Thomas Henry Kavanagh
Thomas Henry Kavanagh VC was a member of the Bengal Civil Service and Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry which can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
He is one of only five civilians to have ever been awarded the VC.
Indian Mutiny
Kavanagh was a 36-year-old civilian in the Bengal Civil Service, an assistant commissioner in Oudh during the Indian Mutiny, when the following deed took place on 9 November 1857 at the Siege of Lucknow, India for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross:An erratum appeared in a later edition of the London Gazette stating that the deed was actually performed on 9 November as follows:
He was nicknamed by the British press as Lucknow Kavanagh.
He was an active freemason, and member of Morning Star No. 552 E.C.
Later life
In addition to the Victoria Cross, Kavanagh was promoted to be an assistant commissioner in Oudh, and helped in the suppression of scattered mutineers.Kavanagh died in Gibraltar on 13 November 1882, and is buried at North Front Cemetery, Gibraltar. He was one of only five civilians ever to be awarded the VC.
His medal was held for more than 50 years by HistoricalMilitaria.com in Toronto, Canada.
The VC was sold at auction at Noonans Mayfair on 14 September 2022 for a record hammer price of £750,000.