William Peel (VC)
| Sir William Peel | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
2 November 1824 Mayfair, London, UK |
| Died | 27 April 1858 (aged 33) Cawnpore, British India |
| Buried at | Old British Cemetery, Cawnpore, India |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy
|
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Naval Brigade |
| Commands held | |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
| Relations | Sir Robert Peel (father) |
| Other work | Travel writer |
Captain Sir William Peel VC KCB (2 November 1824 – 27 April 1858) was a British naval officer and 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 the third son of the Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel. Like his father, he was educated at Harrow School.
He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, and thus became Sir William Peel.
Peel was a Captain in the Royal Navy, serving with the Naval Brigade during the Crimean War. On 18 October 1854 at the Siege of Sevastopol, he picked up a live shell with the fuse still burning from amongst several powder cases and threw it over the parapet. The shell burst as it left his hands. For this he was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC); it is now displayed at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England.
On 5 November at the Battle of Inkerman, he joined some of the officers of the Grenadier Guards and helped to defend the Colours of the regiment when they were hard-pressed. On 18 June 1855 he led the first scaling party at the assault on the redan, and was himself severely wounded. On each of these occasions Captain Peel was accompanied by a young midshipman, Edward St. John Daniel as Aide-de-camp.
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Wikipedia