Shannon's Naval Brigade

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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)