John Lucas
Colour Sergeant, 40th Regiment
- Register No.
- 754 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Colour Sergeant all Colour-Sergeants →
- Unit
- 40th Regiment (register: 40th Regiment of Foot) all 40th Regiment of Foot VCs →
- Date of action
- 18 March 1861 on this day → all of 1861 →
- Conflict / campaign
- New Zealand Wars
- London Gazette
- 17th July 1861 on this day → all of 1861 →
- Born
- in 1827 at Clashgonny, Bagnalstown, Carlow, Ireland
- Died
- 29th February 1892 at Dublin, Ireland
- Memorial / grave
- not known
Digest of citation
On 18th March 1861 in New Zealand, Colour Sergeant LUCAS acted as a senior NCO to a party of the 40th Regiment working as skirmishers right of No. 7 Redoubt, near the Huirangai Bush. It was around 4 o'clock, in the afternoon, when they were suddenly ambushed. An accurate and heavy fire came from the bush and the high ground. Three of the party were wounded, two of them mortally. Assistance was called for to have the wounded moved. It had only just arrived when one of the men fell and Lieutenant Rees was wounded at the same time. Under an extremely heavy fire, from the rebels, only 30 yards away, Colour Sergeant LUCAS ran to the assistance of this officer, and sent one man with him to the rear. Taking the arms of the wounded and dead into his charge, he maintained the position until support troops came under the command of Lieutenants Gibson and Whelan
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
LUCAS, John. (reg No. 754).
Colour Sergeant 40th Regiment. * London Gazetted on 17th July 1861.
Born in 1827 at Clashgonny, Bagnalstown, Carlow, Ireland.
Died on 29th February 1892 at Dublin, Ireland.
Memorial not known.
Digest of Citation reads: On 18th March 1861 in New Zealand, Colour Sergeant LUCAS acted as a senior NCO to a party of the 40th Regiment working as skirmishers right of No. 7 Redoubt, near the Huirangai Bush. It was around 4 o'clock, in the afternoon, when they were suddenly ambushed. An accurate and heavy fire came from the bush and the high ground. Three of the party were wounded, two of them mortally. Assistance was called for to have the wounded moved. It had only just arrived when one of the men fell and Lieutenant Rees was wounded at the same time. Under an extremely heavy fire, from the rebels, only 30 yards away, Colour Sergeant LUCAS ran to the assistance of this officer, and sent one man with him to the rear. Taking the arms of the wounded and dead into his charge, he maintained the position until support troops came under the command of Lieutenants Gibson and Whelan.
*South Lancashire Regiment.
*South Lancashire Regiment.
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Alf recorded the memorial as: not known
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