branch death_place death_date birth_place unit awards battles birth_date placeofburial rank image article_title name
united kingdom weston-super-mare , somerset 18 december 1876 -lrb- aged 56 -rrb- southampton , hampshire hms '' recruit '' victoria order of the medjidieh -lrb- ottoman empire -rrb- cross companion of the order of the bath syrian war war crimean war second anglo-chinese war second anglo-burmese 20 june 1820 weston-super-mare cemetery captain vcgeorgefiottday.jpg george fiott day
 george fiott day
george fiott day

captain george fiott day vc cb -lrb- 20 june 1820 -- 18 december 1876 -rrb- was one of the earliest english recipients 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 was also a chevalier of the legion of honour .
george fiott day was born in southampton .
he joined the royal navy as a first class volunteer in 1833 .
his first vessel sailed to the pacific ocean and was wrecked off the coast of patagonia in 1835 .
after serving off the west coast of africa , in 1838 he departed for six and a half years service in the mediterranean sea , taking part in the bombardment of st. john d'acre on the syrian coast in 1840 .
from 1845 to 1848 , he served in africa , before departing for the cape of good hope and the coast of brazil .
during the hostilities between the argentine confederation and buenos aires , he patrolled the rivers of paraguay and the río de la plata .
in 1854 , he was sent to the baltic sea , and then back to the mediterranean fleet , and eventually to the black sea in 1855 , where he won his victoria cross .
he was 35 years old , and a lieutenant in the royal navy during the crimean war : in 1857 , he was again off the west coast of africa , and in late 1858 he sailed for the china station .
he was placed on the captain 's retired list in february , 1867 , owing to ill health .
he retired with the rank of captain .
in 1858 , he married mary ruddell-todd , the daughter of james ruddell-todd -lrb- 1788 -- 1852 -rrb- m.p. , and his wife eliza henrietta campbell , daughter of daughter of duncan campbell -lrb- 1771 -- 1840 -rrb- , 5th of inverneill house .
his wife 's maternal grandfather was a brother of sir james campbell of inverneill and a nephew of general sir archibald campbell .
mrs day was a first cousin of emily georgina carter-campbell of possil and willoughby harcourt carter .
the days were the parents of three daughters .
captain day died at weston-super-mare , where he is buried .
