Daniel Cambridge

A Royal Artillery bombardier who continued fighting after being severely wounded, Daniel Cambridge earned the Victoria Cross for extraordinary courage during the Crimean War.

Born in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, in 1820, Cambridge enlisted in the Royal Artillery on 24 June 1839. After service in Malta and Canada, he deployed to the Crimea in September 1854. He was present at the Battle of Inkerman and served in the trenches during the Siege of Sevastopol.

On 8 September 1855, during the Second Assault on the Redan, Cambridge volunteered for a party tasked with spiking Russian guns. Although severely wounded, he continued with the party. Later that day, he went beyond the advanced trench under heavy fire to retrieve a wounded soldier and was severely wounded again. Both acts were recognised in his Victoria Cross citation, published in the London Gazette on 23 June 1857, where his rank was given as Serjeant. His rank at the action was Bombardier.

Queen Victoria presented Cambridge with his Victoria Cross at the first mass investiture in Hyde Park on 26 June 1857. His honours also included the Crimea Medal with Inkermann and Sebastopol clasps, the Sardinian Medal for Military Valour, the Turkish Crimea Medal and the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, received in 1861.

Cambridge continued his artillery career and retired as a Master Gunner on 27 June 1871 after nearly 32 years of service. He subsequently served in the Yeomen of the Guard and died in Plumstead on 4 June 1882.