John Farrell VC

He stayed under fire to carry a wounded officer back safely.

John Farrell was born in Dublin about 1826 and worked as a varnisher before enlisting in the 18th Foot in June 1844. He transferred to the 17th Lancers the following year and became a sergeant in 1852. With the regiment he went to the Crimea, serving at Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and the siege of Sevastopol.

During the Charge of the Light Brigade on 25 October 1854, Farrell's horse was shot. As the surviving cavalrymen withdrew, he joined John Berryman and Joseph Malone in helping Captain Webb, who had been gravely wounded. They remained with Webb under fire and assisted him away from the exposed ground. Their attempt to save their officer subsequently brought each of them the Victoria Cross.

Farrell continued his cavalry career after the Crimean War. He became troop sergeant major in 1856 and quartermaster sergeant in 1857. The regiment sailed for India later that year. He served in the operations against the remaining rebel forces in central India, including the fighting at Zeerapore in December 1858 and Baroda in January 1859.

His later service included a disciplinary setback in 1860, followed by restoration to sergeant. In August 1863 he married Margaret Fitzgerald at Secunderabad, and a daughter was born the following year. He subsequently held a quartermaster appointment with the 2nd Light Cavalry in the Madras establishment.

Farrell died at Secunderabad in August 1865, still serving in India. His burial was recorded there the following day. His career had carried him from an Irish civilian trade through the Crimean cavalry battles to another decade of service in India.

Official Victoria Cross citation

For having remained, amidst a shower of shot and shell, with Captain Webb, who was severely wounded,and whom he and Serjeant-Major Berryman had carried asfarasthe pain of his wounds would allow, untilastretcher was procured, when he assisted the Serjeant-Majorand a private of the 13th Dragoons(Malone), to carry that officer off the field.Thistook place on the 25th October, 1854, after the charge at the battle of Balaklava, in which Farrell’s horse was killed under him.

The London Gazette of 20 November 1857, Numb. 22065, p. 3920