Israel Harding, VC (21 October 1833 – 22 May 1917) was a sailor in 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 F ...

and a 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 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.

Naval career

Harding was 48 years old, and a gunner in the

during the

1882 Anglo-Egyptian War The British conquest of Egypt (1882), also known as Anglo-Egyptian War (), occurred in 1882 between Egyptian and Sudanese forces under Ahmed ‘Urabi and the United Kingdom. It ended a nationalist uprising against the Khedive Tewfik Pasha. It ...

when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the

(VC). On 11 July 1882 at

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

, Egypt, , with other ships, was bombarding the forts of the city and suffering damage and casualties from the enemy's guns. During the engagement a 10-inch shell passed through the ship's side and lodged on the main deck. Gunner Harding, hearing a shout that there was a live shell just above the hatchway (which led to the magazine) rushed up from below, picked it up and flung it into a tub of water. Had the shell burst it would probably have caused many deaths. On return to England the Victoria Cross was presented to him by Edward, Prince of Wales.Famous Fighters of the Fleet, Edward Fraser, 1904, p.307 Harding later achieved the rank of chief gunner. His VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the

Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

in London. File:HMS Alexandra 1875.jpg, HMS Alexandra File:Grave of Israel Harding V.C.jpg, Grave of Israel Harding V.C.

References

External links

Burial location of Israel Harding
"Hampshire"

"Israel Harding's Victoria Cross sold at auction" {{DEFAULTSORT:Harding, Israel British recipients of the Victoria Cross 1833 births 1917 deaths Royal Navy sailors Royal Navy personnel of the Anglo-Egyptian War Royal Navy personnel of the Crimean War British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Ashanti War Royal Navy recipients of the Victoria Cross People from Billingshurst Military personnel from Portsmouth Burials in Hampshire