Rear-Admiral Charles Davis Lucas (19 February 1834 – 7 August 1914) was a Royal Navy officer whose act of gallantry in 1854 was the first to lead to the award of a Victoria Cross, the highest British award for gallantry in the face of the enemy. He reached the rank of rear admiral during his time in the navy.
Details
Lucas was born on 19 February 1834 at Druminargal House (close to Scarva and Poyntzpass) in County Armagh. He enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1848 at age 13 as a naval cadet, served aboard , and saw action in the Second Anglo-Burmese War of 1852–53 aboard the frigate Fox at Rangoon, Pegu, and Dalla. By age 20, he had become a mate. For his gallantry during the Battle of Bomarsund of the Crimean War, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for the following deed:
Lucas was personally presented with the Victoria Cross by Queen Victoria at the first VC investiture held at Hyde Park, London, on 26 June 1857.The Victoria Cross and the George Cross: The Complete History - Volume 1 1854-1914, Published by Methuen, London, 2013, , p. 4
Later life His act of bravery in Hecla was the first to be rewarded with the Victoria Cross. His later career included service on , , , , and . He was promoted to commander in 1862 and commanded the experimental armoured gunboat in 1867. He was promoted to captain in 1867, before retiring on 1 October 1873. He was later promoted to rear-admiral on the retired list in 1885. During his career he received the India General Service Medal with the bar Pegu 1852, the Baltic Medal 1854–55, and the Royal Humane Society Lifesaving Medal.
In 1879 he married Frances Russell Hall, daughter of Admiral William Hutcheon Hall, who had been captain of Hecla in 1854. The couple had three daughters together. Lucas served for a time as Justice of the Peace for both Kent and Argyllshire, and died in Great Culverden, Kent on 7 August 1914. He is buried at St Lawrence's Church Mereworth, Maidstone, Kent.
Medals Lucas's campaign medals, including his Victoria Cross, are displayed at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London. They are not the original medals, which were left on a train and never recovered. Replacement copies were made, though the reverse of the Victoria Cross copy is uninscribed.
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References Citations
Sources Listed in order of publication year The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997) Clarke, Brian (1986). The Irish Sword Ross, Graham (1995). Scotland's Forgotten Valour
External links Location of grave and VC medal (Kent) The Bomarsund memorial VC & GC Association biography