Humphrey Osbaldston Brooke Firman VC (24 November 1886 – 24 April 1916) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

forces. Firman was born at South Kensington in 1886 to Humphrey Brooke Firman, J.P. (of Gateforth, Selby, Yorkshire and New Malden, Surrey) and Florence Adelaide (née Cumming). He joined the Royal Navy as a cadet on 15 May 1901 and, as midshipman and sub-lieutenant, served on

HMS Glory Ten ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS ''Glory'', or the French variant HMS ''Gloire'': * was a 44-gun fifth rate, formerly the French 44-gun ship ''La Gloire'', captured from the French in 1747, and was sold to be broken up in 1763. * ...

on the China Station, in the battleships HMS Albion and HMS Illustrious in the Channel Fleet, and in the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert. Promoted to Lieutenant in 1908, he saw service in the Persian Gulf and off the Horn of Africa. During the First World War he was killed in action on the night of 24 April 1916 in Mesopotamia in an attempt to resupply the forces trapped in the Siege of Kut, at the age of 29. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his deeds, as was a fellow naval officer, Lieutenant Commander

Charles Cowley Charles Henry Cowley, VC (21 February 1872 – 25 April 1916) was a British merchant seaman and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces ...

R.N.V.R.

Memorial to Humphrey Firman at South Kensington

Citation

Legacy

In New Malden, Surrey, a plaque bearing his name was unveiled on the war memorial in April 2008, while Firman Close is named after him.See photo of street sign. A stone slab memorial to Firman is set into the pavement on the south side of South Kensington tube station and was unveiled on 25 April 2016. He is commemorated on the

Basra Memorial The Basra Memorial is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission war memorial near Zubayr, Iraq. The memorial commemorates 40,682 Commonwealth forces (99% Indians) members who died during the Mesopotamian Campaign, from the Autumn of 1914 to the end of ...

His Victoria Cross is held at the

York Castle Museum York Castle Museum is a museum located in York, North Yorkshire, England, on the site of York Castle, which was originally built by William the Conqueror in 1068. The museum itself was founded by John L. Kirk in 1938, and is housed in prison bu ...

References

*'' Monuments to Courage'' (David Harvey, 1999) *'' The Register of the Victoria Cross'' (This England, 1997) *'' VCs of the First World War: The Naval VCs'' (Stephen Snelling, 2002) {{DEFAULTSORT:Firman, Humphrey Osbaldston Brooke 1886 births 1916 deaths Royal Navy officers British military personnel killed in World War I British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross Royal Navy recipients of the Victoria Cross People from South Kensington Royal Navy officers of World War I People educated at Stubbington House School Military personnel from London