Daniel Cambridge Daniel Cambridge VC ( 27 March 1820 – 4 June 1882 ) born in Carrickfergus , County Antrim , Ireland , 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 . Cambridge was 35 years old and a Bombardier in the Royal Regiment of Artillery , British Army when he carried out the actions during the Crimean War for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross . On 8 September 1855 at Sebastopol , Crimea , Cambridge volunteered for the spiking party on the assault on the Redan . He remained with the party after being severely wounded twice , but had refused to leave until the general retirement was ordered , and even then he repeatedly went back into the open to carry wounded men to safety . In the latter part of the day , he sprang forward to bring in another wounded man . While carrying the helpless infantryman to the safety of the trench Daniel was seen to stagger . Subsequently Daniel was found to have been shot a third time , in his right jaw , and , incapacitated , he took no further part in the action . Background . Cambridge was born in Carrickfergus , Co . Antrim , Ireland , on 27 June 1820 to Archibald Cambridge and Bridget , formerly Murray . Attesting in Lisburn , Co . Antrim , on 20 June 1839 he gave his occupation as labourer and he is recorded as being 5 feet 8 inches tall with a fresh complexion , dark grey eyes and brown hair . He enlisted four days later as a Driver and Gunner in the 4th Battalion , Royal Regiment of Artillery , on 24 June 1839 . He served with the 2nd Company , 4th Battalion , in Malta ( 1841 – 1847 ) and was then posted to Canada with the 7th Battalion in 1848 . On 28 August 1849 he married Ann Bigham , an Irish lass , whose parents were James Bigham and Ann , formally Young , in Notre - Dame de Québec , Quebec , Canada . On 21 November 1853 Cambridge ' s posting to Canada came to an end and he and Ann , now expecting their first child , found themselves on the way to England and the Royal Arsenal , Woolwich , the home of the Royal Artillery . Crimea . In March 1854 Britain and France declared war on Russia , beginning the Crimean War , and Cambridge briefly reverted to the 4th Battalion in Woolwich , Kent , before transferring to the 8th Company , 11th Battalion the following month . In June he embarked with his regiment for the Crimea , passing through Scutari and Varna and disembarked on the Crimean Peninsula with the siege train on 19 September 1854 . On 8 October 1854 the besiegement of Sebastopol by sea and land began and on 17 October Sebastopol was bombarded by 126 British and French guns . Cambridge took part in the defeat of the Russians at Inkerman on 5 November and then returned to Sebastopol . On 3 April 1855 , Gunner and Driver Daniel Cambridge was promoted to Bombardier , according to his record of service preserved in WO 10 / 2231 at the National Archives , Kew , London . On 9 April Sebastopol was again bombarded with 501 Allied guns , 101 of them British . Sebastopol was bombarded for the third time on 6 June 1855 and Mamelon and the Quarries were captured by the Allies . The 17 and 18 June saw the fourth bombardment of Sebastopol followed by the 1st assaults on the Malakov and Redan . The 17 August saw the fifth bombardment of Sebastopol with 600 Allied guns , which lasted for four days . The sixth and final bombardment , which began on 5 September with 775 Allied guns , lasted for 3 days . On 8 September Cambridge accepted Capt . Davis ' invitation to join the spiking party for the British assault on the Redan . The French assaulted the Malakov , which they took by surprise without loss , the Russians being at dinner . But the British were cut down by the Russian ' s murderous fire from the Redan into the Quarries . As the Artillerymen ' s spiking party were unable to spike the Russian guns the Gunners helped and carried as many of the wounded infantrymen to safety as they could . The despatches relating to the incident record him as being severely wounded . Explosions were heard during the night and a small party advanced to find the Redan deserted . On the following day , 9 September 1855 , the Russian army retired by a bridge of boats to the north to evacuate the south side of Sebastopol and their navy sank all their ships of war in the harbour , which signalled Russia ’ s capitulation . On 29 January 1856 , in a final futile act , Russian guns bombarded Sebastopol and on 1 February Russia accepted preliminary peace terms in Vienna . On 25 February the Congress of Paris convened to begin peace negotiations and the Armistice was signed on 29 February . Cambridge returned with his regiment to Woolwich in March and on 30 March final peace was agreed , the Treaty of Paris was signed and the Congress of Paris was concluded . On 21 April 1856 Cambridge was promoted Serjeant with 7th Company , 11th Battalion . A copy of the original hand - written citation sent to the Adjutant - General of the Forces on 19 December 1856 can be found in a manuscript book ( MS C1 , 171E . ) in the Library of the Royal Artillery and states : Lieutenant Colonel H . F . Strange CB commanded his Company and Captain Gronow Davis commanded the spiking party . Capt . Gronow Davis also received the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Redan on 8 September 1855 . In April 1857 Cambridge was promoted to Quarter Master Serjeant . The " London Gazette " of 23 June 1857 announced the award of the Victoria Cross to Serjeant Daniel Cambridge , and gave the citation as follows : Shortly after Cambridge also received the Al Valore Militare , the Sardinian Military Medal of Valour , for which the citation read : Cambridge was the twenty - second of the original sixty two medal recipients who received the Cross from Queen Victoria at the first VC Investiture in Hyde Park on 26 June 1857 . Later life . Later in 1857 Daniel was promoted to Master Gunner with the 8th Coastal Battery , Athlone , Co . Roscommon , Ireland . On 21 February 1862 Daniel was posted to Fort Tarbert , Co . Kerry , Ireland . In 1861 Cambridge received the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal for 22 years of military service . On 12 July 1865 Daniel wrote to JA Brown , author of " England ' s Artillerymen " , from Fort Tarbert , Co . Kerry : Cambridge was pensioned as a Master Gunner after completing thirty - two years ' service on 27 June 1871 . In that same year Cambridge was appointed to the sovereign ’ s bodyguard the Yeomen of the Guard . The other medals he wore with his Victoria Cross are the British Crimean War medal ( with clasps Inkerman and Sebastopol ) . Long Service and Good Conduct Medal , Sardinian Al Valore Militare and Turkish Crimean War medal ( Sardinian Issue ) . Cambridge died from the wounds received in the Crimean War on 4 June 1882 at 57 Frederick Place , Plumstead , aged 62 years , and was survived by his wife , Ann , formerly Bigham , and their children William ( born in Woolwich in 1854 ) , Mary ( Athlone 1857 ) , Agnes ( Athlone 1859 ) , Daniel ( Athlone 1861 ) , Catherine ( Tarbert 1865 ) and Elizabeth ( Tarbert 1865 ) . Medal . His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Artillery Museum , in Woolwich , London . References . Listed in order of publication year