Patrick Donohoe VC

Sir James Hope Grant’s despatch of 8 April 1858 said this:
‘For having, at Bolundshahar, on 28th of September, 1857, gone to the support of Lieutenant Blair, who had been severely wounded, and, with a few other men, brought that officer in safety through a large body of the enemy’s cavalry.’
Private Patrick Donohue’s citation was gazetted on 24 Dec 1858 and he was presented with his medal at Windsor Castle by the Queen on 4 Jan 1860. He was from Nenagh, Co.Tipperary, born in 1820. He had a younger brother, Timothy, who emigrated to the USA and won the Medal of Honour during the American Civil War, serving in the 69th New York Infantry at Fredericksburg, Virginia .
Patrick Donohue enlisted on 12 June 1839, initially into the 17th Lancers, giving his occupation as coach-maker, but on 1 April 1842 he transferred to the 9th Lancers who were embarking for India. The regiment suffered very badly from cholera after marching to Cawnpore, and Donohoe was lucky to survive the epidemic. He went with the regiment to Gwalior State and fought at the battle of Punniar on 29 Dec 1843. The regiment then took part in both Sikh Wars of the 1840s, fighting at Sobraon, the Passage of the Chenab, Chillianwalah and Gujerat.
In the Indian Mutiny the regiment spent 4 months at the siege of Delhi where the 9th Lancers served with great energy, culminating in the battle at Bolundshahar and having earned 9 VCs. Donohoe was in Greathed’s column that went to Agra and fought an action that brought Private Freeman his VC on 10 Oct, when the enemy surprised the army as they were in camp. The column went on to fight at Lucknow and the siege and capture of Lucknow. On 19 March two more VCs were won by men of the 9th Lancers, and Donohoe was wounded at Musa Bagh when the lancers charged a mass of the enemy with great determination.
He went to America in April 1862, but his discharge from the army took place on 9 Sep 1864 at Dublin. He had served for 25 years and 90 days. His medals were discovered in a private collection in Western Canada in 2011. They were sold at Dix Noonan and Webb on 26 Jan 2022. They represent the 17 years that the 9th Lancers spent fighting in all the campaigns of the 1840s and 50s. The medals are, from the left, the Victoria Cross, the Punniar Star, the Sutlej medal, the Punjab medal with two clasps for CHILIANWALA and GOOJERAT, the Indian Mutiny medal with 3 clasps for DELHI, RELIEF OF LUCKNOW and LUCKNOW. The last medal is the Army Long Service and Good Conduct. The estimated price was 140,000 to 180,000 pounds, and sold for 220,000 pounds
Private Patrick Donohoe died at Ashbourne, Co.Meath, on 16 August 1876. He was buried in an unmarked grave in Donaghmore Roman Catholic Churchyard near Ashbourne.

Regimental Details | Soldiers