Nowell Salmon

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Nowell Salmon VC, GCB (20 February 1835 – 14 February 1912) was an English 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.

Naval career
Salmon was the son of Reverend H. Salmon, rector of Swarraton, Hampshire and Emily, the daughter of Admiral Nowell who fought at the Battle of the Saintes and as a commander in the American Revolutionary War. After leaving Marlborough College he joined the Navy as cadet in 1847, and served from the Baltic to the Cape.

He was 22 years old, and a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, serving in a Naval Brigade from HMS Shannon during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place at the siege of Lucknow for which he and John Harrison was awarded the VC. His citation reads "Date of Act of Bravery, 16th November, 1857

For conspicuous gallantry at Lucknow, on the 16th of November, 1857, in climbing up a tree, touching the angle of the Shah Nujjiff, to reply to the fire of the enemy, for which most dangerous service, the late Captain Peel, K.C.B., had called for volunteers."

In 1860, while on duty in the near Honduras, Salmon took custody of William Walker. Walker, a U.S. citizen who had briefly been president of Nicaragua, was attempting further conquests in Central America. Salmon delivered Walker to the local authorities, who promptly shot him.

Salmon was made captain of the ironclad warships HMS Defence and HMS Valiant and went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa Station in 1882, Commander-in-Chief of the China Station in 1887 and Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in 1894.

Family
Major-General Harry Salmon was the grandson of Nowell Salmon's brother. His VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum, London.