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut, Surrey, England is the regimental museum for the Royal Logistic Corps. It is open to the public free of charge....
, Camberley
Camberley
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
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.