Henry Raby

Rear-Admiral Henry James Raby Template:Post-nominals (26 September 1827 – 13 February 1907) was a 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.

Early life and career

Henry James Raby was born at Boulogne, France on 26 September 1827, the son of Mr A.T. Raby of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales. He attended Sherborne School from 1841 to 1842, during which time he was a member of Abbey House.<ref>The Sherborne Register, 1550-1950</ref>

After leaving Sherborne School, he entered the Royal Navy in 1842 as a 1st Class Volunteer in H.M.S. Monarch. He served for 11 months with the Naval Brigade in the Crimea being promoted Commander for his services.

VC action

Raby was 27 years old, and a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy serving with the Naval Brigade during the Crimean War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 18 June 1855 in the Crimea, immediately after the assault on Sebastopol, a soldier of the 57th Regiment, who had been wounded in both legs, was observed sitting up and calling for help. At once Lieutenant Raby and seamen Henry Curtis and John Taylor left the shelter of their battery works and ran forward a distance of 70 yards, across open ground, through heavy gunfire and succeeded in carrying the wounded man to safety.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>

Raby was the first man to receive the Victoria Cross from Queen Victoria at the first investiture on 26 June 1857. The Queen pinned the crosses on the recipients in strict order of service precedence and seniority. Commander Raby therefore came first as the senior officer in the senior service on parade, although his VC deed had been performed after that of the midshipman, Lucas, who certainly stands as the first to be granted the award of the cross. Similarly in the army contingent, Sergeant-Major Grieve was the first soldier on the parade to receive the cross, because he belonged to the Cavalry, an arm senior to the Infantry, although his VC deed was later than those of the four infantry soldiers who earned it at the Alma.

Subsequent career and death

In command of H.M.S. Medusa and later of H.M.S. Alecto in the 1860s, he played a prominent part in the suppression of the slave trade on the West Coast of Africa and was present at the attack and destruction of Porto Novo in Dahomey. He was promoted Captain for his services in 1862. He was awarded C.B. in 1875 and commanded H.M.S. Aventure on the China Station 1868–1871. He retired as a Rear Admiral 1878, and devoted the remaining years of his life to service charities.

Raby died at his home in Southsea on 13 February 1907.<ref name=TimesObit>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:Grave of Rear Admiral Raby V.C.jpg

Grave of Rear Admiral Raby V.C.

Raby's obituary appeared in The Shirburnian in March 1907 [Reprint from The Times, 14 February 1907]: Template:Quote

The medal

His medal is on display at the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth.

References

• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• Scotland's Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995)
• Portsmouth Memorial Page

External links

• Location of grave and VC medal (Hampshire)
• Sherborne School Archives