William Napier (sergeant)
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| William Napier | |
|---|---|
| 20 August 1828 – 2 June 1908 | |
| Place of birth | Keighley, Yorkshire, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1846 - 1862 |
| Rank | sergeant |
| Unit | Somerset Light Infantry |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
William Napier VC (August 20th, 1828 - June 2nd, 1908) 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.
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[edit] Details
William Napier was born at Keighley in Yorkshire, England on the 20th of August 1828, the son of Samuel Napier of the Scottish Napiers and his wife Mary (nee Horsfall).
William was educated at a private school[citation needed] and grew up in a military family. His uncle William Napier was a Grenadier Guard (2nd Battalion), who fought at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and was awarded the Waterloo Medal[citation needed], which he gave to William.
By the time William had left school he had the urge to join the army. On the 10th of December 1846 he enlisted at Leeds, Yorkshire with the 13th Light Infantry.
In 1855 William Napier left the U.K. with Prince Albert's Somerset Light Infantry (13th Regiment) under General Lord Mark Kerr, G.C.B., and arrived at Balaklava, Crimea, by sea on the 29th of June 1855.
William described Sevastopol as follows in 1897:
| “ | The mortality was fearful, but that the losses in battle were not more than one half of those caused by fever, and the hardships of camp life in that rigorous climate. Not long before the outbreak of the war, I saw a regiment of the Grenadier Guards paraded at Gibraltar, 900 strong. Afterwards I saw them paraded in the Crimea, when only 82 of all ranks answered the roll call. Of the 800 odd who were absent, not more than 300 had fallen in battle.[citation needed] | ” |
The French had the honour of sealing the fate of Sevastopol. On the 8th of September 1855, they captured the Malakoff, the most formidable of its fortresses. The war was now virtually over. A treaty was concluded in March 1856. Following the battle at Sevastopol, Sergeant William Napier was awarded the Crimea Medal with clasp and the Turkish Medal.
In May 1857 the native troops at Meerut mutinied, and the remainder of troops throughout Bengal soon followed their example. On the 30th of August 1857, the 1st Battalion under the command of Lord Mark Kerr, embarked at Port Elizabeth (South Africa) at 24 hours notice, for India, and landed at Calcutta on the 3rd of October 1857. On the 27th of March 1858, Lord Mark Kerr received orders from the Viceroy to march to the relief of Azimghur, which is about 50 miles north of Benares. They arrived at Azimghur on the 5th of April 1858[citation needed], and commenced fighting the next morning.
In this action Sergeant William Napier saw Private Benjamin Milnes lying severely wounded and went to his rescue. While surrounded by Sepoys he bandaged Private Milnes wounds. Suddenly he was shot at, leaving a gaping wound over his left eye. Blinded by the blood pouring down his face, Sergeant Napier continued to fight back until he finally picked up Private Milnes and carried him to safety. This daring act was sufficient to induce Lord Mark Kerr to ask the sergeant whether he would like a commission. The sergeant declined that honour.[citation needed] For his heroism he was specially mentioned in dispatches and received the Victoria Cross and promotion to the rank of Sergeant Major. Lists of his battles are as follows:
- 16th August 1855, Battle of Tchernaya, Crimea.
- 6th and 7th of September 1855, in the trenches at Sevastopol.
- 8th September 1855 -1856, Capture of Redan and the fall of Sevastopol.
- 6th April 1858, Relief of Azimghur.
Through to December 1858 he fought in the following battles in India:
- Belwah
- Captaingunge
- Bustee
- Hurryah
- Debreheah
- Judgespore
- Bhanpore
- Domereagunge
- Toolsepore
In October 1862, Sergeant-Major William Napier V.C., was in transit to Calcutta, and on the 8th of December, 1862, he was discharged. He left Calcutta on the 21 December 1862 at 8-38pm on the "Madras" and arrived in Melbourne, Australia in January 1863.[citation needed]
William found work as a clerk and later met and married Elizabeth Slater, the daughter of William and Margaret Slater of Ripon, Yorkshire, U.K., on the 16th of September 1863 in Melbourne. William and Elizabeth had a son, Alfred Stephen Slater Napier, and a daughter, Mary Elizabeth Napier, who both died in infancy. Elizabeth Napier died 25th April 1867, age 37.
William Napier married secondly, Ruth Ann Hirst, widow of Joseph Graham Hirst of Thornes by Wakefield, Yorkshire and daughter of Thomas Crompton Booth of Sowerby, Yorkshire, on the 5th of November 1869, at Bendigo, Victoria.
William Napier worked as a clerk and then a miner for a short time before he became a cordial manufacturer based in Mackey Street, Rochester.[citation needed] William was a member and treasurer of the Rochester branch of the Masons. He was involved in many duties in Rochester and was listed as a pioneer of the district.
Sergeant-Major William Napier moved to Melbourne after his property burnt down. After a few years in Melbourne he became sick and returned to Rochester in 1907. He stayed with John and Ethel Abbey in Mackey Street next to were his home once was. He died on the 2nd of June 1908 at the Abbey home, leaving his wife Ruth Ann Napier and his adopted step-daughter Eliza. Ruth Ann Napier and her daughter moved to Western Australia. Ruth died at her grandson Ernest Alfred Winch's home in 1924.
[edit] Further information
- His adopted step-daughter Eliza married William Henry Winch, ancestor of Lord John Napier-Winch of Western Australia.
- William Napier's personal belongings are now held by Lord John Napier-Winch.[citation needed]
[edit] The medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Somerset Light Infantry Museum (Taunton, Somerset, England).
