Alfred Kirke Ffrench

He led the first men through the defended Secundra Bagh gate

Alfred Kirke Ffrench earned the Victoria Cross as a lieutenant in the British Army's 53rd Regiment of Foot during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Born at Meerut on 25 February 1835, he followed his father into the regiment after studying at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He entered as an ensign in 1854 and became a lieutenant in 1855.

On 16 November 1857, during the relief of Lucknow, Ffrench commanded the Grenadier Company in the assault on the Secundra Bagh. He was among the first men through the entrance. His company praised his conduct, and the regiment's officers elected him for the Victoria Cross. The award appeared in the London Gazette on 24 December 1858.

Official Victoria Cross citation:

“For conspicuous bravery on the 16th of November, 1857, at the taking of the Secundra Bagh, Lucknow, when in command of the Grenadier Company, being one of the first to enter the building. His conduct was highly praised by the whole Company.

Elected by the Officers of the Regiment.”

Ffrench continued with the 53rd Regiment and became a captain in 1863. Illness during a later posting to Bermuda brought him back to England. He died in London in December 1872, aged 37, and was buried in Brompton Cemetery. His Victoria Cross entered the Shropshire regimental collection at Shrewsbury Castle.