| James Owens | |
|---|---|
 Depiction of the Siege of Sebastopol | |
| Born | 1827 |
| Died | 20 (aged -1808–-1807) August 1901 (aged 73–74) |
| Place of birth | Killaine, County Cavan |
| Place of death | Romford, Essex |
| Buried at | Lorne Road Cemetery, Brentwood |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 British Army |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | 49th Regiment of Foot |
| Battles/wars | Crimean War |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
James Owens VC (1827 – 20 August 1901) was born in Killaine Baillieboro, County Cavan and 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.
Details[]
He was about 27 years old, and a corporal in the 49th Regiment of Foot (later The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's)), British Army during the Crimean War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 30 October 1854 at Sebastopol, in the Crimean Peninsula, Corporal Owens greatly distinguished himself in a personal encounter with the Russians, and gave assistance to a lieutenant of his regiment.
He later achieved the rank of Sergeant. He died Romford, Essex, 20 August 1901.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Rifles (Berkshire and Wiltshire) Museum(Salisbury, Wiltshire, England).
References[]
Listed in order of publication year
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
- Clarke, Brian D. H. (1986). "A register of awards to Irish-born officers and men". pp. 185–287.
- Irelands VCs ISBN 1-899243-00-3 (Dept of Economic Development 1995)
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)
External links[]
- Location of grave and VC medal (Essex)
The original article can be found at James Owens (VC) and the edit history here.