Shannon's Naval Brigade: Difference between revisions

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'''Captain William Peel''' (1824–1858), naval officer, third and favourite son of Sir Robert Peel, second baronet (1788–1850), prime minister, and his wife, Julia, née Floyd (1795–1859), daughter of Sir John Floyd, was born on 2 November 1824
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On 13 September 1856 he commissioned the Shannon, a powerful 50-gun steam-frigate, for service in China. She did not sail until the following March. At Singapore she was met by the news of the Indian mutiny, and took Lord Elgin up to Hong Kong, arriving on 2 July. Admiral Sir Michael Seymour sent the Shannon back to Calcutta on July 16, with Elgin on board, together with a detachment of marines and soldiers. At Calcutta, Peel formed a naval brigade. On 14 August he left the ship with 450 men, six 24-pounder Bengal artillery guns, and two 8 inch howitzers. At Allahabad on 20 October he was reinforced by a party of 120 men, and from then on was present in all the principal operations. The coolness of his bravery was everywhere remarkable, and his formidable battery gave most efficient service: the huge guns were, under his orders, moved and worked as though they were light field pieces. On 21 January 1858 he was nominated a KCB and an aide-de-camp to the queen.
== Summary ==
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Shannon_(1855) HMS Shannon] was a 51 gun steam frigate launched in Plymouth in 1855. She sailed under [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Peel_(VC) Captain William Peel VC] via the Cape of Good Hope and Singapore to join the naval forces in the [[2nd China War]]. At Hong Kong she was diverted to take Lord Elgin to [[Calcutta]] where Peel formed a Naval Brigade to assist the British forces opposing the Indian Mutiny. Steam launches towed the brigade up the Ganges on barges in two contingents. They fought their first engagement at [[Battle of Kujwa|Kujwa]] and then supported [[Colin Campbell|Colin Campbell's]] forces at [[Lucknow]]. After the [[Second Lucknow Relief]] they were at the [[Siege of Cawnpore Nov 1857|Second Siege of Cawnpore]]. They then accompanied Colin Campbell's [[Oude Campaign]].


In 1858 Peel's brigade employed six naval 8 inch guns from the Shannon. Peel mounted these massive weapons, weighing 65 cwt each, on carriages locally constructed by the sailors. They provided the firepower to overcome the massive walls of Indian forts, and to keep down British casualties.
== William Peel ==
'''Captain William Peel''' (1824–1858) was the third son of Sir Robert Peel, prime minister of Great Britain. He served with the Naval Brigade in the Crimea where he won a Victoria Cross. His leadership of the Shannon's Naval Brigade played a significant role in the [[Oude Campaign]] where the 8 inch naval guns were able to breach fortifications which the field artillery could not penetrate. He was nominated a KCB and an aide-de-camp to the queen. At the final recapture of [[Lucknow]] he was severely wounded and died of smallpox a month later in [[Cawnpore]] at the age of 33. After the recapture of Lucknow the brigade returned to [[Calcutta]] by bullock train. The majority of the ship's company rejoined HMS Shannon on 12 August and she sailed for England on 15 September reaching Spithead on 29 December 1858.


In the second relief of Lucknow on 9 March 1858 Peel was severely wounded in the thigh by a musket bullet, which was cut out from the opposite side of the leg. Still very weak, he reached Cawnpore on his way to England, and there, on 20 April, he contracted smallpox, of which he died on 27 April, aged thirty-three. He never married. His services in the field were the highlight of the Lucknow campaigns. His men achieved unparalleled feats of arms and endurance that broke the will of the enemy.
== Shannon's Officers ==
 
A list of the officers is given on the [http://www.pdavis.nl/Mutiny.htm this web site] where there are also more details of the following individuals:
Peel was an officer distinguished alike for his bravery and his resourcefulness. He benefited from the rapid promotions provided for the son of a prime minister, although his father never actively solicited them; however, no one ever doubted that he was a worthy recipient. In creating a legendary Victorian hero, concentrating on his courage and tragic death, his hagiographers did scant justice to his professional skill and intellectual achievements. His death deprived the navy of one of its most brilliant officers; his career had only just begun.
*[http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowBiog.php?id=774 Captain William Peel CB]
 
*[http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowBiog.php?id=1531 Lieutenant James William Vaughan]
 
*[http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowBiog.php?id=1675 Lieutenant Thomas James Young VC]
== Summary ==
*[http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowBiog.php?id=1564 Lieutenant William Charles Fahie Wilson]
On 14 August 1857 the Naval Brigade (Capt Peel, 450 men and 6 field guns) left HMS Shannon aboard a barge towed by the steamer Chunar.
*[http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowBiog.php?id=1431 Lieutenant Edward Hay]
 
