October
TIMES
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ia
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7
what she said to him in, I think, The Times
Quest to find
newspaper. The extracts had been cut out
and pasted in a book, which he showed me
with great pride.
‘It stated that only three of these crosses
had ever been given; and directly after this
the silver VC
the Order of the Victoria Cross was initiat-
ed.
‘This man was engaged as an instructor
in some blind institution, I think, in basket
making.
K
INGSTEIGNTON historian
forearm, where it was still fixed!
‘But the extraordinary part of the thing is,
Ken Milton is intrigued by an
‘He had been shot sideways through both
that, although I have stated these facts to a
extract in a book written by J
eyes; and a great part of his lower jaw had
great number of military men, I have never
also been blown away! Besides this he had
come across one who had ever heard of the
W Ley, believed to have been pub-
a fearful bayonet wound in the chest, and
“Silver Victoria Cross!”
lished in the early 1900s, containing numerous other injuries; in fact, I never saw
‘I saw it myself, with the bullet set in the
a story about a silver Victoria Cross
a man who had been so knocked about!
centre!
awarded to a man from the village.
‘He had no recollection whatever as to
‘Unfortunately, I cannot remember the
In his book From Youth Onwards, Dr
what had occurred, but it was generally
man’s name; I know he was a son-in-law of
Ley, a general practitioner in Newton
thought that the Circassian and others had
an old gardener called Locke, who lived in
Abbot, recalls he was called to see a patient
come out from the Redan after the repulse
Kingsteignton; but the whole family have
in neighbouring Kingsteignton.
to finish off the wounded; and that it was in
long since been dead.
The extract reads: ‘My patient, who must
this encounter he had received most of his
‘These three crosses must now be of
have been a man of enormous muscular
injuries.
some value; and I think it is a great pity that
development, was quite blind, and he had
‘Although the poor fellow was so fearful-
they cannot be traced, as they must still be
been terribly wounded during the attack on
ly wounded that he could not for some time
in existence, and are of historical interest.’
the Redan during the Russian War.
be removed from the field hospital, he was
Mr Milton would like to hear from any-
‘After the first unsuccessful attack he was
ultimately taken to Netley. He was there
one who has heard of the man – Netley
discovered quite insensible between the
when Queen Victoria paid her visit; and she
incidently was the Naval Hospital in
great redoubt and the trenches. He was
ordered the huge bullet, which had been
Portsmouth.
clutching a dead Circassian by the throat,
extracted from his throat, to be set in a sil-
Anyone who has any information about
whom he had evidently throttled before he
ver cross, of the same shape as the present
the soldier, or the Silver Victoria Cross, is
became insensible; but not before the for-
Victoria Cross, and given to him!
asked to contact Mr Milton at email
mer had thrust his curved sword through his
‘I saw the full account of it as told to the
ken@miltonK61.fsnet.co.uk or on 01626
Queen, and the description of her visit, and
367837.
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