David Rushe VC

Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....

 (28 April 1827 - 6 November 1886) was an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 recipient of the Victoria Cross

Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and Commonwealth

Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...

 forces.

Details

Rushe was 30 years old, and a troop sergeant-major in the 9th Lancers (The Queen's Royal), British Army

British Army

The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

 during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC:
Rushe received his Victoria Cross from Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...

 on 4 January 1860. This joined his medals for the 1st and 2nd Sikh Wars and the Indian Mutiny. He weventually also received the Good Conduct Medal and the Long Service Medal.

Further information

He later achieved the rank of regimental sergeant-major. Rushe died on the 6 November 1886 at Great Marlow

Great Marlow

Great Marlow is a civil parish within Wycombe district in the English county of Buckinghamshire located north of the town of Marlow and south of High Wycombe. The parish includes the hamlets of Bovingdon Green, Burroughs Grove, Chisbridge Cross and Marlow Common, and Danesfield Base, a housing...

 and was buried without a stome at All Saints Church

All Saints Church

-Australia:*All Saints Church, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory*All Saints Church, Henley Brook, Western Australia*All Saints Anglican Church, Brisbane, Queensland-Canada:*All Saints Anglican Cathedral, Edmonton, Alberta...

. His widow sold the medal, but his descendants re-purchased the medal in 1959 and later lent in to be displayed at his regimental museum within Derby Museum

Derby Museum and Art Gallery

Derby Museum and Art Gallery was established in 1879, along with Derby Central Library, in a new building designed by Richard Knill Freeman and given to Derby by Michael Thomas Bass. The collection includes a whole gallery displaying the paintings of Joseph Wright of Derby; there is also a large...

.