*[http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowBiog.php?id=1280 Lieutenant Henry Rushworth Wratislaw]
On 18 September Lieut Vaughan and 120 men left HMS Shannon aboard a barge towed by the steamer Benares.
*[http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowBiog.php?id=1264 Lieutenant Nowell Salmon VC]
*[http://www.pdavis.nl/Verney.php Mate Edward Hope Verney]
*[http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowBiog.php?id=1422 Midshipman Edmund John Church]
*[http://www.pdavis.nl/Kerr.php Midshipman Lord Walter Talbot Kerr]
*[http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowBiog.php?id=877 Captain Oliver John Jones]


==Related articles ==
For details of events involving Shannon's Naval Brigade see the following articles
{|
|1 November 1857
|[[Battle of Kujwa]]
|-
|12 November 1857
|[[Battle of Alambagh (Lucknow) Nov 1857|Battle of Alambagh]]
|-
|14 November 1857
|[[Actions at Dilkusha and Martiniere]]
|-
|16 November 1857
|[[Battle of Secundra Bagh (Lucknow)|Battle of Secundra Bagh]]
|-
|17 November 1857
|[[Second Lucknow Relief]]
|-
|28 November 1857
|[[Siege of Cawnpore Nov 1857|Second Siege of Cawnpore]]
|-
|2 January 1858
|[[Battle of Kallah Nuddee]]
|-
|1-21 March 1858
|[[Recapture of Lucknow]]
|-
|
|
|}


== Brigade Complement ==
== Brigade Complement ==
==== First Detachment ====  
==== First Detachment ====  
Left Calcutta 14 September 1857
Left Calcutta 14 September 1857
Line 23: Line 58:
{|
{|
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Peel_(VC) Captain William Peel RN VC]
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Peel_(VC) Captain William Peel RN VC]
|
|Wounded at Lucknow 9 March 1858
|-
|-
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_James_Young Lieut Thomas J Young RN]
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_James_Young Lieut Thomas J Young RN]
Line 32: Line 67:
|-
|-
|Lieut Hay RN
|Lieut Hay RN
|
|Wounded at Cawnpore 27 Nov 1857
|-
|-
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowell_Salmon Lieut Nowell Salmon RN]  
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowell_Salmon Lieut Nowell Salmon RN]  
Line 55: Line 90:
|
|
|-
|-
|Mr M Daniel, Midshipman
|Mr Martin Abbot  Daniel, Midshipman
|
|Killed at Secundra Bagh
|-
|-
|Mr Garvey, Midshipman
|Mr Garvey, Midshipman
|
|Killed at Lucknow 12 march 1858
|-
|-
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_St_John_Daniel Mr Edward Daniel VC], Midshipman
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_St_John_Daniel Mr Edward Daniel VC], Midshipman
Line 138: Line 173:
|Wounded at Kujwa
|Wounded at Kujwa
|-
|-
Ordinary Seaman John Connor
|Ordinary Seaman John Connor
|Wounded at Kujwa
|Wounded at Kujwa
|-
|-
Line 174: Line 209:
|Killed at Kujwa
|Killed at Kujwa
|-
|-
|Michael Shea RM
|Died 7 Nov 1857
|-
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Robinson_(VC) Able Seaman Edward Robinson]
|Won VC at Lucknow
|-
|Maintop Captain Francis Cassiday
|Killed at Dilkusha 14 Nov 1857
|-
|Petty Officer Devereux
|
|
|-
|Petty Officer Terry
|Killed at Lucknow 4 March 1858
|-
|Midshipman Richards
|
|
|-
|Foretopman Flynn
|Died of heatstroke 13 June 1858
|}
|}
</div>
</div>
== External links ==
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Shannon_(1855) HMS Shannon] Wikipedia<br>
[http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowShip.php?id=94 HMS Shannon] www.pdavis.nl<br>
[http://www.pdavis.nl/Mutiny.htm Description of the Brigade's service]  www.pdavis.nl<br>
[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7JjBbZwtikwC&pg=PA79&dq=HMS+Shannon+1857+Peel&hl=en&ei=-ZItTNWSGteUsQbD84i2Ag&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CFgQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=HMS%20Shannon%201857%20Peel&f=false Hall's VC at Shah Najaf Mosque] Google Books
==== Historical books on-line ====
[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=A7XMfkemThoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Shannon's+brigade+in+India&hl=en&ei=Kvg1TMTTIISpsAayqv3MAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false ''The Shannon's Brigade in India''] by Edmund Hope Verney 1862 (Google Books)
[[Category:Shannon's Naval Brigade| Shannon's Naval Brigade]]
[[Category:Indian Mutiny| Shannon's Naval Brigade]]
[[Category:Naval and Maritime|Shannon's Naval Brigade]]
[[Category:Campaigns with FIBIS Battle Maps|Shannon's Naval Brigade]]

Latest revision as of 17:13, 2 May 2011

See our interactive map of
Shannon's Naval Brigade
locations and routes on Google Maps


Summary

HMS Shannon was a 51 gun steam frigate launched in Plymouth in 1855. She sailed under Captain William Peel VC via the Cape of Good Hope and Singapore to join the naval forces in the 2nd China War. At Hong Kong she was diverted to take Lord Elgin to Calcutta where Peel formed a Naval Brigade to assist the British forces opposing the Indian Mutiny. Steam launches towed the brigade up the Ganges on barges in two contingents. They fought their first engagement at Kujwa and then supported Colin Campbell's forces at Lucknow. After the Second Lucknow Relief they were at the Second Siege of Cawnpore. They then accompanied Colin Campbell's Oude Campaign.

