Denis Dynon

He captured enemy guns under heavy grapeshot at Chota Behar.

Denis Dynon was born in Queen's County, now County Laois, Ireland, in September 1822. A labourer at Tullamore, he enlisted in the 44th Regiment in September 1841 and transferred to the 53rd Regiment in 1844. He served in the Sutlej campaign at Aliwal and Sobraon, and in the Punjab campaign at Goojerat.

During the Indian Rebellion he became a corporal in July 1857. On 2 October, at Chota Behar, now Chatra, mutineers of the Ramgurh Battalion were using two captured guns against the British detachment. Their grapeshot had caused severe casualties.

Dynon and Lieutenant John Charles Campbell Daunt rushed the guns. They captured them by firing their pistols at the gunners at close quarters. Their action stopped the fire that was cutting down the detachment. Both received the Victoria Cross. The official citation identifies Dynon by his later rank of sergeant.

He was promoted sergeant in July 1858 and discharged on health grounds in August 1861. In 1862 he entered the Royal Military Hospital at Kilmainham as an in-pensioner and later became an out-pensioner. The hospital's master presented his Victoria Cross in May 1862.

Dynon died in Dublin in February 1863. His campaign awards were the Sutlej Medal, with the Aliwal reverse and Sobraon clasp, Punjab Medal with Goojerat clasp, and Indian Mutiny Medal with Relief of Lucknow and Lucknow clasps.

Official Victoria Cross citation

Lieutenant Daunt and Sergeant Dynon are recommended for conspicuous gallantry in action, on the 2nd of October, 1857, with the Mutineers of the Ramgurh Battalion at Chota Behar, in capturing two guns, particularly the last, when they rushed at and captured it by pistoling the gunners, who were mowing the detachment down with grape, one-third of which was hors-de- combat at the time. Lieutenant Daunt is also recommended for chasing, on the 2nd of November following, the Mutineers of the 32nd Bengal Native Infantry across a plain into a rich cultivation, into which he followed them with a few of Rattray’s Sikhs. He was dangerously wounded in the attempt to drive out a large body of these Mutineers from an enclosure, the preservation of many of his party, on this occasion, being attributed to his gallantry.

The London Gazette of 25 February 1862, Numb. 22601, p. 957