John Doogan

John Doogan
Born	March 1853 Aughrim, County Galway, Ireland
Died	24 January 1940 (aged 86) Folkestone, Kent
Buried at	Shorncliffe Military Cemetery, Folkestone, Kent
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Private, later Sergeant
Unit	1st King's Dragoon Guards
Battles/wars	First Boer War Battle of Laing's Nek World War I
Awards	Victoria Cross

First Boer War

John Doogan (Irish: Seán Ó Dubhagáin; March 1853 in Aughrim, County Galway – 24 January 1940 in Folkestone, Kent) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

He was 27 years old, and a private in the 1st Dragoon Guards (The King's), British Army during the First Boer War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 28 January 1881 at the Battle of Laing's Nek, South Africa, during the charge of the mounted men, Private Doogan saw that Major Brownlow, 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.

The officer Doogan saved, William Vasey Brownlow, ultimately rose to a Major-General and died in 1926, bequeathing Doogan, his 'former servant', an annuity of £20 a year, (worth around £600 in 2005).

Doogan left the army by 1882 but he returned to service in World War I as an army recruiter, with the rank of sergeant.

Doogan was working for the General Post Office as a Mail Driver when he was living at Welshpool, Montgomeryshire at the 1891 Census. In the 1901 Census he was employed as a butler when living at Church Cottage, East Shenfield, Berkshire. Following the death of his wife in 1924, he moved to Shropshire (where he had sons living) where he was a farmer at Stapeley Hill between 1926 and 1937 He retired from farming to Folkestone, Kent.

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