John McDermond

John McDermond VC (1832 – 22 July 1868) was a Scottish 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.

John McDermond
John McDermond Saving Colonel Haly by Louis William Desanges
Born1832
Glasgow, Scotland
Died22 July 1868 (aged 35-36)
Glasgow
Buried
Woodside Cemetery, Paisley
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
RankCorporal
Unit47th (the Lancashire) Regiment of Foot
Battles/warsCrimean War
AwardsVictoria Cross
Médaille militaire (France)

Details

McDermond was approximately 22 years old, and a private in the 47th (the Lancashire) Regiment of Foot, British Army during the Crimean War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 5 November 1854 at the Battle of Inkerman, Crimea, Private McDermond and Captain Hugh Rowlands saved the life of a Colonel William O'Grady Haly who was lying wounded on the ground surrounded by the enemy. Private McDermond rushed to the rescue and killed the man who had wounded the colonel.[1][2]

There is a painting depicting this event hung in the Queen's Lancashire Regiment Museum at Fulwood Barracks, Preston. According to his service record John McDermod was from Clackmannan and was discharged due to injury. He died 19 July 1866 Glasgow, Scotland of typhus. Although only 38 his profession was marked down as "pensioner".

It is generally believed that he is buried in Paisley but this may be because a person with the same name died at the poor house there in 1868

The medal

Of the 16 V.C.'s awarded for actions during the Battle of Inkerman, two are unaccounted for – those won by John McDermond and John Byrne of the 68th Durham Light Infantry, the other 14 being in private collections or museums.

It is thought a Victoria Cross medal (missing the suspender bar and ribbon) found by Tobias Neto in the mud of the river Thames in December 2015 could be that of John McDermond or John_Byrne_(VC) - the medal having the date of 5 November 1854 engraved on the reverse.

References
  1. "No. 21971". The London Gazette. 24 February 1857. p. 660.
  2. Biography
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