William McWheeney

When the 44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot deployed to the Crimean Peninsula in 1854, William McWheeney was a young sergeant whose military service would soon place him repeatedly in exposed and dangerous positions during the Siege of Sevastopol. Born in Bangor, County Down, around 1830, he spent his early years in Newtownards before enlisting in the British Army under a variant spelling of his family name, McWhinney. The regiment arrived in the Crimea as part of the Allied expeditionary force campaigning against Russia, and McWheeney would distinguish himself during the prolonged operations around Sevastopol.

At the commencement of the siege, McWheeney volunteered to serve as a sharpshooter and was placed in charge of the party furnished by the 44th Regiment. The role required vigilance in exposed forward positions, where sharpshooters operated close to the enemy and were frequently subjected to rifle and artillery fire. His Victoria Cross citation later specifically praised him as being “always vigilant and active.”

On October 20, 1854, during fighting near the Woronzoff Road, the sharpshooters were repulsed from the Quarries by overwhelming Russian numbers. Private John Keane of the 44th Regiment was dangerously wounded during the withdrawal. McWheeney returned for the injured soldier, lifted him onto his back, and carried him to safety while under very heavy fire.

Six weeks later, on December 5, 1854, McWheeney again risked himself to save one of his men. Corporal Courtney, another sharpshooter, was severely wounded in the head while under fire. McWheeney brought him away from the immediate danger and used his bayonet to dig a slight cover for them. The two men remained there until darkness, when they were able to retire. This wording follows the surviving Victoria Cross citation and avoids adding details about frozen ground or the precise length of time spent in the shelter that are not established by the cited evidence.

McWheeney continued to distinguish himself during the campaign. On June 18, 1855, he volunteered for the advanced guard of General Eyre's Brigade in the Cemetery at Sevastopol. His citation also recorded that he was never absent from duty during the war, an unusually strong statement regarding his sustained service throughout the Crimean campaign.

His gallantry was formally recognised in The London Gazette of February 24, 1857. His actions formed the basis of the award of the Victoria Cross, and he also received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his Crimean service. The specialist records consulted associate both awards with the Gazette date of February 24, 1857.

On June 26, 1857, McWheeney was invested with the Victoria Cross by Queen Victoria in Hyde Park, London. By this period he had also married Matilda Kelly in Cheriton, Kent. His military career continued beyond the Crimea, and he later served with the 44th Foot during the Second Anglo-Chinese War. In 1860 he took part in the regiment's operations in northern China, including the campaign associated with the capture of the Taku Forts, service for which he received the China Medal 1857–60 with the Taku Forts 1860 clasp.

Promoted to Colour Sergeant, McWheeney eventually returned with his regiment to England and served at Dover. His decorations reflected an unusually distinguished but comparatively short military career: the Victoria Cross, Distinguished Conduct Medal, Crimea Medal with clasps for Alma, Inkermann and Sebastopol, China Medal 1857–60 with the Taku Forts 1860 clasp, and the Turkish Crimea Medal.

William McWheeney died at Dover on May 17, 1866, at only thirty-six years of age. His Victoria Cross medal group survives in the collection of the Essex Regiment Museum in Chelmsford.

The official citation for his Victoria Cross, published in The London Gazette on February 24, 1857, reads:

"Volunteered as sharpshooter at the commencement of the siege, and was in charge of the party of the 44th Regiment; was always vigilant and active, and signalised himself on the 20th October, 1854, when one of his party, Private John Keane, 44th Regiment, was dangerously wounded in the Woronzoff Road, at the time the sharpshooters were repulsed from the Quarries by overwhelming numbers. Serjeant M'Wheeney, on his return, took the wounded man on his back, and brought him to a place of safety. This was under a very heavy fire. He was also the means of saving the life of Corporal Courtney. This man was one of the sharpshooters, and was severely wounded in the head, 5th December, 1854. Serjeant M'Wheeney brought him from under fire, and dug up a slight cover with his bayonet, where the two remained until dark, when they retired. Serjeant M'Wheeney volunteered for the advanced guard of General Eyre's Brigade, in the Cemetery, on the 18th June, 1855, and was never absent from duty during the war."