William Peel

Captain William Peel (1824–1858) was the third son of Sir Robert Peel, prime minister of Great Britain. He served with the Naval Brigade in the Crimea where he won a Victoria Cross. His leadership of the Shannon's Naval Brigade played a significant role in the Oude Campaign where the 8 inch naval guns were able to breach fortifications which the field artillery could not penetrate. He was nominated a KCB and an aide-de-camp to the queen. At the final recapture of Lucknow he was severely wounded and died of smallpox a month later in Cawnpore at the age of 33. After the recapture of Lucknow the brigade returned to Calcutta by bullock train. The majority of the ship's company rejoined HMS Shannon on 12 August and she sailed for England on 15 September reaching Spithead on 29 December 1858.

Shannon's Officers

A list of the officers is given on the this web site where there are also more details of the following individuals:

Related articles

For details of events involving Shannon's Naval Brigade see the following articles

1 November 1857 Battle of Kujwa
12 November 1857 Battle of Alambagh
14 November 1857 Actions at Dilkusha and Martiniere
16 November 1857 Battle of Secundra Bagh
17 November 1857 Second Lucknow Relief
28 November 1857 Second Siege of Cawnpore
2 January 1858 Battle of Kallah Nuddee
1-21 March 1858 Recapture of Lucknow

Brigade Complement

First Detachment

Left Calcutta 14 September 1857

Captain William Peel RN VC Wounded at Lucknow 9 March 1858
Lieut Thomas J Young RN Won VC at Secundra Bagh
Lieut William C F Wilson RN
Lieut Hay RN Wounded at Cawnpore 27 Nov 1857
Lieut Nowell Salmon RN Won VC at Secundra Bagh
Capt Thomas C Gray, Royal Marines
Lieut William Stirling, Royal Marines Wounded at Kujwa
Lieut Lind of Hazeley, Swedish Navy
Rev E L Bowman
Dr Flanagan
Mr Comerford, Asst Paymaster
Mr Martin Abbot Daniel, Midshipman Killed at Secundra Bagh
Mr Garvey, Midshipman Killed at Lucknow 12 march 1858
Mr Edward Daniel VC, Midshipman
Lord Walter Kerr, Midshipman Wounded at Cawnpore
Lord Arthur Clinton, Midshipman
Mr Church, Midshipman
Mr Brown, Engineer
Mr Bone, Engineer
Mr Henri, Engineer
Mr Thompson, Gunner
Mr Bryce, Carpenter
Mr Stanton, Asst Clerk
Mr Watson, Naval Cadet
Mr Lascelles, Naval Cadet
450 other ranks among whom were
Bosun's Mate John Harrison Won VC at Secundra Bagh
Foretop Capt William Hall Won VC at Secundra Bagh

Second Detachment

Left Calcutta 1 September 1857

Lieut James W Vaughan RN
Lieut Henry R Wratislaw RN
Mr Edmund Verney, Mate
Mr Way, Midshipman
Mr Richards, Naval Cadet
120 other ranks

Other named personnel

Ordinary Seaman William Ballard Wounded at Kujwa
Ordinary Seaman John Connor Wounded at Kujwa
Able Seaman Morris Currun Wounded at Kujwa
Able Seaman James Finder Wounded at Kujwa
Able Seaman James French Wounded at Kujwa
Captain Edward Baker AG Wounded at Kujwa
Ordinary Seaman John Jordan Wounded at Kujwa
Able Seaman William O'Neill Wounded at Kujwa
Ordinary Seaman John Metcalf Wounded at Kujwa
Thomas Langston RM Wounded at Kujwa
Able Seaman William Ashton Killed at Kujwa
Richard Kelly RMA Killed at Kujwa
Leading Seaman Alexander Hewston Killed at Kujwa
Michael Shea RM Died 7 Nov 1857
Able Seaman Edward Robinson Won VC at Lucknow
Maintop Captain Francis Cassiday Killed at Dilkusha 14 Nov 1857
Petty Officer Devereux
Petty Officer Terry Killed at Lucknow 4 March 1858
Midshipman Richards
Foretopman Flynn Died of heatstroke 13 June 1858

External links

HMS Shannon Wikipedia
HMS Shannon www.pdavis.nl
Description of the Brigade's service www.pdavis.nl
Hall's VC at Shah Najaf Mosque Google Books

Historical books on-line

The Shannon's Brigade in India by Edmund Hope Verney 1862 (Google Books)

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