Charles McCorrie

He hurled a live shell from the trench to save his comrades.

Charles McCorrie, also recorded as McCurry, was an Irish infantryman of the 57th Regiment of Foot who served in the Crimean War. He earned the Victoria Cross during the siege of Sevastopol, where a live Russian shell landed among soldiers in the British trenches. McCorrie acted before it could explode among his comrades.

### Throwing a live shell clear

On the night of 23 June 1855, a live shell thrown from the Russian battery came over the parapet into the trench. McCorrie picked it up and hurled it back over the wall. It exploded outside the trench; no one was injured. The brief official account records the essential facts plainly: he threw the shell over the parapet after it had been fired from the enemy battery.

Born at Killead in County Antrim around 1830, McCorrie enlisted in the 57th Regiment, later known as the Middlesex Regiment, and served in the Crimea. His Victoria Cross was gazetted in February 1857, among the earliest announcements for the newly created decoration. He was serving in Malta when the award was announced, but died there on 8 April 1857, aged 27, before the medal could be presented. He was buried at Msida Bastion Cemetery in Valletta; a memorial stone was unveiled there in 2012.

### Victoria Cross citation

“On the night of the 23rd June, 1855, he threw over the parapet a live shell, which had been thrown from the enemy’s battery.”

Published in the Supplement to the London Gazette, 24 February 1857.