John Doogan

Though wounded he gave his horse to a fallen senior officer.

John Doogan came from Aughrim in County Galway, Ireland. He enlisted in the 1st Dragoon Guards in June 1875 and served in the Zulu War, including the operations at Ulundi in 1879. He remained in South Africa during the First Boer War.

At Laing's Nek on 28 January 1881, he was serving as Major Brownlow's orderly during the mounted attack. Brownlow's horse was shot and the officer fell among the enemy. Doogan, already badly wounded, rode to him, dismounted and insisted that Brownlow take his horse. He was wounded again while helping the officer mount. His intervention enabled Brownlow to escape and earned the Victoria Cross.

Doogan's wounds ended his regular military career. He was discharged from Netley Hospital in June 1881 and moved to Liverpool, where he married Mary Evans. They had a large family. His subsequent work included domestic service, coaching, driving and running the Black Lion Inn at Welshpool. Brownlow later remembered him in his will with a private annual pension.

During the First World War Doogan returned to recruiting duties in Shropshire as a sergeant. Two of his sons were killed in the war. After Mary's death he married again and spent his later years in Kent. He died at Folkestone on 24 January 1940 and was buried in Shorncliffe Military Cemetery. His medals were eventually preserved by his regiment in Cardiff.

Official Victoria Cross citation: For gallant conduct during the action of Laing's Nek on the 28th January, 1881. During the charge of the mounted men Private Doogan, servant to Major Brownlow, 1st Dragoon Guards, seeing that officer (whose horse had been shot) dismounted and among the Boers, rode up and (though himself severely wounded) dismounted and pressed Major Brownlow to take his horse, receiving another wound while trying to induce him to accept it.