Humphrey Osbaldston Brooke Firman
Lieutenant, Royal Navy
- Register No.
- 406 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Lieutenant all Lieutenants →
- Unit
- Royal Navy (register: SS Julnar) all SS Julnar VCs →
- Date of action
- 24–25 April 1916 on this day → all of 1916 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 2nd February 1917 on this day → all of 1917 →
- Born
- 24th November, 1886 at Kensington, London
- Died
- 25th April, 1916 near Kut-el-Amara, Mesopotamia
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- on Basra War Memorial, Iraq
Digest of citation
On the night of the 24th/25th April, 1916 in Mesopotamia, an attempt was made to reprovision the force besieged at Kut-el-Amara. Lieutenant Firman, Commanding SS Julnar, with a lieutenant commander *, a sub-lieutenant and 12 ratings, started off with 270 tons of stores up the River Tigris. Unfortunately Julnar was attacked almost at once by Turkish machine guns and heavy artillery. At Magasis, steel hawsers stretched across the river halted the expedition, the enemy opened fire at point-blank range and Julnar's Bridge was smashed. Lieutenant Firman and several of his crew were killed, the survivors and supplies being captured
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
FIRMAN, Humphrey Osbaldston Brooke. (reg No. 406).
Lieutenant Royal Navy.
London Gazetted on 2nd February 1917.
Born on 24th November, 1886 at Kensington, London.
Died on 25th April, 1916 near Kut-el-Amara, Mesopotamia.
Memorial on Basra War Memorial, Iraq.
Digest of Citation reads: On the night of the 24th/25th April, 1916 in Mesopotamia, an attempt was made to reprovision the force besieged at Kut-el-Amara. Lieutenant Firman, Commanding SS Julnar, with a lieutenant commander *, a sub-lieutenant and 12 ratings, started off with 270 tons of stores up the River Tigris. Unfortunately Julnar was attacked almost at once by Turkish machine guns and heavy artillery. At Magasis, steel hawsers stretched across the river halted the expedition, the enemy opened fire at point-blank range and Julnar's Bridge was smashed. Lieutenant Firman and several of his crew were killed, the survivors and supplies being captured.
* C H COWLEY (reg No. 286).
* C H COWLEY (reg No. 286).
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: on Basra War Memorial, Iraq
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
Research this recipient further
Would you like to honour Humphrey Osbaldston Brooke Firman by sponsoring this page from £1 a month — in memory of someone, in your own name or for your company? Sponsor this page.