Shannon's Naval Brigade
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:
- Captain William Peel CB
- Lieutenant James William Vaughan
- Lieutenant Thomas James Young VC
- Lieutenant William Charles Fahie Wilson
- Lieutenant Edward Hay
- Lieutenant Henry Rushworth Wratislaw
- Lieutenant Nowell Salmon VC
- Mate Edward Hope Verney
- Midshipman Edmund John Church
- Midshipman Lord Walter Talbot Kerr
- 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 |
| 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)
