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Captain Cecil William Buckley
VC (7 October 1828 – 7 December 1872) was an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
recipient of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
and
Commonwealth forces.
Life
Buckley was born at
Patricroft
Patricroft is a suburb near Eccles, Greater Manchester, England.
History
Patricroft may derive its name from 'Pear-tree croft', or more likely, 'Patrick's Croft'. In 1836, Scottish engineer James Nasmyth, in partnership with Holbrook Gaskell, bu ...
, near Eccles in Lancashire, and entered the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
in 1845. On the outbreak of the
war with Russia in 1854, he was serving as a
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...
on the frigate HMS , sent first to the
White Sea
The White Sea (russian: Белое море, ''Béloye móre''; Karelian and fi, Vienanmeri, lit. Dvina Sea; yrk, Сэрако ямʼ, ''Serako yam'') is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is s ...
then, in early 1855, to the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...
, and the
Sea of Azov.
VC action
He was a 26 year old lieutenant when the following deeds took place during the
Sea of Azov naval campaign of 1855, for which he was awarded the VC, as cited in the ''
London Gazette'':
"Whilst serving as junior Lieutenant of the Miranda, ecil William Buckleylanded in presence of a superior force, and set fire to the Russian stores n two occasions"
The first service ... occurred after the shelling of the town of Genitchi, on the 29th May, 1855. After mentioning that the stores were in a very favourable position for supplying the Russian Army, and that, therefore, their destruction was of the utmost importance, "Lieutenant Cecil W. Buckley, Lieutenant Hugh T. Burgoyne, and Mr John Robarts
John Parmenter Robarts (January 11, 1917 – October 18, 1982) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 17th premier of Ontario from 1961 to 1971. He was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.
Early life
Robar ...
, gunner, volunteered to land alone, and fire the stores, which offer I accepted, knowing the imminent risk there would be in landing a party in presence of such a superior force, and out of gun-shot of the ships. This very dangerous service they most gallantly performed, narrowly escaping the Cossacks, who all but cut them off from their boat." ''Despatch from Admiral Lord Lyons, 2nd June 1855, No. 419.''
The second volunteer service was performed while the town of Taganrog
Taganrog ( rus, Таганрог, p=təɡɐnˈrok) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of the Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population:
History of Taganrog
Th ...
was being bombarded by the boats of the Fleet: "Lieutenant Cecil Buckley, in a four-oared gig
Gig or GIG may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Gig'' (Circle Jerks album) (1992)
* ''Gig'' (Northern Pikes album) (1993)
* ''The Gig'', a 1985 film written and directed by Frank D. Gilroy
* GIG, a character in ''Hot Wheels AcceleRacers'' ...
, accompanied by Mr Henry Cooper, Boatswain, and manned by volunteers, repeatedly landed and fired the different stores and Government buildings. This dangerous, not to say desperate service (carried out in a town containing upwards of 3,000 troops, constantly endeavouring to prevent it, and only checked by the fire of the boats' guns), was most effectually performed." ''Despatch from Admiral Lord Lyons, 6th June 1855, No, 429.''
He was among the first winners of the VC to be
gazetted
A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.
In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...
on 24 February 1857, together with Burgoyne, Robarts and Cooper.
[
]
Later career
In February 1856, in acknowledgement of his services, Buckley was promoted to Commander. After serving on the Cape station, he was promoted to Captain in April 1862. From 1868 to 1870 he commanded the , a wooden screw corvette, on the Pacific station
The Pacific Station was created in 1837 as one of the geographical military formations into which the Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities. The South America Station was split into the Pacific Station and the South East Coast of ...
and from December 1871 the , a guard ship
A guard ship is a warship assigned as a stationary guard in a port or harbour, as opposed to a coastal patrol boat, which serves its protective role at sea.
Royal Navy
In the Royal Navy of the eighteenth century, peacetime guard ships were usual ...
in the Shannon Estuary. Buckley retired from the Navy in October 1872 due to poor health.[ He died on the island of Madeira, Portugal on 7 December 1872, and was buried in the British Cemetery of Funchal.]
He had married Catharine Senhouse, by whom he had son and a daughter.[
]
References
External links
*
Service history
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buckley, Cecil William
Crimean War recipients of the Victoria Cross
Royal Navy recipients of the Victoria Cross
Royal Navy personnel of the Crimean War
Royal Navy officers
1828 births
1872 deaths
British recipients of the Victoria Cross
People from Eccles, Greater Manchester
Recipients of the Legion of Honour