caption serviceyears laterwork branch death_place death_date birth_place allegiance image_size battles birth_date placeofburial rank image article_title name
depiction of the siege of sebastopol 1849 - 1857 consul general united kingdom eastbourne , sussex , england 18 december 1916 crumlin , dublin , ireland united kingdom 275 crimean war 11 february 1831 ocklynge old cemetery , eastbourne captain the battle of sebastopol.png henry mitchell jones
 henry mitchell jones
henry mitchell jones

henry mitchell jones vc , also known as henry michael jones -lrb- 11 february 1831 -- 18 december 1916 -rrb- 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 .
in later life he was a british diplomat .
jones was born in dublin .
he entered the army as an ensign in 1849 and exchanged to the 7th regiment of foot -lrb- later the royal fusiliers -rrb- in 1854 during the crimean war .
as a lieutenant at the battle of the alma on 20 september 1854 , whilst carrying the queen 's colour he was severely wounded by gunshot through the lower jaw .
he carried the bullet in his jaw for thirty years until he complained of a toothache .
he saw a doctor who removed the bullet which had been lodged in his jawbone .
jones was promoted to captain in 1855 and was awarded the vc `` for having distinguished himself , while serving with the party which stormed and took the quarries , before sebastopol , by repeatedly leading on his men to repel the continual assaults of the enemy during the night .
although wounded early in the evening , captain jones remained unflinchingly at his post until after daylight the following morning . ''
this took place on 7 june 1855 , during the siege of sebastopol , but jones ' victoria cross was not gazetted -lrb- formally announced -rrb- until september 1857 .
jones resigned his commission three months prior to the notification of the award of his victoria cross , and entered the diplomatic service .
he was appointed consul in the fiji and tonga islands 1863 , consul-general at tabreez 1868 , at christiania 1875 , and at philippopolis -lrb- now plovdiv -rrb- 1880 .
in 1889 he was appointed minister resident at bangkok and in 1895 he was transferred to be minister resident and consul-general at lima and at quito .
he retired from the diplomatic service in 1898 and died in eastbourne , sussex , on 18 december 1916 .
