Editing Gerald Graham (section)

==Crimea & Victoria Cross==
Graham was ordered to the 11th Company of Royal Sappers and Miners at [[Woolwich]] and shipped to [[Gallipoli]] in April 1854 to engage in the building of defensive works at the [[Gulf of Saros]]. He then served in [[Crimean War|the Crimea]] at the battles of [[Battle of Alma|Alma]], [[Battle of Inkerman|Inkerman]], and the [[Siege of Sebastopol]] where his actions at the [[Battle of the Great Redan|assault of the Redan]] on June 18, 1854, earned him the award of a [[Victoria Cross]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Colonel R. H. |last=Vetch |title=Life, Letters, and Diaries of Lieut.-General Sir Gerald Graham |page=10 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.81505|place=Edinburgh|publisher=William Blackwood and Sons|year=1901}}</ref>

The ill-fated attack on the Russian fortifications consisted of three columns (1,600 men each) with 23 year old Lieutenant Graham in command of the ladder party at the head of Number 1 column. Notably, [[Charles George Gordon]] was in command of the same column's reserves - a former peer of Graham's at the [[Royal Military Academy, Woolwich|Royal Academy]] and subsequent close friend and colleague through later campaigns in [[Second Opium War|China]] and [[Mahdist War|the Sudan]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Gerald |last=Napier |title=The Sapper VCs |page=22 |publisher=The Stationery Office|year=1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Whitworth |last=Porter |title=History of the Corps of Royal Engineers, Volume 1 |page=456 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PJQFAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA457|publisher=Longmans, Green, and Co.|year=1889}}</ref>

Commencing their offensive after dawn, the Number 1 column became pinned down by heavy Russian fire as it endeavoured to close on the right flank of the Redan across approximately 400 yards of open, level ground. Graham later recalled:

{{Blockquote
|text=Before five minutes were over we had lost many men, without making much advance. My Brother officer proceeding me [Lieutenant Murray] had his arm shot off and died shortly afterwards. Brigadier General [[Sir John Campbell, 2nd Baronet|Sir J. Campbell]] had been killed at the outset, having with extraordinary valour, gone out in front of the skirmishers. [[William Tylden|Colonel Tylden]] of the Royal Engineers ... was struck down by a grapeshot whilst I was at his side.<ref>{{cite book |first=Gerald |last=Napier |title=The Sapper VCs |page=21 |publisher=The Stationery Office|year=1998}}</ref>
}}

Graham carried Tylden to the rear before returning to the action but after numerous attempts to move forward and suffering severe casualties, the column retired to their advance trench. At this point, Graham and sapper [[John Perie]] gallantly scaled the parapet and returned to the field under withering grape and musket fire to retrieve wounded comrades.

[[Charles Sackville-West, 6th Earl De La Warr|Lord West]], who succeeded command of Graham's column following the death of Sir John Campbell, later wrote to [[Henry Bentinck (British Army officer)|Lieutenant General Betnick]], "...Lieutenant Graham of the Engineers, who lead the ladder party, evinced a coolness and readiness to expose himself to any personal risk which does him the greatest credit."<ref>{{cite book |first=Colonel R. H. |last=Vetch |title=Life, Letters, and Diaries of Lieut.-General Sir Gerald Graham |page=110 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.81505|place=Edinburgh|publisher=William Blackwood and Sons|year=1901}}</ref>

The citation for Graham's VC, published in the [[The London Gazette|London Gazette]], noted his "Devoted heroism in sallying out of the trenches on numerous occasions, and bringing in wounded officers and men."<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=21971 |date=24 February 1857 |page=656 }}</ref> For his actions in the Crimea Graham was awarded the [[Victoria Cross]], twice [[mentioned in dispatches]], made a [[Legion of Honour|Knight of the French Legion d'honneur]], received the 5th Class of the [[Order of the Medjidie]], and promoted to Brevet Major.

At the inaugural VC ceremony in [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]], on 26 June 1857, Graham was personally decorated by [[Queen Victoria]], who pierced his chest while pinning the Cross to his coat.<ref>{{cite book |first=Colonel R. H. |last=Vetch |title=Life, Letters, and Diaries of Lieut.-General Sir Gerald Graham |page=139 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.81505|place=Edinburgh|publisher=William Blackwood and Sons|year=1901}}</ref>