Captain Sir William Peel V.C. K.C.B. actually won his Victoria Cross three times over in three separate acts of gallantry during the Crimea War.
He was born on November 2 1824 at Great Stanhope Street, Mayfair. The Fourth child of Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel and Julia Peel. He went to the Reverend Mr Faithful’s School at Hatfield and then to Harrow 1837 to 1838 before joining the Navy as a Volunteer First Class on April 7 1838.
The V.C. is the foremost British and Commonwealth gallantry decoration, it is awarded for exceptional bravery and as such it is the most prized award that any subject can earn. William Peel’s V.C. had three dates engraved on the back.
Soon after the allied landing in the Crimea and the battle for Alma started in September 1854, the British asked for the assistance of the Navy. On October 1st , over 1000 bluejackets and officers, with over a thousand marines from the fleet, began to disembark with their guns and equipment at Balaclava. Amongst them were sailors and heavy guns from the 28 gun frigate, Diamond under Peel, their Captain. By the 7th the Naval Brigade had constructed and manned two gun batteries facing Sebastopol, mounting 32 pounder, 68 pounder and Lancaster guns from the ships, dragging them by hand up the hillsides from the harbour. The naval guns took part in the great bombardment of Sebastopol that began on 17th October.
The next day , the horses drawing the ammunition wagon for the Diamond’s battery refused to face the heavy Russian fire. Volunteers went to clear the wagon and bring up the ammunition. Before the powder could be stowed in the magazine a 42 pounder Russian shell with its fuse burning fell in the middle of the powder-cases and the volunteers unloading them. Hearing the shouts of alarm, Peel sprang to the shell, clasped it against his chest and carried it thus until he could throw it over the parapet.
The shell burst almost as soon as it left Peel’s hands but fortunately no one was injured. The 18th October 1854 then is the first date on his V.C.
On 5th November, during the battle of Inkerman, the Duke of Cambridge with some of his staff and about a hundred men were grouped around the colours of the Grenadier Guards in a place called Sandbag Battery, which was then an emplacement some 30 feet wide with embrasures for two guns. Unknown to them their retreat had been cut off by the enemy, and two more Russian battalions were advancing, was from their left.
Peel saw what was happening through his field glasses and made his way through the smoke and mist to warn the Duke’s party. One of the officers later recounted that he noticed that Peel was wearing “a tall glazed hat” and was accompanied by his ADC, midshipman Daniel , riding a pony!
Thanks to Peel’s warning the Guardsmen made a strategic withdrawal. The 5th November then is the second date on his V.C.
On the 18th June 1855, the final date on his V.C. and the fortieth anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, the British and French , this time fighting side by side, attempted to take by storm the massive fortress of the Redan at Sebastopol.
The attacks were not properly co-ordinated and the Redan was very strongly defended. The attackers, amongst whom were many from the Naval Brigade with scaling ladders, had to run some way across open ground under heavy fire
There were many casualties among the bluejackets and Peel, who had led the first scaling party to the very foot of the Redan Wall was himself hit and severely wounded in the arm. He was led back, half fainting with loss of blood, by Daniel, who , according to midshipman Evelyn Wood of Queen, also Peel’s ADC, was the only one of several naval officers in the assault unwounded.
Peel won his Victoria Cross and also recommended both his young midshipmen for the award but only Daniel was awarded it.
This account is with thanks to Roger Bragger who gave this lecture to The Peel society in 2002
