William Goate

He returned twice under fire to recover his fallen commander

At Lucknow in 1858, Lance Corporal William Goate risked his life twice in an attempt to recover a fallen officer, refusing to abandon the effort even as enemy cavalry closed around him.

William Goate was born at Fritton, Norfolk, in 1836. After his father’s death he worked to help support his family. He enlisted in the 9th Lancers in 1853 and served in India, including the siege of Delhi.

On 6 March 1858 at the Lucknow racecourse, Goate dismounted among the enemy to recover the body of Major Smyth. Forced to abandon it when surrounded by hostile cavalry, he went back a second time under heavy fire. The repeated attempt brought the Victoria Cross, presented at Windsor in January 1860.

Goate returned to Britain with his regiment and was discharged medically unfit in 1864. He married in 1866, worked for many years at Palmer’s shipbuilding works at Jarrow and also served with the volunteers. Moving to Southsea in 1900, he died there on 24 October 1901 and was buried in Portsmouth’s Highland Road Cemetery.

Victoria Cross citation

For conspicuous gallantry at Lucknow, on the 6th of March, 1858, in having dismounted, in the presence of a number of the enemy, and taken up the body of Major Smyth, 2nd Dragoon Guards, which he attempted to bring off the field, and after being obliged to relinquish it, being surrounded by the enemy’s cavalry, he went a second time under a heavy fire to recover the body.