John Ross

Working under fire, he pushed siege trenches towards the foe

John Ross was born near Stranraer, Scotland, in 1822. He worked as a mason before joining the Royal Sappers and Miners at Glasgow in January 1844. He married Lydia Fidler at Woolwich in 1852; they had two sons and two daughters.

His military engineering duties took him to the Baltic campaign and then the Crimea. At Sevastopol his work placed him in the trenches advancing towards the Russian positions, where construction had to continue within range of enemy fire.

On the night of 21 July 1855, Ross directed a large working party that connected the British fourth parallel to a former Russian rifle pit. On 23 August he helped extend the fifth parallel towards the Redan, placing and filling gabions under heavy fire. These practical tasks strengthened the approaches from which the assault could be carried forward.

On 8 September he reconnoitred the Redan after the fighting, returned with information that it had been evacuated and brought back a wounded man found on the exposed ground. All three dates appeared in the recommendation for his Victoria Cross.

Queen Victoria presented his decoration at the first investiture in Hyde Park on 26 June 1857. Ross also received France's Medaille Militaire. Promoted to sergeant, he continued serving, including several years at Gibraltar, before his discharge in April 1867.

In civilian life he became foreman of works at Pentonville Prison, applying skills developed during his engineering service. He died in London on 23 October 1879 and was buried in the family grave at Islington Cemetery. His medals were preserved by the Royal Engineers Museum.

Official Victoria Cross citation

Distinguished conduct on the 21st July, 1855, in connecting the 4th Parallel Right Attack with an old Russian Rifle Pit in front. Extremely creditable conduct on the 23rd August, 1855, in charge of the advance from the 5th Parallel Right Attack on the Redan, in placing and filling 25 gabions under a very heavy fire, whilst annoyed by the presence of light balls. Intrepid and devoted conduct in creeping to the Redan in the night of the 8th September, 1855, and reporting its evacuation, on which its occupation by the English took place.

Supplement to The London Gazette of 24 February 1857. 24 February 1857, Numb. 21971, p. 656.