Edmund Henry Lenon
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel Edmund Henry Lenon VC
(26 August 1838 - 15 April 1893) 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.
in the 67th Regiment of Foot (later The Royal Hampshire Regiment), British Army
during the Second Opium War
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 21 August 1860 at the Taku Forts
, China
, Lieutenant Lenon, with Lieutenant Robert Montresor Rogers
and Private John McDougall
of the 44th Foot
, displayed great gallantry in the ditches and entering the North Taku Fort by an embrasure during the assault. They were the first of the British troops established on the walls of the Fort.
, England.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(26 August 1838 - 15 April 1893) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Details
Lenon was 21 years old, and a lieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the 67th Regiment of Foot (later The Royal Hampshire Regiment), British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the Second Opium War
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 21 August 1860 at the Taku Forts
Taku Forts
The Dagu Forts , also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River estuary, in Tanggu District, Tianjin municipality, in northeastern China. They are located 60 km southeast of the Tianjin urban center.-History:The first fort was built during the reign of the Ming Jiajing...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Lieutenant Lenon, with Lieutenant Robert Montresor Rogers
Robert Montresor Rogers
Major General Robert Montresor Rogers VC CB was an Irish 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.-Details:He was 25 years old, and a lieutenant in the 44th Regiment of...
and Private John McDougall
John McDougall
John McDougall was the first lieutenant governor of California from 1849 to 1851, and later the second governor of California from January 9, 1851 until January 8, 1852.-Biography:...
of the 44th Foot
44th Regiment of Foot
The 44th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment in the British Army. After 1782 the regiment became known as the 44th Regiment of Foot. The lineage of the 44th transferred to the Essex Regiment in 1881...
, displayed great gallantry in the ditches and entering the North Taku Fort by an embrasure during the assault. They were the first of the British troops established on the walls of the Fort.
Further information
He later achieved the rank of lieutenant-colonel. His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum & Memorial Garden in WinchesterWinchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, England.