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Israel Harding

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Israel Harding
Born(1833-10-21)21 October 1833
Portsmouth, England
Died22 May 1917(1917-05-22) (aged 83)
Billingshurst, West Sussex, England
Buried
Highland Road Cemetery, Portsmouth
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchRoyal Navy
RankChief Gunner
UnitHMS Arrogant
HMS Barracouta
HMS Alexandra
Battles / warsCrimean War
1882 Anglo-Egyptian War
Third Anglo-Ashanti War
AwardsVictoria Cross
Mentioned in Despatches

Israel Harding, VC (21 October 1833 – 22 May 1917) was a sailor in the Royal Navy and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

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Harding was 48 years old, and a gunner in the Royal Navy during the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC).

On 11 July 1882 at Alexandria, Egypt, HMS Alexandra, with other ships, was bombarding the forts of the city and suffering damage and casualties from the enemy's guns. During the engagement a 10-inch shell passed through the ship's side and lodged on the main deck. Gunner Harding, hearing a shout that there was a live shell just above the hatchway (which led to the magazine) rushed up from below, picked it up and flung it into a tub of water. Had the shell burst it would probably have caused many deaths.[1]

On return to England the Victoria Cross was presented to him by Edward, Prince of Wales.[2]

Harding later achieved the rank of chief gunner. His VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum in London.

References

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  1. ^ "No. 25147". The London Gazette. 15 September 1882. p. 4260.
  2. ^ Famous Fighters of the Fleet, Edward Fraser, 1904, p.307
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