On This Day ... in 1855 & Others
Private Samuel Evans won the Victoria Cross at Sevastopol for his bravery in repairing damaged siege works while under heavy fire.
His citation reads
On 13th April 1855 at Sebastopol, Crimea, Private Evans volunteered to go into an embrasure to repair a breach. He and another private went into the battery and leapt into the embrasure, where they carried out the necessary repairs under very heavy fire.
1868: British troops from the 33rd Regiment stormed the fortifications at Magdala in Abyssinia. The first two men into the town were Private Bergin and Drummer Magner, who were both awarded the Victoria Cross. They and a few others survived an attack over a wall and managed then to capture the gate, admitting the main force.
1940: Bomber Command sent 15 Hampdens on the RAF's first minelaying operation of the war to mine the sea lanes north from Germany to Norway. One aircraft failed to return. Minelaying remained an important but largely forgotten responsibility of Bomber Command throughout the war.
1941: At Tobruk, Axis troops broke through defensive positions held by the Australians. Corporal Edmondson took part in the immediate counter-attack, but was mortally wounded. Despite his injuries, however, he continued in action and went to the aid of an officer who was fighting hand-to-hand alone against two opponents. Edmondson killed both the enemy before falling to his own wounds. He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.