George Dare Dowell
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Photo submitted by Luigi Sartorel |
George Dare Dowell 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.
He was 24 years old, and a
Lieutenant in the
Royal Marine Artillery,
Royal Marines during the
Crimean War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On
13 July 1855 at the
Fort of Viborg in the
Gulf of Finland, when an explosion occurred in one of the cutters of HMS
Arrogant, Lieutenant Dowell, who was on board HMS
Ruby, took three volunteers and went, under very heavy fire to the assistance of the cutter. He took up three of the crew, and having rescued the rest and also the Captain of the Mast (
George Ingouville), he then towed the stricken boat out of enemy gun range.
He later achieved the rank of
Brevet Lieutenant Colonel.
He is buried at Purewa Cemetery, Meadowbank, Auckland, New Zealand. He died in 1910 and has quite an unusual gravestone.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the
Royal Marines Museum (Southsea, England).
This page has been
migrated from the
Victoria Cross Reference with permission.
