Lieutenant A R Dunn VC

Alexander Dunn was born in Toronto on 15th Sep 1833. He was a cornet in the 11th Hussars on 12th March 1852 and a Lieutenant on 18th Feb 1853. He was a tall man, 6'3'' and carried a long sword which he used to good effect in the Charge of the Light Brigade. He was a fine swordsman and horseman. He saved the life of Sergeant Bentley of the 11th by cutting down 2 or 3 Russian lancers. He later killed a Russian hussar who was attacking a private. He had his horse shot from under him and then found another which was also shot. In a conversation with Lieutenant Palmer that night, he said "You had a very near shave of it today, old fellow, as while we were rallying after the first halt, a Russian came up behind you and put his carbine close to your head. You did not see him but Private Jowett charged him and cut him down." Palmer looked very relieved because a few nights before the battle he had found Jowett asleep on guard and had decided to caution him instead of putting him on a charge. "Lucky for me I saved him from getting flogged, otherwise he might not have been in such a hurry to save my life." Dunn became a Lt-Col on 25th June 1861 and joined the 33rd Foot in 1864. He served in Abyssinia in 1868 where he died on 25th January. He was the first Canadian-born man to win the Victoria Cross.

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