William James Lendrim

Three acts under fire made one sapper a Victoria Cross hero.

Born on 1 January 1830 at Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim, Ireland, William James Lendrim entered the Royal Sappers and Miners as a young bugler in 1845. His engineering skills became especially valuable during the Crimean War, when he served with the 7th Company at the Siege of Sevastopol.

On 14 February 1855, Corporal Lendrim supervised 150 French Chasseurs constructing No. 9 Battery, replacing damaged gabions while exposed to heavy Russian fire. On 11 April, he climbed onto a magazine, extinguished burning sandbags and repaired a breach despite continued enemy fire. Nine days later, on 20 April, he was one of four volunteers who undertook the destruction of an advanced Russian rifle pit.

These three actions formed the basis of his Victoria Cross, announced in the London Gazette of 24 February 1857. He received the decoration from Queen Victoria at the first Victoria Cross investiture in Hyde Park on 26 June 1857. His gallantry also received recognition from France, including the Médaille militaire.

Lendrim subsequently served in India during the Indian Rebellion after his company's intended deployment to China was diverted. He participated in operations associated with Lucknow and was wounded in March 1858. Continuing his career in the Royal Engineers, he rose to Sergeant-Major and later performed instructional duties associated with the military colleges at Sandhurst.

William James Lendrim died on 28 November 1891 at Camberley, Surrey. He was buried in the Royal Military Academy Cemetery, where his grave commemorates a soldier whose courage and engineering skill helped shape the early history of the Victoria Cross.