James Bergin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 29 June 1845 |
| Died | 1 December 1880(1880-12-01) (aged 35) |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit | 33rd Regiment of Foot |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
James BerginVC (29 June 1845 – 1 December 1880) was anIrish recipient of theVictoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded toBritish andCommonwealth forces.
Bergin was 22 years old, and aprivate in the33rd Regiment of Foot, (The Duke of Wellington's Regiment from 1854),British Army during theAbyssinia Expedition when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 13 April 1868 in Abyssinia (nowEthiopia), during the assault onMagdala, when the head of the column of attack was checked by the obstacles at the gate, a small stream of officers and men of the 33rd Regiment and an officer the Royal Engineers broke away from the main approach to Magdala, and, reaching the defences, climbed a cliff, forced their way over a wall and through a strong and thorny fence, thus turning the defenders of the gateway. The first two men to enter Magdala were Private Bergin and DrummerMichael Magner.[1]
He died atPoonaBritish India on 1 December 1880.
His Victoria Cross is displayed in theDuke of Wellington's Regimental Museum inBankfield Museum,Halifax,West Yorkshire,England.[2]
Listed in order of publication year
  | This biographical article related to the British Army is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |