On This Day ... in 1857 & 1914
During the Indian Mutiny, the British and loyal Indian garrison defended the Residency at Lucknow for five months. In November, a relief force under Sir Colin Campbell marched on the city.
On 9 November, Mr Thomas Kavanagh, a Civil Servant in the Residency garrison, volunteered to break out and guide the relief column through the city.
Disguising himself as an Indian, he managed to smuggle himself across the city, eventually reaching Campbell's positions. Drawing on the intelligence he delivered, Campbell launched a successful assault on 16 November, and succeeded in evacuating the Residency survivors by 23 November. Kavanagh received the Victoria Cross for his heroism, one of only five civilians ever to be so decorated.
1914: Off the Cocos Islands, the Royal Australian Navy's light cruiser HMAS Sydney finally caught the elusive German light cruiser Emden, which had carried out a remarkable raiding mission against merchant shipping in the Indian Ocean, despite being hunted by the entire Japanese fleet and the British and French Far East squadrons.
Sydney was more modern and more heavily armed, and trapped Emden whilst she was landing a raiding party to destroy the wireless and telegraph station on Direction Island. A bloody two-hour engagement left Emden wrecked on North Keeling Island.
Comments
What made Kavanagh more amazing was that he was over 6 foot & a red head - so stuck out like a sore thumb
Posted by: hugh | November 9, 2004 11:10 AM
With a bit of dye and the proper clothes and, he could look like a very large native trooper. Maybe the height could still be suspicious - but who wants to question a heavily armed giant?
Posted by: markm | November 9, 2004 3:28 PM
it is featured in one of Flashman's adventures recorded by George macdonald fraser - I think 'Flashman & the Tiger'
Posted by: hugh | November 9, 2004 5:16 PM
Flashman is one of my favorites!
Posted by: -keith in mtn. view | November 10, 2004 3:26 AM
he has a very wry sense of history & romps
Posted by: hugh | November 10, 2004 12:58 PM
It was 'Flashman in the Great Game'.
Posted by: Kevin | November 9, 2005 9:25 AM
Before seeing these other comments I was going to make the point that Flashy also got his VC for guiding Kavanagh...
Posted by: The Alchemist | November 9, 2005 2:04 PM
I am glad to see the reuse of comments - I like your green side is more than just your clothing!
Posted by: hugh | November 9, 2005 2:23 PM
An Sergeant Major in the Intelligence Corps told me that their billard table green, berets are derived from the cloth torn from a billiard table at Lucknow that the ladies used to fashion clothes for the naked Kavanagh.
Can you verify this?
Posted by: Yank in Germany | November 10, 2008 8:46 AM