William Mcwheeney
Sergeant, 44th Regiment
- Register No.
- 819 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Sergeant all Sergeants →
- Unit
- 44th Regiment (register: 44th Regiment of Foot) all 44th Regiment of Foot VCs →
- Date of action
- 20 October 1854 on this day → all of 1854 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Crimean War
- London Gazette
- 24th February 1857 on this day → all of 1857 →
- Born
- in 1837 at Bangor, County Down, Ireland
- Died
- the 17th May 1866 at Dover, Kent
- Memorial / grave
- at St James' Cemetery, Dover, Kent
Digest of citation
At the commencement of the siege, Sergeant McWheeney volunteered as a sharpshooter and was put in charge of a party of his regiment. He was always active and vigilant. On 20th October 1854, in the Crimea, when one of his men, Private Keane, was severely wounded on the Woronzoff Road, at that time the sharpshooters were being repulsed from the Quarries by far heavier numbers. The sergeant returned and brought the man to safety, all the time under extremely heavy fire. Similarly, on 5th December 1854, he saved the life of Corporal Courtney. The corporal was one of the sharp shooters and was severely wounded in the head. Sergeant McWheeney brought him out from the heavy fire, dug a hole with his bayonet, and the two men sheltered there until nightfall, when they made their escape
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
McWHEENEY, William. (reg No. 819).
Sergeant. 44th Regiment. * London Gazetted on 24th February 1857.
Born in 1837 at Bangor, County Down, Ireland.
Died on the 17th May 1866 at Dover, Kent.
Memorial on grave at St James' Cemetery, Dover, Kent.
Digest of Citation reads: At the commencement of the siege, Sergeant McWheeney volunteered as a sharpshooter and was put in charge of a party of his regiment. He was always active and vigilant. On 20th October 1854, in the Crimea, when one of his men, Private Keane, was severely wounded on the Woronzoff Road, at that time the sharpshooters were being repulsed from the Quarries by far heavier numbers. The sergeant returned and brought the man to safety, all the time under extremely heavy fire. Similarly, on 5th December 1854, he saved the life of Corporal Courtney. The corporal was one of the sharp shooters and was severely wounded in the head. Sergeant McWheeney brought him out from the heavy fire, dug a hole with his bayonet, and the two men sheltered there until nightfall, when they made their escape.
* Essex Regiment.
* Essex Regiment.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: at St James' Cemetery, Dover, Kent
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