John Sullivan (VC)

John Sullivan, VC, CGM (10 April 1830 – 28 June 1884) was a sailor in the Royal Navy and an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

John Sullivan
Born(1830-04-10)10 April 1830
Bantry, County Cork
Died28 June 1884(1884-06-28) (aged 54)
Kinsale, County Cork
Buried
Glasnevin Cemetery
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Navy
RankChief Boatswain's Mate
Battles/warsCrimean War
AwardsVictoria Cross
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
Sardinian Crimea Medal
Legion of Honour (France)

Royal Navy

Sullivan was 25 years old, and a boatswain's mate in the Royal Navy, serving in the Naval Brigade during the Crimean War, when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC).

On 10 April 1855 at Sebastopol, in Crimea, Boatswain's Mate Sullivan, as captain of one of the guns at Greenhill Battery, volunteered to place a flagstaff on a mound to act as an aiming point. He carried out this dangerous task undeterred by continuous fire from enemy sharpshooters, and his action enabled the battery to open fire on hitherto concealed enemy guns which were doing great damage to some of the advanced works.[1]

Sullivan later achieved the rank of chief boatswain's mate. He committed suicide at Kinsale, County Cork, on 28 June 1884.[2]

References
  1. "No. 21971". The London Gazette. 24 February 1857. p. 652.
  2. "John Sullivan VC, CGM". vconline. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
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