Pte Patrick McHale VC. 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment of Foot.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

He was approximately 31 years old, and a private in the 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment of Foot (later The Northumberland Fusiliers) British Army during the Indian Mutiny when the following deeds took place for which he was awarded the VC:
1st Battalion, 5th Regiment Private Patrick M'Hale
Date of Acts of Bravery, 2nd October and 22nd December, 1857.
For conspicuous bravery at Lucknow on the 2nd October, 1857, when he was the first man at the capture of one of the guns at the Cawnpore Battery,—and again, on the 22 December 1857, when, by a bold rush, he was the first to take possession of one of the enemy's guns, which had sent several rounds of grape through his company, which was skirmishing up to it.
On every occasion of attack, Private M'Hale has been the first to meet the foe, amongst whom he caused such consternation by the boldness of his rush, as to leave little work for those who followed to his support. By his habitual coolness and daring, and sustained bravery in action, his name has become a household word for gallantry among his comrades.
He died at Shorncliff, Kent on 26 October 1866 and was buried at Shorncliffe Military Cemetery, near Folkestone, Kent, England.

» Was my Greatgrndfather in the Zulu War ?
» M. Fleming, 1st Battalion, 24th (2nd Warwickshire ) Regiment of Foot.
» Pte Henry Wareham. 3rd Battalion, 60th Regiment of foot.
» John Nunn 7th Battalion 60th Regiment Of Foot.
» Private W G Wilson, 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot 2nd Battalion