Hastings Edward Harington
Encyclopedia
Hastings Edward Harrington VC
(9 November 1832 – 20 July 1861) 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.
, Wiltshire
in 1832 and educated at Reading School
.
, and after the fall of the city he proceeded with the Grethed's column towards Cawnpore taking an active part in the engagements at Maligurh Fort, Allygurh and Agra
. He was present at the relief of the garrison at Lucknow
, where his courage gained him the Victoria Cross
, for which he was elected by the vote of his fellow officers. During these operations he was most dangerously wounded.
He was afterwards present at the siege and capture of Lucknow and joined in the pursuit of the rebels towards Rohileund until he was severely wounded at Rooyah. This last wound compelled him to go to the Himalayas
to recover his health; but deriving only temporary relief and still being troubled by a bullet which remained in his back, he was obliged to return to England and after undergoing a painful operation the bullet was extracted. His health being partially restored he returned to his duty in October 1860. Shortly after his arrival in India he proceeded on service with the Sikkim
Field Force and was afterwards appointed adjutant
6th Battalion Bengal Artillery at Agra where he died from cholera
on July 20, 1861 having achieved the rank of captain.
in the Bengal Artillery, Indian Army
during the Indian Mutiny when the following deeds took place at the Relief of Lucknow for which he was awarded the 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....
(9 November 1832 – 20 July 1861) 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.
Background
Harrington was born in Hinton ParvaHinton Parva
Hinton Parva is a hamlet and civil parish in east Dorset, England, three miles north of Wimborne Minster. The village has a population of 56 . The settlement includes the nearby village of Stanbridge.-External links:*...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
in 1832 and educated at Reading School
Reading School
Reading School is a state-funded, selective academy school for boys in the English town of Reading. It is notable for tracing its history back to the school of Reading Abbey, making it one of the oldest schools in England. There are no tuition fees for day pupils, and boarders only pay for food and...
.
Military career
Harrington's military career began on June 12, 1852 when he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Bengal Artillery. During the Indian Mutiny he was severely wounded at Trimmoo Ghat. He was present throughout the Siege of DelhiSiege of Delhi
The Siege of Delhi was one of the decisive conflicts of the Indian rebellion of 1857.The rebellion against the authority of the British East India Company was widespread through much of Northern India, but essentially it was sparked by the mass uprising by the sepoys of the units of the Army which...
, and after the fall of the city he proceeded with the Grethed's column towards Cawnpore taking an active part in the engagements at Maligurh Fort, Allygurh and Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
. He was present at the relief of the garrison at Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, where his courage gained him 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....
, for which he was elected by the vote of his fellow officers. During these operations he was most dangerously wounded.
He was afterwards present at the siege and capture of Lucknow and joined in the pursuit of the rebels towards Rohileund until he was severely wounded at Rooyah. This last wound compelled him to go to the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
to recover his health; but deriving only temporary relief and still being troubled by a bullet which remained in his back, he was obliged to return to England and after undergoing a painful operation the bullet was extracted. His health being partially restored he returned to his duty in October 1860. Shortly after his arrival in India he proceeded on service with the Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
Field Force and was afterwards appointed adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
6th Battalion Bengal Artillery at Agra where he died from cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
on July 20, 1861 having achieved the rank of captain.
Victoria Cross details
Harrington was 25 years old, and a lieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Bengal Artillery, Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
during the Indian Mutiny when the following deeds took place at the Relief of Lucknow for which he was awarded the VC: