John Doogan ( ga, Seán Ó Dubhagáin; March 1853 in Aughrim, County Galway – 24 January 1940 in Folkestone, Kent) was an Irish 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 and Commonwealth forces.

Award

He was 27 years old, and a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

in the 1st Dragoon Guards (The King's),

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

during the

First Boer War The First Boer War ( af, Eerste Vryheidsoorlog, literally "First Freedom War"), 1880–1881, also known as the First Anglo–Boer War, the Transvaal War or the Transvaal Rebellion, was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881 betwee ...

when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 28 January 1881 at the

Battle of Laing's Nek The Battle of Laing's Nek was a major battle fought at Laing's Nek during the First Boer War on 28 January 1881. Background Following the Boer declaration of independence for the Transvaal in 1880 the British suffered a series of disastrous def ...

, South Africa, during the charge of the mounted men, Private Doogan saw that Major

William Vesey Brownlow Major-General William Vesey Brownlow (12 June 1841 – 15 March 1928) was a British Army officer. Military career Brownlow was commissioned as an ensign the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot in April 1859. He served in the Anglo-Zulu War ...

, KDG, had had his horse shot from under him and was dismounted among the Boers. Doogan rode up and, in spite of being severely wounded himself, dismounted and insisted on Major Brownlow taking his horse, receiving another wound while doing so. Brownlow ultimately rose to the rank of major-general and died in 1926, bequeathing Doogan, his 'former servant', an

annuity In investment, an annuity is a series of payments made at equal intervals.Kellison, Stephen G. (1970). ''The Theory of Interest''. Homewood, Illinois: Richard D. Irwin, Inc. p. 45 Examples of annuities are regular deposits to a savings account, ...

of £20 a year,Chapter "Bigamy in Minsterley 1929". (worth around £600 in 2005).

Further service

Doogan left the army by 1882 but he returned to service in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

as an army recruiter, with the rank of sergeant.

Civilian career

Doogan was working for the General Post Office as a Mail Driver when he was living at

Welshpool Welshpool ( cy, Y Trallwng) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, historically in the county of Montgomeryshire. The town is from the Wales–England border and low-lying on the River Severn; its Welsh language name ''Y Trallwng'' m ...

, Montgomeryshire,

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

at the 1891 Census. In the 1901 Census he had moved into England when he was employed as a butler when living at Church Cottage, East Shenfield, Berkshire. By the 1911 Census he moved to

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...

, when he lived at Cause Mountain in the parish of Westbury, occupation 'Army pensioner' and later at Stapeley Hill where he was a farmer between 1926Earliest mention. The entry omits his postnominal VC but it is mentioned from editions of the directory from 1929. and 1937.Last mention of him by the directory in Shropshire. He retired from farming to Folkestone, Kent.

Personal life

Doogan was twice married, but only the first marriage was legal. With his first wife Mary he had ten children (his first child born 1882); two sons of theirs died on active service with the army in World War I. She died in August 1924. His second marriage, later proved invalid, took place on 16 September 1929 at Welshpool

Registry Office A register office or The General Register Office, much more commonly but erroneously registry office (except in official use), is a British government office where births, deaths, marriages, civil partnership, stillbirths and adoptions in England, ...

to Martha Maria Roberts, who was 39 years his junior and had been employed as his housekeeper following his widowhood. She had previously married at

Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...

, on 8 November 1923, David Philip Roberts, who she claimed was dead at the time she met Doogan but turned out to be still alive after the later wedding. She stood trial at Shrewsbury Assizes on 20 February 1930, charged with

bigamy In cultures where monogamy is mandated, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. A legal or de facto separation of the couple does not alter their marital status as married persons. I ...

of which she was found guilty but was leniently bound over in £10, to be forfeit if she was called for trial again, instead of being sentenced to prison (the usual penalty). Doogan, the innocent party, gave evidence as witness, while the estranged legal husband appeared simply to confirm his identity and their own marriage.

Death

He is buried at Shorncliffe Military Cemetery (also known as the Garrison Cemetery) in Folkestone (Plot V. Grave 1054).

Victoria Cross

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Queen's Dragoon Guards Regimental Museum in Cardiff Castle, Wales.

References

Listed in order of publication year *''

The Register of the Victoria Cross ''The Register of the Victoria Cross'' is a reference work that provides brief information on every Victoria Cross awarded until the publication date. Each entry provides a summary of the deed, along with a photograph of the recipient and the fo ...

'' (1981, 1988 and 1997) * *''

Ireland's VCs List of Irish Victoria Cross recipients lists all recipients of the Victoria Cross (post-nominal letters "VC") born on the island of Ireland, together with the date and place of their VC action. The Victoria Cross is the highest war honour of ...

'' (Dept of Economic Development, 1995) *''

Monuments to Courage David Charles Harvey (29 July 1946 – 4 March 2004) was a historian and author. He is notable for his seminal work, ''Monuments To Courage'', which documents the graves of almost all recipients of the Victoria Cross, a task that took him over 3 ...

'' (David Harvey, 1999) *''

Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross List of Irish Victoria Cross recipients lists all recipients of the Victoria Cross (post-nominal letters "VC") born on the island of Ireland, together with the date and place of their VC action. The Victoria Cross is the highest war honour of ...

'' (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000) *'' Shropshire Virtual War Memorial'' (Neil Evans, 2009) *

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations m ...

External links

Location of grave and VC medal
''(Kent)'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Doogan, John 1853 births 1940 deaths Burials in Kent 19th-century Irish people Irish soldiers in the British Army People from County Galway British military personnel of the First Boer War First Boer War recipients of the Victoria Cross 1st King's Dragoon Guards soldiers Irish recipients of the Victoria Cross British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross