Peter McManus

Peter McManus (March, 1829 – 27 April 1859) was born in Tynan, County Armagh, was an Irish 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.

Details

He was approximately 28 years old, and a private in the 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment (later The Northumberland Fusiliers), British Army during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 26 September 1857 at Lucknow, India, when a party of men was shut up and besieged in a house in the city, Private McManus stayed outside the house until he himself was wounded, and under cover of a pillar kept firing on the sepoys and prevented their rushing the house. He also, in conjunction with another private (John Ryan) dashed into the street and took a wounded captain out of a dhooly and carried him into the house in spite of heavy fire in which the captain was again wounded.

He later achieved the rank of sergeant. He was killed in action, Allahabad, India, on 27 April 1859.

References

• The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
• The Irish Sword (Brian Clarke 1986)
• Irelands VCs ISBN 1-899243-00-3 (Dept of Economic Development 1995)
• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)