Alexander Roberts Dunn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alexander Roberts Dunn (September 15, 1833 – January 25, 1868) was the first Canadian awarded the Victoria Cross.
He was born in York (later Toronto) in 1833, the son of John Henry Dunn, and studied at Upper Canada College and at Harrow School, England.
Dunn was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Battle of Balaclava on October 25, 1854 when he was 21 years of age and serving in the British Army's 11th Hussars. Dunn rescued a sergeant by cutting down two or three Russian lancers who had attacked from the rear. Later in the battle he killed another Russian who had been attacking a private.
Dunn later rose to the rank of colonel but was killed in a hunting accident in Abyssinia in 1868. At the time he was serving as Commanding Officer of the 33rd Regiment of Foot prior to their storming of Magdala.
His grave (in present day Eritrea) had been neglected for many years but was repaired in 2001 by a group of Canadian Forces engineers from CFB Gagetown.
For over 50 years his medals were on display in the main foyer of his old school, Upper Canada College, in Toronto. In 1977, due to a number of recent thefts and "losses" of Victoria Cross medals the school replaced the VC with a top grade copy and moved the original to their bank safe deposit box.
