b. 12/02/1830 Thurles, Ireland. d. 09/03/1861 Thurles, Ireland.
William Bradshaw (1830-1861) was born in Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland on 12th February 1830, and qualified LRCS (Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons) before joining the Army in 1854. He served in the Crimea with the 50th Regiment of Foot (West Kent) before being transferred into the 90th Light Infantry (later The Cameronians).
William Bradshaw VC
Bradshaw became the Assistant Surgeon to the 90th Light Infantry on the outbreak of the Mutiny in India, and found himself in the thick of the fighting during the assault on the Lucknow Residency on 26th September 1857. During the chaotic attempt to reach the Residency, Assistant Surgeon Bradshaw became separated from the rest of the party along with Surgeon Home. Despite this, Bradshaw managed to bring in twenty litters (stretchers) of wounded men to the Residency via a path next to the river bank. He did this under heavy rebel fire. He was recommended for the VC and gazetted on the same day as Anthony Dickson Home on 18th June 1858. He attended his investiture with Surgeon Home at Buckingham Palace on 8th June 1859.
Bradshaw retired from the Army shortly afterwards and returned to his native Ireland. Sadly, he died just two years later, aged 31 on 9th March 1861 and was buried in St Mary’s Churchyard, Thurles, County Tipperary. His medals were held by his family for a number of years, before his grand-niece, Mrs L Agnew, donated them to the Royal Army Medical Corps (now Museum of Military Medicine) Museum, Keogh Barracks, Mytchett, Surrey.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: MUSEUM OF MILITARY MEDICINE, KEOGH BARRACKS, ALDERSHOT.
BURIAL PLACE: ST MARY’S CHURCHYARD, THURLES, IRELAND.
Acknowledgement:
Thomas Stewart – Images of the Medal Group at RAMC Museum, Aldershot, the image of the RMA Sandhurst VC Board, and the image of his grave in Thurles, Ireland.